a nutshell: I interpreted this poem as a depiction of a mother fleeing an abusive partner and having to make the heartbreaking decision to leave her son, for now, without even the scent of her perfume
a line: “behind them | a voice thundered – – – | and the devil smiled”
an image: I was moved by Neena’s portrayal of the mother’s sacrifice for her freedom “from the gallows”
a thought: I read all the poems I could find by Neena, and this one struck me as by far the most powerful – it felt as if it poured from the heart, like how she wrote of the tears falling in torrents like monsoon rain
a fact: born in Male’ in the Republic of Maldives, Neena began writing poetry during a difficult period in her life to let out her frustration and it has since become a hobby
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