Know nothing more than the 'Panidharo'
in her village, well Sita is just thirteen,
promiseful and playful,
'aasi' and 'namlo' her songs and her braided tail of hair with dusts and twigs clinging,
is all she have.
She is gonna grow up someday
She should know
She should know
Like wild flowers beneath the mists
But for now she is playing hopscotch in her village.
When one day the wind blow away her soul from the eyes, across the river the rainbows appear to tickle her eyes.
She hasn't fully learned to do even a 'roti'
Nor has she learned about the lies,
Now that the man saw money on her
Money for the man
Money for the man
Not easy for the sweet little girl
in the filthy confinements of big city lights
fighting sweats, melting,
melting in tears for freedom
to get safe, back home one day.
Bombay : A Hollywood like Indian city
Sita : A common name of a girl 'in this poem representing the majority of (poverty maulled) young girls who end up as prostitutes following their mistaken colorful dreams.'
'Panidharo' : A communal tap for water in villages and town of Nepal.
'asi' and 'namlo' : Sickle and cloth or bamboo strap to carry stuff on your head
'roti' : a flat bread; (a pizza bread without toppings)
Dear readers please note that this poem is meant for bringing the issues of child trafficking in countries like Nepal, where many young kids are abducted every year to be sold in the brothels of Bombay and many cities of India to work as a sex slave.
A further collection of poems, many from years in the Middle East, but also the California San Francisco and Central Coast areas (Santa Cruz, Carmel, Big Sur, Berkeley, etc.).
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