Your man
when he turned me
into a chicken shorn of feathers
do you remember what you said?
In your home
in your hands
do you know how many times I was treated cheaply?
The moment I wake up
such great distances emerge between us!
You called my husband
a dunce
but when your boy
grabbed my child's hand
did you open your mouth?
You might protest
but I'm low born
you're high born
you never did anything for me
my husband never considered me human
and your man never cared for you
but it was I who was ruined finally.
I'm the one who should fold my arms
until then
because a squint isn't a curse for the blind
speak for me too
if it was about purely a man or a woman
there would have been no quarrel,
crossing these boundaries
will you climb down a step?
Shall we walk on the same bank?
My translation of the Telugu poem 'ninDaa ceDindaanni nEnE' (from the collection of Dalit poetry 'padunekkina pAta') by Darise Shashinirmala