SWAPNA BEHERA

SWAPNA BEHERA

A Bride A Mango Tree And A Bird

just in the corner of the village

a mango tree in front of my dadu’s house

it sings symphony of happenings

when the sky descends on the palms

and

the earth ascends with the twittering of the unknown birds

all seasons reflect on the leaves

all emotions are spread as shadows

every well has a history

every bride has a story

about her village that she has left

played  Holi or lit  Diwali

every saree has an emotional hash tag

a bride is a bird

twittering on a mango tree of the courtyard

may be in this village or in that city ...

life goes on ....

(dadu;- grand father

Holi and Diwali are two Indian festivals )

Don’t Shed Tears

don’t shed tears dear girls

don’t ever cry

be prepared to celebrate your woman hood

you will bleed and feed

you will pretend to be happy

you are the crisis manager dear

you will be born again and again

so why to be afraid of ?

your strength is your patience

just explore within and celebrate

you are an angel; a torchbearer

in the  darkness

you are

the trend setter

legacy of this civilisation

so celebrate this moment

to be immortal forever .......

Deciphering Acceptance

when I was a child

my granny gave me a gold necklace

with a peacock pendant

lovely it was

proud I felt with the precious gift

while playing ,

the pendant jumped closed to my heart

I could feel the subtle touch of my granny

as  a teen , many a times

I have faced  questions

how envious were my friends

ohh! the pendant  was a dancing peacock

I grew as a woman

after my marriage

with all heavy jewelleries

the pendant lost its prominent identity

after all rituals I came to my in law’s house

observed all protocols

but never took off that necklace even at night

lo behold! I became a mother

after a couple of years

today I have to sell that necklace

after the death of my husband

I became the single mother

I need money for my son’s education

I am not crying but happily said bye to the necklace

my son needs money and I need my son

after all, I deciphered the acceptance....

SWAPNA BEHERA

SWAPNA BEHERA is a bilingual contemporary poet, author, translator and editor from Odisha, India. She was a teacher from 1984 to 2015 . Her stories, poems and articles are widely published in National and International journals, and ezines, and are translated into different national and International languages. She has penned six books. She is the recipient of the Prestigious International Mother Language UGADI AWARD WINNER 2019. She was conferred upon the Prestigious International Poesis Award of Honor at the 2nd Bharat Award for Literature as Jury in 2015, The Enchanting Muse Award in India World Poetree Festival 2017, World Icon of Peace Award in 2017, and the Pentasi B World Fellow Poet in 2017.. She is the  recipient  of the Prolific Poetess Award ,The Life time Achievement Award ,The Best Planner Award ,The Sahitya Shiromani Award,ATAL BIHARI BAJPAYEE AWARD2018,AmbassadorDeLiterature Award2018 ,Global Literature Guardian Award ,International  Life Time Achievement Award and  the Master of Creative Impulse Award  .She has received the Honoured Poet of India from the Seychelles Government accredited Literary Society LLSF.Her one poem A NIGHT IN THE REFUGEE CAMP is translated into 60 languages .She is the Ambassador of Humanity by Hafrikan Prince Art World Africa 2018 and an official member of World Nation’s Writers Union, Kazakhstan2018. Italy, the National President for India by Hispanomundial Union of Writers (UHE), Peru, the administrator of several poetic groups , and the Cultural Ambassador for  India and south Asia of Inner Child Press U.S.She is the life member of Odisha Environmental Society .