A Song for Tea - Mallika

A song for tea

From dawn to dusk the tender leaves
I pluck, pluck and pluck
As I toil, my sweat drop
To earn that mighty buck
My memory runs like a thunder strike
On a dark and rainy day
Nothing has changed in our lives so far
It’s just like yesterday
How we were brought for cheap labour
By the whites from far away
They sell our sweat in various blends
And make the whole world pay
“Any time is tea time” they say
When they drink the best
We drink the dust and work all day
Without nourishment and rest
I slog and slave just to live
And feed the mouths at home
But I earn much more as foreign exchange
That keeps the country warm
I am called a coolie! With no respect!
For the work I do with pain
With an iron will I sing aloud
That my labour won’t be in vain
If, I am called a worker
Of dignity, fame and skill
A human being, and a woman at that
As with pride I stand still
From dawn to dusk the tender leaves
I pluck, pluck and pluck
As I toil, my sweat I drop
To earn that mighty buck

Mallika
-berlin-