The star that will shine to infinity and beyond…

I looked out of the window
The sky always made me smile
I grew up admiring the luminescence of the stars; the sobriety of the moon
The gravity of the moon attracted me; and the twinkling of the stars…
As if called me to a new and curious realm
Still undiscovered, still unexplored
My life was up there
As I wanted to touch the glittering sky…

It was not that easy
The workout was herculean
100 push-ups; 100 crunches; 100 sit-ups
And a 100 degree-s of qualification
is not enough
It requires confidence, courage and self-motivation
Of which all I was still lacking
So I closed my eyes;
Searched my heart
And finally found the brighter side…

I remember the pats on my back
when I completed my first task at NASA
And of course, the conventional remarks of society
which tried to pull back a star
rising and shooting with aspirations.
So, I pulled forward, pulled and pulled
And broke myself of the chains
that held me in bondage.

Now, here I am
Standing at the base of a space shuttle
Which reads, “COLUMBIA”
Wearing a bulky and bright orange space suit
Smiling at the cameras
And making headlines before I
finally touch the sky…
First woman of Indian origin,
Kalpana Chawla, I am
to live my dreams
and
finally touch the sky…

People who ask me, why I shine
To them I answer
That, I glow because the desire to achieve kindles determination in me…
Yes! It’s the desire and potential that we, hold within us
That can make us reach tremendous heights
It requires a little spark of empowerment
And you will be left wondering
about what we can achieve.

Clouds came in my life
with rain and thunder then;
now they add hues to my sky
of hope and happiness…

I stepped into the metal container
And saw a dream come true
Of a million small girls
Who dreamt like me

I realized I was a star.
And with my own light
I was illuminating the path
Of a million small girls
Who dreamt like me…

~Prerna @besondersite

The poem is written in first person to make women realize that they could be the protagonist. Every woman can be Kalpana Chawla; successful, independent and the idol of remembrance and inspiration till posterity.