Rest in Peace Grand lady,
The champion of human rights.
Gutsy, wordy, playing with the dark
You taught me to be a thinking and feeling WOMAN, warm, strong, throbbing and living in this hard mad world.
My mother gave me birth and framed my biological identity
But destiny lead my wandering steps
to you.
One day armed with the Songs of Solomon I flew over the seven seas
To see you, to walk the hallowed corridors of Princeton for just a glimpse of you.
Oh guiding star, you lit the moonless land of my mind
I could repose on the breasts of your flowing words
Find solace or
like Pecola crave for the Bluest eye.
You gave me another frame, another identity, another life,
Well unknown to you,
A life steady, wordy and proud
full of whys and hows and what-the-fs!
A funky and serious and a know-my-mind woman
Walking in the tracks engraved and talking with a sweet resonance of the warm tinkle of your lyrical words.
From the Bluest Eye to God Help the Child
you helped and pushed and healed
with a power so silent, so rare.
Feeding on your dreams and growing each day over the last three decades,
Waking and sleeping your suffered pains
I offer my prayers
Oh voice of the voiceless,
Oh trainer of mangled minds
Rest in Peace.
Rest in Peace sweet matron your struggle is at its end !
Oh Steerer ! My Steerer !
Life was never so sombre !
Photo Credit
Photo is Wikimedia creative commons
Poem is Copyright Shruti Das 6.8.2019
Guest Author Bio
Dr Shruti Das
Dr Shruti Das is Associate professor English in Berhampur University in Odisha, India. She is a creative writer with poetry published Nationally and Internationally and also a literary critic, writing bilingually in English and her native tongue Odia. She has published two collection of poems named “A Daughter Speaks (2013)” and “Lidless Eyes(2015)” has been published in Anthologies like “Inspired Heart 2″, “Inspired Heart 3”, “Scaling Heights” and “Colours of Refuge” to name a few. She has participated in many Seminars on English language and literature in India and Europe. She is sensitive to social issues, loves to travel and to dream. She loves animals.
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Website: shrutidas
Dr.P.V.Laxmiprasad says
Composed it so quickly. Good tribute to Tony who did her last journey from the world. She will live in the works that she has created. May her soul rest in peace.
Sushilla says
Most vibrating with love and gratitude.but celebratory too. A Hindu tone as it is not elegiac.