ગંગોત્રી-SARYU PARIKH

 

હસી ફરી–

આશ તારલી આજ રાતભર ઝાકળ થઈને ઝરતી
સ્વપ્નોની  રંગોળી  રોળી   શ્યામ  વાદળી વરસી

યૌવનના  આંગણમાં  ખીલી વેલી   પ્રેમ સીચેલી
શરમાતી  મલકાતી    અર્પિત   પૂર્ણ   પણે  વરેલી

એની  આશે  ક્ષ્વાસે   ઝૂલી   નરમી નેણ  મીંચેલી
ત્રાપટ  ઝાપટ  વાગી  ત્યારે  ધ્રૂજતી  એ ભીંજેલી

અણધારી    આફત    આવેલી    વાછંટે   વીંઝેલી
તણખલાના   તીર   તેવર   ક્રુર   કાંટેથી    વીંધેલી

હૈયામાં  એ   હામ  લઈને    શક્તિ   સહ   જાગેલી
મમતાળી    ડાળી   ઓથારે   હસતી  ફરી ખીલેલી

નવા પ્રહરની  ઝાકળ ઝીલી તૃપ્ત બની તરસેલી
હૈયામાં   ઉમંગ    લઈ   નવસ્વપ્ન   સજે  શર્મીલી

————–

  Smile Again     

 

My wonderful teacher, I send you this letter

To let you know that my life is much better.

As you know, I grew up in Syria

School and college were sheltered euphoria.

He was cute and pursued me for long;

I married him for love, thought together we belonged

I was overjoyed to come, guided by his ruling hand

I was happy in the hijab, timorous in this foreign land

 

Soon, my love was quite aloof; he had seen the dollar spoof

I was hurt and all alone, didn’t know what was going on!

He often slapped me here and there; I thought,“ he is just upset!”

I didn’t have anyone to tell, I kept the secrets very well.

He humiliated me more, asked for papers and passport,

I said, “No, no, you must leave.” He said, “Need you to deport.”

He waved the shiny knife, yelled and dragged me to the street,

I cried and begged him just to stop, couldn’t see a way to retreat.

 

The police took me to a bend, where I could barely comprehend.

They told me to call some shelter, a safe place;

“I want to see my mama’s gentle face.”

 

Lucky for me that you were there,

You kindly took me in your care.

 

You tended my broken, beaten life,

You stroked my tender, weeping heart.

 

You taught me how to get my rights

Find the freedom from the fights

I look forward to future sights

Out of the dark and into the lights.
I thank you, O’my teacher, as well as several other kind helping hands.
                                                                                                                             

                                                                                                        Your Happy Survivor

                                                                              ——————————- ——————-
                                                                 True story/Written by Saryu Parikh,The Teacher. June 2009