A PROMISE

For the pain you bore
Silently we weep
For the clothes they tore
When watch we didn't keep

Dear beloved, friend, sister

When your skin broke
You perhaps did choke
When your body hurt
Under your shirt, pant or skirt
You probably cried and cried
Until you died

Dear companion, comrade, co-traveller

We won't be silent
We can't be content
We'll rise hand in hand
Until they understand
Girls, Women and Others

Hearing about the gruesome rape and murder of 2 young sisters in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh moved me to pen the above, a few months back. I shared it at one of the many interactive gatherings of people, under trees, being held in and around Bangalore since March 2014. You can read more about these sessions where we exchange stories and poetry of pain, hope, survival et al at http://www.marmara.org.in