The Tree Within ~ Ardra Manasi

 The Tree Within ~ Ardra Manasi

In Rajasthan, a woman and her daughters hug a Khejri tree,

before being axed to death together.

In Uttaranchal, an old woman hugs an Ash tree,

as loggers wait to cut it down.

In Kerala, a tribal woman hugs the last tree alive;

cries over a burning forest.

At home,

my aunt hugs a Muringa tree,

which still bears the weight of her childhood.

peace, resistance, and nostalgia

We are in a hurry to give names

to describe what women feel;

but sometimes, a woman comes to a tree

in a moment of loneliness,

away from thankless husbands,

children and rulers of the land,

who tell them their place is inside.

(painting - Under A Palm Tree by Winslow Homer)