"Tolerance" A Poem of Molly Joseph

 

Tolerance

tolerance is mine

When they undermine 

my beliefs

and revel in ideologies antithetical 

to mine.. 

tolerance comes 

as let go, 

a passive acceptance

of passions spent on matters frivolous...

tolerance is 

tuning your mind

on the patient wait

for the calm after the storm.. 

keeping away from the medley, you long for peace..

tolerance is allowing yourself to be taken for a fool, 

a coward, one who shies away from 

response..

again, just by being there

you are taken as a

clone, following them, 

shuffling your feet behind. 

your self esteem

is put to task, never mind, your convictions are yours..

to survive in a world

torn between divided ends

tolerance is the one alibi, 

though a difficult pill to take..

 Bio 

Dr. Molly Joseph had her Doctorate in Post war American Poetry. She retired as the H.O.D., Department of English, St. Xavier's College, Aluva, Kerala, and served as Professor, Communicative English at FISAT. A bilingual writer, reviewer and translator, she writes Travelogues, Poems and Short Stories for children, has published 18 Books of Poems including 3 Books of Poems in Malayalam. 2 Novels, 2 Dtory Books for children. A critical study on 

Dr. Molly Joseph’s poems have come out, “The Myna’s Melodies , Poetry of Presence , A reader’s Entry” With her Doctorate in Post war American Poetry, she has evolved an indigenous diction , with short lines called ‘ribbon poetry ‘ that rolls around, approximating the contemporary. Dr. Molly has edited a seminal book "A Chapbook on Contemporary Ethics." She at present serves as the Member Board of Directors , International Academy of Ethics.  She travels around attending National and International Poetic Fests and has won accolades and awards which include India Women 

Achiever’s Award in 2019 by Asian Literary Society in 2020. She won Yan’an Gold Medal-The Outstanding Poet’s Award from Yan’an Literay Society, China in 2021 and International Maharishi Vedavyas Award as Creative Author and Azad International Award - Master of the Alphabet in 2022. She is the recipient of the Award master of Creative Consciousness at 5th World Poetry Conference 2023. Her poem ‘Come out of the Ark‘ won appreciation at Writer’s International Foundation, Italy Biennale of Hagiography & Hymnography 2023. In 2024 She has won Mahaakriti Literary Samman from Literoma , Calcutta.

kavyasreshta Puraskaram by Sree Ganesolsvam 2024, Trivandrum on 28th July 2024.

Contact. mynamolly@ gmail.com