Prafulla Kumar Mohanty's
DRAUPADI - 82
The Eighteen
Day War
The first day's sun hanging half mast
in the winter sky turned pale seeing
the two armies poised for
annihilation
of Bharat's present and future - but
the sun watched and perhaps heard
Arjuna's melancholy Blues and
Krishna's
philosophic wisdom but was woken up
to shocked attention when the Panchajanya*
sounded the knell of all reputations.
Restless Draupadi took care of the
stores
supervised the food and other needs
of the chariot warriors and womenfolk
all the time keeping her eyes and
ears
for views and news from the battle
front.
At the sunset hour Draupadi
all dressed up in greeting smiles
waits for her husbands' return
bruised, blood sticking in patches
purple spotted warriors in tired
pride
and welcomes them with her glowing
eyes.
She greets Krishna saying - Sakha!
What have you brought for your Sakhi -
Sweaty darkness and aching limbs -
Come I will wash you with lily dew,
she cleans the wounds of her husbands
feeds them together, Krishna at the
centre,
listens to their losses in silent
respect
makes them sleep a few hours and is
ready
when they leave for the battle
grounds
in graceful military gear to tempt
their
fate for combative glory and safe
return.
Evenings come with horror goblins
moving around figures lying like
dummy fairies dismembered stiff
some armless voices cry for water
in the void of life in heaps of
flesh.
Draupadi listens to stories of
bravery
disenchanted by death on either side.
Bhisma's commandership frightens all
the earth fears extinction, counters
weaken, the will suffers pangs of
gloom
nights pass in sleepless clash of
swords
endless swish of arrows flaming death
to glorious crowns on tall chariots.
Mornings come to mock at,
survivors to strain their luck again
balloons burst like swollen pride
of the rain of arrows and thunder
of maces for uncompromising fall.
The Kurukshetra trembles in quaking
fear.
Draupadi waits in restless agitation
for the endgame of all verbosities.
Waits for a green silence beyond
victory defeat, truth lies foe and
friend.
*panchajanya:
The name of Krishna's conch.
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