Vivekanand Jha’s most recent poem to appear here was Let me live even in the dark (May 2010).

Stigmatic widowhood
By Vivekanand Jha

Custom curses the widow
and blesses the widower
widow, a horse with bridle; 
widower, a tiger without fetters.

Stand two victims in a sea of sympathy:
all waves sway toward the widower
while stranded at seashore, widow sees
wordlessly all worldly ebbs and flows.

It matters little whether he is
alcoholic, gambler, or pimp;
all he needs is to be a man of means and
he savors a fresh offer of brides
sweet sixteen and certified virgin.

But a widow, even if she is
authentic, ascetic, and aesthetic
having not spent a single conjugal night,
even married but untouched,
if struck by stigmatic widowhood
she struggles to seek or solemnize
a stale or leftover mate for herself.