A Flower in Savitribai Phule’s Garden by Purbasha Mondal

Under the shade of a mango tree

A girl was reading a blue book

Touching the petals of letters

Let her move

Through the cells of circle

A black crocodile smiled

At your wet saree

In those days

Sunlight came early

In the garden

When a dark moon tried

To pluck her eyes

Let her burn

The scent of

Manu’s slokas

Let glitter her book

In the night of stars

***

Purbasha Mondal is an award-winning poet, writer and academic from Kolkata, India. She

works as an Assistant Professor of English at Saltora Netaji Centenary College (affiliated to

Bankura University). She was the recipient of International Global Award 2021. She won

Global Peace Alliance Award, Wegrow Academic Excellence Award, International Women’s

Day Achiever Award 2021, Education Excellence Award 2021, Social Activist of the Year

Award, HUMANITARIAN AND PEACE AWARD, Sher-E-Bangla A. K. Fazlul Huq Award

2023, Honorary Doctorate Degree, Nazrul Smriti Puroskar, International Earth Saviour’s

Award 2021, Honorary High Degree, Rabindra Smriti Puroskar, Mahabanga Sharad Samman,

Dr. B. R. AMBEDKAR 130th BIRTH ANNIVERSARY MEMORIES AWARD 2021,

MahabangaShiksharatnaPuroskar 2023 etc. She is also a literary critic and translator. Her

poems, stories and articles have been published in Paradise on Earth: An International

Anthology, The Literary Parrot, JednakKsiazki, Polis Magazino, Dalit Sahitya-Charcha,

Matua Sahitya Parikrama, Neer Ritupatra, Paschimbanga Dalit Sahitya Academy Patrika,

Path Sanket, Chaturtha Duniya, ApatotoBudbud, Loukik, Jago Durga, Ghorsowar, Faguner

Gulal etc. Her poems have been translated into English, Bengali and French by Prof. Robert

Sinclair and Dr. Asit Biswas. She is one of the editorial board members of Chaturtha Duniya.

She has read her poem, “Matua” in Paper Fiber Fest in 2022. She was invited to recite her

poetry in various literary associations in India and abroad. She has participated in Carlos

Hugo Garrido Chalen International Festival, Paper Fiber Fest, Jeanette Tiburcio Marquez

International Festival and Fco Xavier Ramirez Sanchez International Festival in 2023. She

was felicitated by the world-famous critic, Prof. Bill Ashcroft in 2020. She can be reached at

mondal.purbasha111@gmail.com.