Draupadi Awakens

Krishna, the dark one 

Hurried down the riverbank 

To see Draupadi.

The prince of Dwarka 

Was coated in dust, he had 

Ridden there non-stop.

The Pandavas, his 

Cousins had lost their kingdom 

In a game of dice.

Banished to exile 

By the Kauravas brothers, 

Who had fixed the game.

A lonesome woman 

Swam in the river, he saw, 

As he got closer.

“Draupadi”, he called 

As he recognized her, “where 

Are your five husbands”.

Draupadi was wife 

To all the five Pandavas, 

Strongest in the land.

“Krishna, my lord” she 

Called out in joyous surprise, 

“oh how I missed you”.

“they’ve gone hunting” she 

Said “they are never around 

When you most need them”.

“not that their presence 

Was any more helpful when 

I was facing shame”.

“stood there mute, docile 

While the Kauravas stripped me 

Naked in public”.

“the brothers afraid 

To raise their weapons and to 

Defend my honor”.

“There are so worried

About doing the right thing,

That they end up wrong”.

“nooo”, cried Krishna, 

His dark face flushed with anger, 

“why didn’t they act?”.

“I would have killed those 

Who dared to even touch you,

Protocol be damned”.

“what’s the worth of a 

Man who can’t even act to 

Defend a woman?”.

“were all the elders present, 

Why didn’t they say anything”, 

Asked Krishna enraged.

“elders are useless”, 

Said Draupadi, “they put 

Their skin before mine”.

“Close your eyes, Krishna”, 

She said as she swam closer 

To the riverbank.