She had been hearing stories about her ancestors throughout
Her childhood spent in a bustling household, they were all about
The men in the family- their accomplishments, decisions, rigid attitudes
That were modeled for the children as positive attributes
Each time the stories came up, she had but one question in mind-
What forgotten stories of the women of her family could she find..
She saw her mother and aunts pulling barely visible strings
That ended up changing the course of things
Surely women in previous generations had exerted influence similarly
But in all the stories that were told, no evidence of their involvement she could see..
*
Many years later, she was given the responsibility to supervise
Disposal of all contents of the house, and to her surprise
She found a crumbling, moth-eaten khadi-covered diary
With entries dating from the first half of the twentieth century
The writing was mostly in Hindi with English words interspersed
The writer appeared well-educated and well-versed
In the politics of the time, and had opinions strong
She was spellbound as she continued to read along
Soon she realized the diary was written
By a freedom fighter who was a young woman
Her entries were insightful regarding India’s struggle for independence
Also apparent was her longing for personal freedom intense..
*
How was such an accomplished woman in her family
Never given a place in the family history,
As she pondered this question, she was simultaneously
Disappointed and overjoyed by her discovery
Now it was her responsibility to ensure
Her ancestor was not forgotten like they were before..
Passion...unbridled 