The Gold Belt
Sahana Narayan
The female line in my very own family
Has always been a source of pride.
Our ancestors came to Tamil Nadu in stride
With dynamic women, as it was their time.
Our current story starts in Nagercoil prime,
Where my dear Colu Patti then came to live
Once married to Colu Thatha, she did give
The world talents with her possibilities.
She got them from her mom, these abilities,
My Colu-Colu Patti, who was a great seamstress.
Her strengths and gifts gave her bountiful access
To the arts and humanities, which created pride
In a gen’rational skill they took in stride.
Not only that, but she forged a great heirloom,
A brilliant Gold Belt that did indeed bloom
From the fires of goldsmiths, which made it shine.
This heirloom was a wondrous, beautiful, and fine
Treasure that really did shimmer, that Gold Belt.
It was as fierce as flames and as fair as felt,
Always passed from mother to daughter, t’will be.
Colu Patti wore it as a bride, when she
Married my Colu Thatha, the teacher from
A school in Nagercoil, which had many an alum,
Including my Patti, her own daughter dear.
My Colu Patti took her schooling with cheer
And learned Urdu and Arabic quite well.
She could sew, knit, crochet, and was quite a belle
Whenever she wore that Gold Belt on her waist.
She wore it to functions, and therefore was quite laced
With all finery that gave her great splendor.
As her beautiful figure was very slender,
She could wear anything and look quite pretty.
It passed to my Patti; raised in the city
Of Nagercoil, as was her future husband.
She wore the Gold Belt to her wedding ball grand.
T’was the first in our line at university,
At a time when women faced much adversity.
After marriage, she moved to the town of Ooty,
Where, she performed well in her teaching duty,
At her daughters’ school, in this new, hilly town.
My Mom, like her mother, has sewed many a gown,
And she’s challenged women’s roles impressively.
She’s started her own business progressively,
An architect, in a male-dom’nated field.
As a beacon to all, her work has appealed
To Union County, which gave her an award
The Woman of Excellence honor, toward
Arts in Education, for which she perspired.
In the Gold Belt she was also attired
For her wedding day, which was very merry.
Her artistic abilities are like that of a fairy,
Right now, she is sewing me a quilt
Which looks like stained glass and has gilt
On its corners. She’s always been there for me,
My mom and I are as happy as can be,
Because my life for the better she does reform.
As for I, I’ve learned to musically perform,
Though the sewing skill has now ended above.
Yet, I continue to take spirit and love,
From the strong women teaching me how to see
The world as a shining, wondrous place to be.
For my eighteenth birthday, I wore the Gold Belt,
And reminded how this treasure is heartfelt,
I uphold legacies of role models.
As babies are born and receive their swaddles,
Our female line remains to flourish and grow
With our Gold Belt. We have indeed faced some woe
But plenty of joy and courageous times too.
As we recall how our ancestors’ talents grew,
We know through their blood and their fierce, strong
passion,
We shall not lose our own strength and compassion,
As we carry on the long legacy’s line.
1 The southernmost region of India.
2 A city in Tamil Nadu.
3 Colu = great; Patti = grandmother
4 Colu = great; Thatha = grandfather
Sahana Narayan is a junior at Rutgers University, with a history major and Persian language minor. She has been writing since the age of eight, and would spend all day doing it if it weren’t for school. She also enjoys researching history and mythology, playing the violin, and singing. When Sahana graduates, she wants to work in the State Department, providing humanitarian aid and relief in Persian-speaking countries–and of course, to continue writing as a hobby. To see more of her work, please visit: https://www.wattpad.com/user/the-faerie-queen