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)
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