Stories from our mothers’ and grandmothers’ times routinely remind us that daughters faced constant hurdles in the not-so-distant past, even in families that today rejoice in the birth of every child, boy or girl.  It is then refreshing to find this poem written in 1938, by parents in Kolkata who celebrated the birth of their daughter at a time when such hopes and dreams were normally reserved for sons.  The poem appears in A Space of Her Own, a riveting collection of essays by women writing about their lives in the historical context of their mothers and grandmothers in 19th and 20th century India.

Artist: A Manivel

Unspoilt and tender like freshly opened petals,
Our darling baby girl, forever, smiling, forever matchless,
Sparkling with the purity of a morning-showered flower
You’ve stepped into our home and lit it up with joy. Read the rest of this entry »