PADMAJA IYENGAR-PADDY

PADMAJA IYENGAR-PADDY

“She hadn't chosen him over all the others. The truth was that she hadn't even thought about anyone else.’’ - Paolo Giordano (Born 1982: )

A WOMAN’S LOVE …

Can be

fulfilling

compelling

possessive

obsessive

gentle

humble

taxing

Relaxing

Plentiful

Bountiful

overpowering

empowering

Treat your woman well

And feel your heart swell

As you see her ready to give her life

And support you through every strife.

Everything depends on how you view her

With respect or a condescending demeanour.

If you think you can ill-treat her and still get away,

Then, expect her unabashed wrath coming your way!

That a woman will always be patient

Is now considered a notion ancient!

Woman of today seeks her own space

To freely breathe and go about her ways.

Hey, let us women be just who we are -

Emancipated, empowered and on par!

WELL …

Whenever my need for you

was the greatest

You always chose to test

My patience, my forbearance

Through your stony silence

I suppose that’s your way

Of letting me know

That when your need for me

Is the greatest

You’d manage on your own

Thank you for this challenge

Since I have now learnt

To do without you in life

And manage on my own

Whatever comes my way

Thanks for letting me know

Thanks for letting me go

Thanks for moving on

Thanks, I’ve moved on too

Who lost? Who gained?

Well ….

THE PUNCHING BAG

Rarely, when he was sober,

She was his sounding board,

Absorbing his angry words,

That plunged her like a sword.

Other times - most times,

She was his punching bag,

Absorbing the frequent blows

Of his misplaced fears, deep inferiority,

Unreasonable suspicion and insecurity,

That left permanent imprints

On her body – on her face,

Back, neck, shoulders and head;

Most of all on her bruised psyche.

Between the swinging punching bag

And the often mute sounding board,

Their children cowered and shuddered

As they saw the hanging Damocles Sword …

PADMAJA IYENGAR–PADDY

PADMAJA IYENGAR–PADDY: Having explored the worlds of banking and urban governance in senior positions, Padmaja Iyengar-Paddy is currently the Hon. Literary Advisor of the Cultural Centre of Vijayawada & Amaravati (CCVA). Her maiden poetry collection ‘P-En-Chants’ too has been recognized by the India Book of Records as a Unique Record of Excellence for movie reviews and management topics presented in rhyming poetry form. She successfully compiled, curated and edited for CCVA an International Multilingual Poetry Anthology Amaravati Poetic Prism 2016 that has a record 527 poems in 53 languages and has been recognized as a Unique Record of Excellence by the India Book of Records. Paddy is currently compiling the next edition of Amaravati Poetic Prism (2017). Her poems, short stories and articles have been published in newspapers, journals, magazines, e-zines and several poetry anthologies, and some have won prizes in poetry and short story contests. She is regularly invited to participate in national and international poetry fests to read her poems.