Recently I spent some time on the telugu feminist poetry: nIlimEGAlu saMkalanaM, naDicE gAyAlu (book) by koMDEpUDi nirmala, kavitA O kavitA saMkalanaM, yaSOdharA vagapeMdukE and ikkaDa kurisina varshaM ekkaDi mEGAnidi (books) by jayapraBa, and cErA's commentary on some of them in cErAtalu (book). While I found the woks of koMDEpUDi nirmala the most poetic in general, the one piece that absolutely impressed me is jugal baMdI by GaMTasAla nirmala. It is remarkable not only for the poetic qualities but also unequivocally presenting the principle of "gender equality" (which I believe is the ultimate goal of the feminist literature - though I haven't seen any of the other works in these collections explicitly saying so) in the most intimate and traditionally gender-inequal interaction. I do not recall any discussion here on this kavita before. If I missed it, please bear with me. I'm not going to bore you with my commentary. You enjoy it yourself. All I want to say is, in all of Telugu literature I'm aware of, I haven't seen a more delicate, realistic, and beautiful expression of this subject. jugal baMdI (GaMTasAla nirmala) rAtri dIpaM rahistuMdi masaka cIkaTi maMtraBasmamai kalala pogalu poTamaristAyi EkaMtadhvAMtAna mohamATAla moggalu vippAri svAgata sauraBAlu erupukosala agarutIgalautAyi pagalaMtA samasyala pacci gAyAlu rEgi digulu sraviMcina kaLLu niSAlEpanaM pulumukuni lEvennela bayaLLavutAyi dainika maryAdala nirjala dhAralalO taDisi mOpeDaina saByatAvastrAlu vidilci vAMCAsnAnAniki udyamiMci Atmalu reMDu niluvettu nissigguki nirvacanaBaMgimalautAyi ............. dEhaM mahatipai sparSApavanAlu taragaletti magata navvula nikvANAlatO mOhaM mEGamalhAramautuMdi cIkaTi nadilO anAdi kAMkshAkiraNaM sOki vippArina irukalHArAlu paravaSAla parimaLAlu paikegarEstAyi vAMCOdhRtiki vaNikipaDE oLLU rahasyAlni vaDikE vELLU eppaTikI tegani cikkumuDini vippEMduku palakAbalapAlavutAyi UruvulU niTTUrupulU mAnasAnni mAdhuryamaMDalAniki mOsukeLLE pUlatALLavutAyi paraspara gAtrasahakAraMtO jugal baMdI tArAsthAyini cErutuMdi netturaMtA nishA poMgi agAdha rahasyAlu cerisagamai AvishkariMcAka cemariMcina nosaTa tRpti vajraM taLukumaMTuMdi .......... DOlika Agaka tappadu iMtA jarigi pOyAka hAyi vUyala Agaka tappadu cAlI cAlani suKaM duppaTi bAhyAMtara nagnatanu pUrtigA kappadu haTHAttugA pUcina parimaLAlu aMtalOnE AviravutAyi oDupu telIka cEjArcina kalala paTTu dArAla kOsaM kaLLu vekkiLLu peDatAyi rUpAlnI lOpAlanI sutAraM cEsi cUpina vennela veMDi addaM vela vela pOtuMdi yadArthAla yAMTIklayimAks eppaTilA edurostuMdi samasyalu rEgina vraNAllA salaparistAyi nijAlu nippukaNAllAgE nigAristAyi praSnala punarjvalanaMtO aMtarAtmala kamurukaMpuku agaru kosana vElADE bUDida tIga AKari prEkshaka nEtramautuMdi kshaNaM kritaM garvapaDDa hRdayaM gAyamai pagulutuMdi mAdhurya mANikyamai BAsiMciMdi maTTimuddayi migulutuMdi nallani callani rAtri gaccu mIda tolikiraNaM turAyi mullayi guccutuMdi K.V.S. Ramarao, Ph.D. SBC Technology Resources Inc. 9505 arboretum Blvd. Austin, TX 78759 (512)372-5423 ramarao@tri.sbc.com