22 Feb Let me see the light

(A conversation between the unborn baby and her would be mother)

BABY: I am being formed in the darkest place, I am complete in figure and frame, I am a baby girl, made by my Creator, the ultrasound report also confirms this.

MOTHER: Your dad has disowned you, the family members have discarded you, You, being a girl, are gall to them, you are despised by one and all.

BABY: I didn’t chose to be a girl, It’s my God, who desired and designed me, To be God’s chosen pearl, Mom and dad’s darling daughter.

MOTHER: This sovereign is for the sons, This barn and bastion for the brothers, You are only the source of dowry for the family, the source of pleasure and passion for the man.

BABY: Girls are glittering gold, Daughters are dazzling diamond, Let me see the light of life, I’ll prove my worth to the world.

BABY: I may be a Golda Meir one day, Or Margaret Thacher, or Indira Gandhi, Leading and guiding my nation To the path of prosperity and peace.

BABY: I may be a Florence Nightingale or Ida scudder, Giving a healing touch to the ailing human, Or Pandita Ramabai or sister Nivedita, Educating and empowering the homeless girls and widows.

BABY: I may be a Margaret of New Orleans, or mother Teresa of India, Giving life and dignity, to the broken bodies and drooping spirits.

BABY: I may be a Sarojini Naidu, Tuning the hearts and minds of millions, Or Kalpana Chawla, discovering new planets, Or a sports person, winning gold and glory for my nation.
I may not be like one of these great women, I may be a great home maker, Helping my husband, cheering up my children, caring for saints and sojourners.

MOTHER: If you are born, there may be sadness, not celebration, I may be tortured by my in laws, Who seem to be above the laws, You may be sent to oblivion, never to be found again.

BABY: If you let me live, you’ll be protected and favored, By the laws of the land and that of heaven, We together will make this world livable, You will be a pathfinder to many women.

MOTHER: I’ve decided and I’m determined today, To keep you, bear you, feed you, bring you up, We together will make this world, Safer and better place to live and thrive.

Surendra Kisku
UESI staff based in Delhi