Roopam Misra
Isis lives in the lanes of my city, the by-lanes, the alleyways, devoid of a home, is perhaps like Saoirse in spirit, as in
Egypt where she was left out for the dead to be guided by, no altars, no incense, no reverence for her,
Isis, Aset, Eset- feminine energy in synchronicity, took ages for her to find a temple, an altar, a home;
They called her obscure, mysterious, secretive, guiding the dead pharaohs to afterlife, it took her long to
Find a temple, an altar, a home. Curing the sick, protecting women, a name called out in a séance
Linking the here to beyond, a hieroglyphic symbol of a throne behind her was envisioned
Her beauty extraordinaire, she wore a sheath dress, not many knew of her power,
Yet when they did, temples were built- we all know that tale.
I found her being called out names in the neighbourhood- a Scorpion, they say she stings;
She lived next door, trapped, locked up, veiled, until she broke the cage and flew away- a bird;
They arrested her last week, ogled at her this morning- a sow, so wild, untamed, so filthy;
They pretend to venerate her, downstairs, spend all her money, leave her exploited- a cow, so giving, and quiet;
As she was a scorpion, a bird, a sow, a cow, and saw right through Ra’s exploits, made him lose his throne, yet now
Chased down, called out, caged, exploited,
She is Isis, Aset, Eset, is a scorpion, a bird, a sow, and a cow.
*Saoirse- the Gaelic Goddess of liberty
*Isis- the Egyptian Goddess known to have existed in the four animal forms of a scorpion, a bird, a sow, a cow. She is also known by two other names, Aset, and Eset
Ms. Roopam Mishra lives in Lucknow, India. She is a Research Scholar at the Department of English, and Modern European Languages, University of Lucknow. She writes in Hindi, and in English since thirteen years of age. Her works have appeared in an anthology Earth Fire Water Wind, and in magazines, and journals like Confluence, Setu, Rusty Truck, Café Dissensus, Literary Yard, Borderless Journal, Hastaksher, among others.
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