Skip to main content

The Grendels


Horror is lurking behind every moment of darkness,

Seeming to be human, we cannot distinguish you from Grendel.

We see no Beowulfs coming to rip off your arms that aid you well.

When every closed door warns us,

Every stare seems to map our bodies,

Every vehicle appears to follow us,

Every touch seems to warn us,

You, cultured and well behaved,

You are the light of the day,

You are the Lord of the people,

Who metamorphose into damned dangers 

At the end of the day.

Your venomous fangs go in search of 

Prey,

You wait in the darkness with twinkling eyes,

Admiring the power of your hands,

That can open up hearts,

And show the uncultured your worth. 

After every hunting, the sycophants who surround you,

Kiss your hands and touch your feet.

They wash your dirt and make your bed.

They cure your sickness by gifting you scepters.

Making you invisible, they uproot every Beowulfs to ensure your reign.

Thus you flourish, never to die but to hunt and haunt.

And behind your house, we see a pile of dirt, 

Fresh and wet, making a scarlet mansion,

to inspire and nurture baby Grendels,

To make us disappear.


A.C


Yesterday, October 1 was National Poetry Day. I wrote this poem specifically because every news on violence against us builds up a lot of trauma in us. And we disappear at every injustice towards us. I don't know how powerful this poem is, but this is my way of protest against the brutal Hathras gang rape of a 19-year-old girl and the injustice done to her family even after her death.

Grendel is a character in the Anglo-Saxon epic poem Beowulf. Grendel is described as "a creature of darkness, exiled from happiness and accursed of God, the destroyer and devourer of our humankind". Beowulf tears off Grendel's arm, which eventually kills him.


Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Laapataa Ladies aka Ladies Lost in Patriarchy

Kiran Rao’s “Laapataa Ladies” is a social satire that offers entertainment as well as empowerment. The movie humorously portrays the grave realities of a patriarchal society with the help of a simple story and background. As the name and the trailer suggested, it revolves around two newly married brides who get lost on the way to their in-laws’ home. While Jaya, whom Deepak accidentally brings home instead of his wife Phool, seizes this opportunity to follow her dream, Phool undergoes profound personal growth during the time. This period shows multiple women discovering themselves. Some learn to do things that they love for themselves while others learn to explore and embrace their talents.  Even though Jaya and Phool are two contradictory characters, they are both equally victims of patriarchal conditioning. While Jaya is ready to break and act against all the norms of society from the very beginning by uttering the name of her husband to everyone’s disbelief, Phool learns to do t...
Post a Comment
Read more

SHE

She was a girl of little importance.. She was not a damsel or a princess. But there was fire in her eyes. The fire of determination. Fire of dreams to be fullfilled. She never saw it ,but others did. But others never understood it ,but she did. She always dreamt of her future prince. Her shining eyes and glossy lips always waited for the arrival of her prince. One day. She met her prince,the charming one who came on white horse, she believed destiny made them meet, And she prayed let the same destiny unite them!! Days passed. Everyday she saw him. But she was afraid to come out of her shell. Another day. As she walked, he came. He walked towards her. she paused. As he reached closer her heart wrenched from its seat. And now there is no distance  between them. He smiled and reached for her lips. she closed her eyes. They kissed. It was deep. He looked at her. She tried to be normal.. But there was nothing normal around her...
2 comments
Read more

Tu Koi Aur Hai

The characters of Imtiaz Ali are always difficult to decipher and can only be done if the actors do complete justice to it. And two such celebrated characters of Imtiaz Ali are Ved and Tara of Tamasha . Meeting Ved in Corsica was accidental to Tara. Both of them came there to be alone and enjoy some time away from their busy life. But what destiny had for them was different. But for Tara, what happened in Corsica didn't just stay at Corsica. What attracted Tara towards Ved was his coolness and the quirkiness which ultimately made her fall in love with him and break up with her boyfriend. She continued to pamper the memories at Corsica even without knowing Ved or his name. But meeting Ved which she longed for four years and being his girlfriend was not what Tara wanted. Tara fell in love with the Ved whom she met at Corsica not the Ved at Delhi. But it was all difficult for the Ved who is actually battling bipolar disorder to accept his reality. Ved wanted to live the life that he d...
Post a Comment
Read more