Identity
Telugu Original: Dr K.Geeta
English Translation: Madhuri Palaji
I have seen all the colors here —
Not in the sky — But in the people walking the earth —
The color that helps recognize just by looking at you
Your facial features — Your identity
Whether you are an American Indian
Or Asian Indian!
How far back should you go back in history for your identity?
Where are your roots?
What’s inside if your body is peeled?
But strangely, Chinese if you are from China,
Russians if you are from Russia,
Indians if you are from India become your relatives.
“All are equal” –What a superficial truth!
Deep within
The stares that degrade your language —
How is it that you are an officer if you speak English
And a servant if you speak Spanish?
The place where the land is yours
The place where your mother tongue becomes a dead language
Foreign culture
Foreign conditions
Your recognition
Your color — Your facial features — Your tongue
This is the first world!
The people who anchored liberties on your tomb
Day to day immigration to dream land
The great land of opportunity
Came to your country to make money and calls you untouchable
I have seen all the colors here
In the changing expressions just by looking at me —
*****
Madhuri Palaji is a writer and book reviewer from India. Her book “Poems of The Clipped Nightingale” is available on Kindle. She writes book reviews for various publishing houses like Penguin Random House, Meerkat Press, Hot Tree Publishings, Bethany Publishers, etc. She is one of the top 50 book reviewers in India. Her reviews are available at http://www.theclippednightingale.com/
In a society where outward appearances matter much, we undergo plenty of disparities in every walk of life despite on what latitudes and longitudes we hung…The colors and shades, the hues and darks only a skin deep…Once we pierce the veil of it there we feel abundant source of love and affection… Fountains of joy and happiness…The treat in your poem is pulsating…And looking rich in translation…
We live where everything matters with the outward appearances, yet sometimes we go beyond skin deep and feel (Socrates said beauty is skin deep.) the warmth of love and passion in human relations…Your poem depicted every hue of light and shade in color…In the dreamy dollar world deeply yet with a tragic pang… Great poem Geethaaji…
Thank you so much Vijaya Kumar garu.
Nice touch with the last stanza. But in all honesty, there is more untouchability within our society in India than any foreign country has with us.
Thanks Sasi.