Mother India Poem by Pankaj Prasoon

Wearing coarse yellow saree*
with red borders
there she goes… Mother India
to work
-she is hungry
she has not taken anything since the morning
only a glass of water…
yet she would build,
construct,
buildings, roads, and dams
she is tired,
sweating
but no more sad
she would get
a few bucks in the evening
and then she would run to the grocer
to get rice
to feed his child
rice and rice water
when the child eats
she is happy
she works whole day
pouring water on the mud and cement
she is sweating
she is careless about her figure
she just covers it with rag
but she feeds her child
milk from her open breast
she does n’t have sense of hygiene
or manners
she is an ocean of compassion
her eyes glowing with pity
-her only capital
-heritage
she wants to give to the future generation
hungry, skeletal, mother
-Mother India! ! !

* Sari or saree: A strip of unstitched cloth, worn by females, ranging from four to nine yards in length that is draped over the body in various styles. It is popular in India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Burma, and Malaysia.