Geetaji: Rest in Power
that teacher who sees right through you
that teacher who is both your mother and your father
that teacher who will not take no for an answer
that teacher who spins on her heel to pierce you
that teacher who will not let you bow to her
that teacher whose gaze is so intense you dare not meet her eyes
that teacher who terrifies you
that teacher who checks your fingernails
that teacher for whom you travel halfway around the planet
that teacher who brings you to your knees
that teacher who brings you to tears
that teacher who makes you do
that teacher who makes you see who makes you see who makes you see
she doesn’t talk about her limp
she doesn’t talk about her struggles
she doesn’t talk about her cough
she doesn’t talk about her aching heart
she is in pain
she is the daughter
she is always right
she is devastating
she is furious
her fury is that of all brilliant women living in the shadows of great men
she says: “who is your teacher?”
she says: “you can carry a candle and light the way for yourself or you can carry a torch and take ten people with you”
she says: “do or die”
she says: “I can’t breathe”
she says: “I definitely love you”
I bow to her
I breathe for her
I bend, twist, invert and prostrate for her
I weep
not for her
but for my own loss
she soars
she spreads her magnificence over us all
she is glowing in her guruji's light
she is liberated into the eternal infinite