[1375] The Bangle Sellers

Guest poem submitted by Avni Rambhia, <a_rambhia@>:

Bangle sellers are we who bear
Our shining loads to the temple fair...
Who will buy these delicate, bright
Rainbow-tinted circles of light?
Lustrous tokens of radiant lives,
For happy daughters and happy wives.

Some are meet for a maiden's wrist,
Silver and blue as the mountain mist,
Some are flushed like the buds that dream
On the tranquil brow of a woodland stream,
Some are aglow wth the bloom that cleaves
To the limpid glory of new born leaves

Some are like fields of sunlit corn,
Meet for a bride on her bridal morn,
Some, like the flame of her marriage fire,
Or, rich with the hue of her heart's desire,
Tinkling, luminous, tender, and clear,
Like her bridal laughter and bridal tear.

Some are purple and gold flecked grey
For she who has journeyed through life midway,
Whose hands have cherished, whose love has blest,
And cradled fair sons on her faithful breast,
And serves her household in fruitful pride,
And worships the gods at her husband's side.

	-- Sarojini Naidu

Sarojini Naidu is a rather unique phenomenon in Indian literature - she
seems to be one of its few poet(esse)s who is an English writer in
language, style and meter. Yet her works are so Indian, it almost seems
as if they emanated out of the monsoon-damped ground and hung in a
shimmering veil for her to capture and pen.

We studied this poem in 10th grade, and it has stayed with me ever
since. It played in the back of my mind as I bought my own bangles on
festivals, and as I picked out my wedding trousseau several years ago.
Recently while packing my stuff to prepare for a move, I came across my
bangle box and was reminded of the poem again. Google searching didn't
yield much of its text [1] so my sister dug out my old textbook for the
full poem (thanks, kid!).

Not being part of the Golden Threshold, arguably Sarojini Naidu's most
widely known work, has perhaps contributed to the Bangle Seller's
limited recognition and availability. However, this is my hands-down
favorite Naidu poem. As much for its capture of the moods and events in
her Indian woman's lifetime, as for the sheer extravagance and
_rightness_, so to speak, of imagery and comparison.

[1] It did bring up, though, an illuminating discussion on the
significance of Indian Jewelry -
http://www.exoticindiaart.com/article/jewelry

-Avni.

This poem is archived, accessible and awaiting your comments at
	http://www.cs.rice.edu/~ssiyer/minstrels/poems/1375.html
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