Power of womanhood
Aradhika Sharma

Woman of the Elements
by Rashmi Anand. Rs 295. Pages 159.

the first thing that strikes you as you look at this book of poetry is how visually appealing it is. The cover, typeface and design elements come together beautifully in the book that celebrates womanhood. The book is divided into sections based on the four natural elements that culminate into a segment on Goddess. Minimalistic, yet evocative motifs have been created for each of them. The cover is understated and sophisticated, with just a touch of colour.

Rashmi Anand underwent a violent marriage that lasted 10 years. Four years after getting over the trauma, she wrote Woman of the Elements, which is "dedicated to every woman". However, by Rashmi’s own admittance, the book is not a piece of feminist writing. In an interview she said, "I believe in myself. If that is feminism, then I want all women to be feminists."

The book taps the four elements to typify four kinds of women. She has actually used women role model to represent each of these elements. For air, it is educationist Abha Adams; for water, Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Meira Kumar; for fire, super cop Kiran Bedi; and for earth, environmentalist Vandana Shiva. The fifth element, sky, does not find a mention. The last part is Song of the Goddess, where she urgently calls out to women to recognise the strength inherent in them and tells them "you have the power to get all you ask for, you have the power to receive."

It appears as if the book is a journey of self-discovery. In the Preface, which is also a poem, she spells out her life and the moment that she decided to make the choice that was to change her life.

"But in every life at some point comes an awakening.

When one says, ‘Enough. No more.’

I walked out of a miserable, constricting,

Violent world—into my own."

The verse is simple and flows easily. The rhyme scheme used is not complicated either, with each poem ending with "air, woman of the air I am" or "water, woman of the water I am," as the case may be. The woman of water, for example, has all the virtues of the air element "I am utterly unchanging; I go by no fixed norms." Similarly, the woman of earth says: "From my womb flows eternal life, I nourish the seed within me`85pure giving, pure joy, Purity flows from me." The woman of fire describes herself thus: "I cannot be confined, I cannot be controlled`85. Quick and impulsive I am, high spirited and free. Try to hold and get burned, who can have a hold on me?"

The imagery is powerful and the message is clear. As Abha Adams says: "This is a book to help women rediscover the power within themselves, and the power in all their sisters`85personal power, power, female power and the power of women united together." No wonder that Meira Kumar "appreciates its (the book’s) courage, attitude and its flowing lucid style."

In fact, a major strength of the book is the messages of female empowerment given by the women of air, water, earth and fire. Kiran Bedi writes: "I wish every woman the joy and positivity that emanates from them." Vandana Shiva reiterates the power that women have, that they "often ignore and suppress, and hence allow our subjugation and suppression."

No wonder Rashmi Anand, after retrieving the faith and power in her own womanhood went ahead and published this book herself even though no publisher found it "commercially viable." Rahmi is already working on her second book, which is scheduled to be launched in December.

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