As is evident from the title, this piece has been triggered and inspired by Wordsworth.I never dwelt upon it much, when the poem was part of school syllabus. When a friend sent me a recitation of the poem recently,I thought, would Wordsworth have to wonder about what the Solitary Reaper was singing if he was a woman?
Forever,Solitary Reaper.
You can't spot herIn the milling crowd
A smiling countenance
Masking the bile and pain
The laughter rings hollow
Barely hiding the strain
O listen! to that unheard cry
That lies stiffled and dry
A cry so plaintive
It slices the heart
Heard from every corner of the Earth
Near or apart
The stylish swinging blonde on heels
Or kohl lined eyes beneath the veil
O listen !to the anguish
Bruised lips whispering a wish
The struggles and travails
She faces alone
For uncommitted sins
She must atone
The melancholy common to the sisterhood
At work, at home or neighbourhood
O listen! to the silent weeper
Isn't she another Solitary Reaper?!!