Raksha Bandhan

Mothers hold families together
Through traditions.
Oral accounts of grand epics
leave lasting impression on a child’s mind

Mother told me, I remember
That the Bandhan is tied
Through a string of love and care
Of protection and eternal bonding

Mother told me, I remember
When I was little
That sisters are fragile
Brothers come to rescues

Krishna protected
The dusky Draupathi
Through the tender strings of Rakhi
When stripped to nakedness

Scared was I, to enter dark rooms
A child forever
Searching for the retina to spot light
In the corner

No brothers here
To protect from fear
Of darkness, dread and evil
The retina comes to terms with darkness faint

No brothers, no fears
No rakhi here
Just strings of recollection here, mother
The fragile threads that snap through tear and wear.

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