The Old Vegetable Seller
THE OLD VEGETABLE SELLER..
Nowadays, she is a rarely seen village sight
this old lady who sells vegetables door to door,
who merrily greets and calls out to her customers
about the day’s finest and freshest produces,
while wiping her brow and unloading from her head
the vegetable basket at the porch of all houses.
Her faded clothes portray vividly the sad tale
of poverty which overshadows her life,
while a pair of well worn and muddy slippers
barely shield her feet from sharp stones,
yet in her shrewd eyes she carries a fire of confidence
that she had amassed for survival from experience.
To everyone, she has become a permanent fixture
her visits an unavoidable snippet of their routines,
and housewives surround her with hands on their hips
to scrutinize her basket’s content and their prices,
while sharing with her trivial woes of family life
and listening to creamy dollops of neighborhood gossips.
With an unbreachable armor of ironclad willpower
she defies the unrelenting summer heat,
and with a battered age worn umbrella she battles
monsoon’s varied mood swings,
as she walks diligently through her life’s rocky roads,
her agonies concealed under a toothless smile.
Everytime I see her, I feel so humbled
by witnessing this testament of a woman’s strength,
who chose not to bow down to fate’s cruel ploys
and redrew by herself her palm lines,
as I inwardly salute this old vegetable seller
who balances artfully a life’s burden on her head.
© Anjana Vipin E
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Very strong depiction of the resolve of these ladies. Daily grind and the struggle all too real to deny as they peddle their product to all hoping to make a small profit to keep things going. Nice work with the in depth and vivid descriptions of her life. Exccellent piece Anjana.
Thank you my dear friend Paul..delighted to know this effort found favor in your eyes..always grateful for your friendship and support..
A heart-felt rendering of poverty and survival Anjana, a testament to those folks eking out a life in such harsh conditions. Well penned and emotively described my friend. Cheers!
Thank you dear Tony for always being so encouraging and supportive of my writes..an honor to have your words on my page..
A wonderful portrayal of a strong woman with stamina and faith in herself. Lovely and gentle she is with inner beauty. Great work, Anjana. I so enjoyed reading this.
Thank you so much dear Phyllis for your lovely comment..I so appreciate your kind words and constant encouragement..
Such a powerful image you’ve shared with us; both the physical appearance of the woman as well as her inner strength and perseverance – wonderful read indeed
Thank you so much dear Ralph for your kind words..happy to know that you liked this and I so appreciate your encouraging feedback..