Poetry

The Culture Of Authority

Think not ..

You are born only for serving others

You are responsible for their welfare

You have to perform umpteen duties

You have to organise & manage others

Your work is only to cook, do laundry…

You aren’t, a housekeeper

You, my friends, are more than that

Don’t ever underestimate yourself

The God who created Men

Has created Women too!

In His eyes, all are the same

Some men & women fabricated

These weird rules–

To harass the innocent

To crush your self-confidence

To make you feel unwanted & lonely

To trod upon your ambitions

To reduce you to a state of helplessness

To overpower your mind & strength

To make you feel weak & exhausted till you give up

Just remember, undoubtedly

You have to look after your family but

Your spouse has to help too

Saying,’ I do that by taking up a job’

That’s not enough

You work much more than any 9-5 job

You are on duty 24 hours

Whoever says,’What do you do, you are at home?’

Let him/ her do the household chores for Say a week or even 24 hours

You go out & relax

The real fun will now begin–

There will be no end to the chaos at home

Shouting & screaming about being exhausted

Snapping at petty things

So if ‘you’ get tired doing housekeeping

Were the women having a picnic?

Just give it a thought all those men & women who–

Love making life, a hell for..

Someone else’s daughter but

Get furious & agitated

When it comes to their own daughter who has–

To bear the brunt of such mean-minded

selfish people.

Be thoughtful & generous

Every living being needs

Some moments for oneself

Snatch it not from them

God is watching each one of us

Karma isn’t going to go soft on anyone

Let’s do some introspection

Are we doing all that we expect from others?

Is it a reflection of our own failures?

Blame her not for your or your family’s wrongdoings

If you are so perfect, rectify them yourself

Piling accusations on —

The newcomer isn’t the answer

It only points out your own shortcomings, So-

This vicious cycle of authoritative meanness must end now, to avoid–

The birth of a mutiny in the family!

This blind culture of authority–

Passed down as inheritance must be Harnessed & rooted out before–

The precious institute of Family is butchered!

 

~ Anuradha S. Bannore

Vadodara, India

3 Comments

  1. very true anuradha ji the male dynasty seems to think that they are the only creation of God and hence, keeping in line with Manu’s idiosyncratic views on male dominance, wield their power on women, treating her as the inferior and a housemaid after marriage. The saddest part of it all is that there are women also to be blamed in , who when they become mothers – in- law act cheaply like men,shame on such men and women in society.

  2. Women’s work is so pathetic because it it is seen and appreciated only when not done ! And when done well disappears – leaving behind a depleted and tired soul .
    This invisibility dehumanises and exhausts the woman who must learn to know her worth as Anuradha beautifully expresses in her poem and not let this internalised compulsion of pleasing others by not letting them find a a reason to be angry .
    She must reclaim her personhood – remembering power was never handed on a platter .

  3. I think it’s high time the ‘High Handedness’ of such useless authoritative behaviour towards any living being was brought under control. No one has any right to walk over others, be it a human or an animal. Every living being needs to be respected. God didn’t create discrimination but selfish, mean minded humans with swollen heads stuffed with false pride did
    it. Thanks Ms Diwakar & Ms Jaya for appreciating the poem