YOU HAVE NEVER
SPARED ME
P. K. JOY
In my relationship with women
you have always found fault with me.
From the beginning, even when I’d been major gods
you have never thought of sparing me.
When I was Shiva you called me hermaphrodite
for my lady was half my body
When I was Krishna, you charged me with ‘adultery’
for outing and flirting with other men’s wives.
When I was Christ, you made a scandal
of a harlot giving me perfume in a party.
While Budha, you charged me with drinking
Sujatha’s milk after I deserted my wife.
When Mohammad, you called me unprintable names
for sanctioning three extra wives for every man.
When I was Adam you called me a sinner
for my cohabiting with my own wife.
When I was Gandhi, you carried stories
about the girls who walked propping up my body.
Lately when I was business man you saw unclean motives
in employing good looking g iris in my office.
And when I was dutyfully teaching my wife cycling
you raised your brows in contempt
Why, the most effective way of sullying a man’s character
Is to charge men or women with sexual corruption