Our Authors

Shubh Bala Schiesser was born in Punjab, India and then moved to Delhi with her family. When she was ten years old, her father gifted her with a copy of “Geetanjali,” a collection of poems by Rabinder Nath Tagore. These poems spoke to her deeply and she decided she wanted to write like him. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Ancient Indian History and Sanskrit from Delhi University and a master’s degree in Social Work from the prestigious Delhi School of Social Work, also from Delhi University. 

She entered into an arranged marriage and reared two beautiful children who remain the joy of her life. She lived with her family in many countries around the world before moving and settling in the United States. While in Austin, Texas, she joined a poetry critique class led by Scott Wiggerman where she found her voice. 
Schiesser’s work revisits her childhood memories and emphasizes the silent suffering of women in a patriarchal society. She compares a woman’s life with the river Ganges, also known as Ganga Ma. The Ganges is considered sacred and worshipped for giving life to to the land. The river is mystical and attracts millions of Indians, yet it needs cleaning from time-to-time to revive its purity. In the same way, Schiesser compares the position of women in India to the Ganges, at times revered, but also at times defiled, and calls for a return to honoring women and their role in the ever-evolving Indian society. 
 

Sacred River

Poems by Shubh Bala Schiesser
$10.00