Labyrinth of responsibilities
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This post is a part of Blogchatter Half Marathon 2024.
The needle of the clock
Strikes five in the morning,
She gets up in a hurry
Racing against the time
With a strong sense of affirmation.
Veggies chopped and oil
Goes into the pan
With tempering of spices
Aroma fills up the kitchen
Preparation of lunch ends.
Packing lunch boxes for two,
She looks for the time
It’s half past six and she
Quickly gets ready with no time
Breakfast placed on the table.
Racing against the time,
Gulping her breakfast while
On the way, catching the bus
Thank God, she’s on time
And her journey begins.
Time to catch up with the calls
To family or friends or asking
About their well-being
Sometimes, she’s munching or
Indulged in Mantra Chanting.
How those thirty minutes passed
Time to catch the bus second,
Thanking God for making her get it
Relaxed she’s now and no more worries
As it takes her to the destination.
She reaches on time, settles down,
Still some minutes for the first meeting
All goes well, time to focus,
The work outside of her daily chores,
She enjoys the challenges.
Hustle bustle during lunchtime,
She joins the table shared by many
Aroma from her box; fills up the space
The first bite, Ah! Appeases her
Not just hungry stomach but soul
Back to the desk and glued to the
Monitor screen lying in front, shining
Browse through the calendar,
Awaits two more meetings,
A cup of coffee eases the typing.
The needles of the clock
Strikes five; it’s time to
Catch the bus and head to home,
Gets into the bus, music from
Earpods relaxes her mind
Bus drops her at the destination,
Just a kilometer to home,
Walks she being exhausted but gets
Energized by view of sunset
Little moments of joy.
Unlocks the door, drops the bag,
Exhales deeply for having finished
One part of the day, Lucky she was today
Now ready for another set of chores
Waiting for her.
Washes the dishes to prepare dinner,
Veggies chopped and oil
Goes into the pan
With tempering of spices
Aroma fills up the kitchen.
Dinner and conversation with hubby,
Clearing the table then cleaning the kitchen,
Some preparation for the next day,
The darkness of night deepens,
Being taken over by the slumber.
When clock strikes five the next morning,
Her day begins but she’s fighting with,
Some sort of a feverish pain,
Taking leave is not an option as she
Has an important meeting to attend.
Not every day is the same,
If yesterday went well, today
May not necessarily be favourable,
She races against the time,
Time that’s running so fast.
Sometimes she feels stuck
Between the labyrinth of responsibilities,
Those responsibilities that were given
To her for her gender and the price
Of not being single anymore.
Days, she wishes, she needs rest,
To be able to receive a portion of what she has
Been continuously doing ; since ages,
She dreams of reversing her responsibilities,
At least for a day, or at least for a moment!
All Rights Reserved
Swati Sarangi
06.09.2024
P.S: Through this poem, I’ve tried to portray a married woman's struggles, juggling between daily household chores and office work. A man returns home at night after work to relax whereas a woman is expected to prepare everything after she is back home. How many women can expect to get a cup of tea when she gets home? If a man is reaching the office at 9 a.m., he is just taking time for getting ready, if a woman is reaching the office at 9 a.m., remember that she has already got up at least 2 hours before her commute time to prepare meals. In other words, she must cross the labyrinth of responsibilities before her office work begins!
On average, a woman spends 5-6 hours daily in an Indian household performing household chores that go unpaid, unappreciated, or taken for granted. I wish men to be more empathetic about this situation and cooperate more to let women excel in their professional careers.
The exhaustion is beautifully reflected in this poem which many can relate. I hope the same. More compassion and equality too.
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