Whoever thought
That a fire born dusky beauty
Would have such grace, dignity, love
Encased in heart
It was natural for her to wield power
But how well she knew
When not to use it
Her pearl teeth, lightning smile,
Blue lotus fragrance
Kindled fire in many a heart
Her father wanted a son
Of sacrificial fire
To avenge his fury
Her father had not asked for her
Yet along with her brother
Draupadi stepped out of the flaming petals
Born in full bloomed youth
Panchali, daughter of the king of Panchal
She became
Her father had locked her
In a strange marriage
With five brothers
By fate, truly, by kismet
Five exiled princes they were
Five valiant youths
Five consorts!
But happiness was at the beck and call
Of her champak petal fingers
She breathed trust and harmony
She was the sky
To her beloveds
Exiled life with the sun, moon, stars and
forest ended
With the kingdom, returned, layered evils
She reduced her foes to ashes
But not before she paid the price
Of being violated in court
Being disrobed while her consorts sat
Hanging their heads in shame
Having lost the power to speak up
Having seen her all five sons slain
Through the passage of
A bloody war among kith and kin
Though she was the stormy inspiration
To her husbands in the battlefields
She always kept the flame of forbearance,
Self esteem, forgiveness, compassion
Bright in the dark hours
She still lives in the breath of Nirbhaya**
In all corners of the Earth
*Draupadi is described as the Tritagonist in
the epic The Mahabharata. According to the epic she is the fire born daughter
of Drupada the king of Panchal and also became the common wife of the five
Pandavas. Wikipedia
**meaning fearless girl, also referring to
the paramedical student in Delhi who was gang raped and later succumbed to her
injuries in spite of her brave fights.
Posted for Sanaa’s prompt Myth @ A Dash Of Sunny
&
Sharing it with Poetry Pantry #290 @ Poets United
