Ms Neelam Saxena Chandra
(Ms. Neelam Saxena Chandra ji is a well-known author. She has been honoured with many international/national/ regional level awards. We are extremely thankful to Ms. Neelam ji for permitting us to share her excellent poems with our readers. We will be sharing her poems on every Thursday Ms. Neelam Saxena Chandra ji is Executive Director (Systems) Mahametro, Pune. Her beloved genre is poetry. Today we present her poem “Celestial Ganga”. This poem is from her book “Tales of Eon)
☆ Weekly column ☆ Poetic World of Ms. Neelam Saxena Chandra # 3 ☆
☆ Celestial Ganga ☆
Oh what a beauty!
Thought Shantanu, as he at Ganga glanced
Fell in love in first glimpse
And for her hands for marriage, he asked.
By Shantanu’s father already blessed
Ganga had nothing to fear
“Oh yes!” she smiled and replied,
“Provided you never question me dear!”
The king’s lawful queen she became
And soon, her first son was born
As he witnessed her go and drown him
Between his love and promise was Shantanu torn
Child after child thrown in river
King Shantanu felt that he had had a lot
When to drown the eighth child Ganga went
He felt that he could thus continue to suffer not
“O pretty queen, do stop your ghastly acts;
Pray leave this child,” he muttered
“Your promise is broken oh dear King!
I shall leave you now!” she uttered.
“The children killed by me were none
But Gods known as Vasus who were cursed
Seven of them could forsake life and misery
Though the eighth shall have to be nursed.”
Saying so, Ganga quickly disappeared
With Devratta safely cushioned under her arms
To be raised and trained as perfect warrior
Under the patronage of Parshurama!
© Ms. Neelam Saxena Chandra
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