An Ode To The Woman Of Kashmiri Origin Poem by Rajesh Prothi

I am the fragrance that has carried the generations from the times unknown.
I am like an icicle, obvious & stunning, yet not perpetual.

I am like a dewdrop on a grass strand, and a rising sun.
I am as pristine, as I could be.

Flowing with time, never taking a breath for myself, as I have so much to accomplish.

I am the reason for the civilizations, yet seldom have I been acknowledged.
But I have not cared for applauds, as I am much beyond things of this world.
For me, being the cradle is good enough.

I know my powers, I know my reach.
I know my faith, I know my God.

I am like a bird, gliding with the winds,
But behold, I am the wind.
Unstoppable, uncontrollable.

I have my own mind, my own contradictions.
My own destiny, my own goals.

I am the poet, I am the poetry,
I am the story-teller, I am the story,
I am the riddle, I am the mystery.

I am a rose petal for those I care, a rock for those who dare.
I have the depth of the oceans and reach of the summits.

While I am the beginning, I am not the end.
I am a woman.
I am a woman of Kashmiri origin

(March 2015)