Of envies

the rootless brahmin girl

has no festivals
which she celebrates
with the whole villages
she goes back to her little family
for the important occasions
she has no songs she remembers
that were passed down to her
from her family
she has no familiar gods
that would live and breathe with her
except the ones she reads up

in essence she is
rooted nowhere
feels herself oscillating
freely in the wind all the time

and envies those
who have what she does not
close ties
festivals that make you feel
exactly where you are
in the scheme of things
songs that you
go back to when you need
guidance, philosophy
gods that walk with you
every step of the way

only to find that
people who actually have it
don't necessarily want it
that maybe they resent the loud music
that comes into their windows
asking them to celebrate willy nilly
whether or not they want to
that they are bored by the old songs
that they know by heart
and want fresh new things to
sing along and be happy
that they despise the gods
that they hold responsible
for all their evils

*****

and she always thought
boys being boys
who get to run around
stay out till late
visit all the bookshops they want
or any other shop, in fact
wink and ask for salacious material
talk to all sorts of people
listen to riveting tales of
more experienced people

she always thought they knew more
about the ways of the world
about what to do and how to do things

but no, he says
boys learn nothing
from all their running around,
and instead take it all for granted

having no one to talk to
and no one to explain things to them
they look to women
with a sense of wonder
at the special bonds they share
and think they must know everything
even from within
their four walled limits....