Motherhood : Poem

Vanita Thakkar is an Entrepreneur - an Engineer-Researcher-Consultant and an Artist - Singer-Composer-Poetess-Writer from Vadodara, Gujarat.

Motherhood

I was a little more than

Five years old,

Had not started

Going to school, yet.

Everyday,

I listened to the radio,

Heard songs –

Most of them Hindi Film songs ….

And was very impressed

By Lata Mangeshkar ….

One day,

Curious,

I asked my father,

“Pappa, does Lata Mangeshkar’s daughter

Also sing so beautifully? ”

“Lata Mangeshkar

Does not have a daughter.”

“Why? ”

“She is not married.”

“So what? ” ….

I wondered! !

I had the impression that

At a certain age,

Every girl becomes a lady

And a mother,

Bearing and rearing children ….,

A phonomenon as natural

And as matter-of-fact as

Flowering of plants, trees ….

“You are a fool! ”,

My not-so-elder,

But wise brother quipped

And unknowingly spared

Pappa’s adult answerlessness.

Later on,

I grew up,

Accumulated age,

And I saw,

Birth-givers

Not becoming mothers

And Motherhood

Craving in childless arms ….

And I wonder,

Where did It get trapped?

Where? ………..?

Where is It struggling?

On its way from

Doll-house to home?

Vanita Thakkar (12.07.2009)

© 2020 Vanita Thakkar

Comments

Vanita Thakkar (author) on October 02, 2020:

Thanks, Ankita. Lots of love.

Vanita Thakkar (author) on October 02, 2020:

Thanks, dear Peggy. Love and regards to you.

Vanita Thakkar (author) on October 02, 2020:

Thanks, Soumak for coming by to read and for your nice comment.

Vanita Thakkar (author) on October 02, 2020:

Thanks, Brenda for reading and commenting. Sincerely appreciated.

Ankita B on October 02, 2020:

A very powerful poem. Well written.

Peggy Woods from Houston, Texas on October 02, 2020:

I second what Rajan wrote.

Sannyasi Raja from Durgapur, West Bengal, India on October 02, 2020:

Deeply felt those lines.

Very well written.

BRENDA ARLEDGE from Washington Court House on October 02, 2020:

It is hard & sad to understand.

Good write.

Vanita Thakkar (author) on October 02, 2020:

Yes, Rajanbhai. These lines are true and very sad.

Thanks for visiting and commenting. Much appreciated.

Rajan Singh Jolly from From Mumbai, presently in Jalandhar, INDIA. on October 02, 2020:

"Birth-givers

Not becoming mothers

And Motherhood

Craving in childless arms"

These are powerful lines. So true and so sad.

Vanita Thakkar (author) on October 02, 2020:

Thanks, Olusegun for your visit and comment. Much appreciated.

OLUSEGUN from NIGERIA on October 02, 2020:

Age teaches us to understand so many things in life. Good work.