“A Mother’s Oath” by Tasneem Hossain
Tasneem Hossain is a multilingual Bangladeshi poet, op-ed, columnist, fiction writer, translator, trainer, and author of three poetry books named The Pearl Necklace, Floating Feathers and Grass in Green and a book of articles, Split and Splice. Her remarkable works have been published and featured in magazines, dailies, and esteemed publications like IHRAF, IHRAF Translates, Southern Arizona Press, Discover Mississauga, Polis Magazino, MockingOwl Roost, Krishnochura, Borderless Journal, EDAS Chronicle, The Dhaka Literature, An Ekushey Anthology, bdnews24.com, The Daily Star, The Business Standard, and Asian Age Online. Alongside her poetic pursuits, she is also a professional trainer and directs an esteemed training organization. She obtained her Masters in English Language and Literature from Dhaka University. Her four more books of poetry, business writing and essays are underway.
Author Foreword:
In most Asian countries women are subjugated to male dominance in a patriarchal system. . Though women emancipation is talked about, but freedom of speech or choice is very negligible. Most women are forced into loveless marriages where they are treated as unequal in status. Sadly, Foeticide of girl child, secretly, is also seen in some countries especially in rural areas.
I have seen many women being married off in this manner without their consent. They live a superficial life of independence. They have sacrificed their lives in looking after their families: in childhood their parental family; after marriage:their in laws family and in old age their children’s family.
Women live a life where everyone else’s needs come first. In only one or two occasions, have I seen, after sacrificing their lives; the mother in them rebelled against this injustice to save their daughters from being victims of early or loveless marriage. They left their homes and survived.
These characters are a figment of my imagination.
The strong sense of protective Motherhood always makes the women stronger.
A Mother’s Oath
In the dark, cold summer storm,
She sits wishing for a free life.
Hopeful eyes watching the lightning;
Her child sleeps on the hay stack bed,
The strong wind caressing her hair.
In the mud house her restless soul yearns for love.
Love that could fulfill her hopes and dreams,
Take care of all her miseries.
Let her heart to be carefree.
The freezing night’s hands strangle her throat-
Breathless she screams.
No voice heard.
The falling water droplets now,
Cry in mournful howls.
The winds thumping on the window,
Sing the dark night’s song.
Her face stiffens, she knows;
She picks the tiny little bag,
Tells her daughter to awake;
The storm inside her is strong,
Stronger than the night storm;
She takes a last look at the dusty room.
Today will be the last day of her unseen shackled days.
They cannot remain a slave;
Outside, she steps to a journey unknown.
The fiery soul knows, the road ahead is pebbly.
She has to change her daughter’s destiny.
She must make her daughters life worthy and free.
She smiles; the smile of a determined soul.
The mother in her knows it all.
Tomorrow will be fine...
