On 20th April, Saturday, it was launch of EASA ( External Affairs Spouses Association) Coffee Table Book by Hon. External Affairs Minister and Mrs Kyoko Jaishankar at New Delhi. I am glad and honored that my poem got published in the book. It’s on my experiences as a spouse of an Indian diplomat.
Sharing it with you here.
Adulting as a diplomatic wife
I look back and say, “what a life!”
It all began with his Compulsory foreign language
Then I packed my dreams gently in my baggage
We landed in the country of Red Dragon
With a newborn in our wagon
New land, new faces, unknown words
That’s the life of us - flying birds
Greeting with Ni Hao and parting with Zaijian
I shall learn Chinese I made my plan
Soon I attended part time college
I needed to speak out I had acknowledged
Parenting, studying with some help
Challenges I went through for my ‘self’ !
But then!
The birds need to fly again
Embrace the zen say goodbye pain
New city, new people, avenues open
This was the period when I decided to say unspoken
I started writing my blog
It felt so light after clearing that fog
In the Diplomatic spouses group over there
I found my kind of troupe like nowhere !
Busy with Social work and representing my land
I tell you, Life felt really grand !
But then !
time is a sand
Who can hold in hand ?
The birds need to fly again
Embrace the zen, say goodbye pain
The smell of samosa and jalebi hot
Where was the bird you must have got!
My land, my people and the fragrance of rain
I felt I don’t want to go anywhere again !
Our time and bonds at the *cpc
The lovely campus, who wants to flee ?
But then!
The birds need to fly again
Embrace the zen say goodbye pain
Aamar sonar bangla still ringing in my mind
Our separated clan, so warm and kind
After all, aren’t these things that make us bind ?
Yoga classes and teaching experience here
Little I knew, I will get my second child there!
The Holey bakery incident
Gave Dhaka posting a dent
Restrictions, shifting and extra care
Blasts of Molotov were so near
But then!
The birds need to fly again
Embrace the zen say goodbye pain
Here we arrive in the garden city
I tell you, it was really pretty !
Packing and unpacking I was used to
Third half marathon got in my bag too!
Hosting dinners and visiting India Little
“My life my yoga” received the title
Life was all fine and set
About to move and came Covid threat
Sanitiser, Mask, social distancing and test
Online school and ‘life’ at rest !
But then!
The birds need to fly again
Embrace the zen say goodbye pain
Changing countries, changing routines, changing habits , changing life
Ah! I tell you, It’s not always easy, to be diplomat’s wife!
Deep dive inside
With what’s life quest,
I took notes and
Wrote “Covid quotes”
But then!
The birds need to fly again
Embrace the zen say goodbye pain
Now here sitting by riva
looking at the lake Geneva
This is what I see
While our luggage is coming by sea
I hum my song
All day long
The birds need to fly again
Embrace the zen say goodbye pain
Adulting as a diplomatic wife
I look back and say, “what a life!”
*cpc- ChanakyaPuri Campus, MEA residential quarters, New Delhi.
