I am Anthropology
I have been walking through the years
in quest of the human and his peers
Traversing times and places from the yore
The myriad human, I endeavour to explore
Called a colonial hand maiden in the bygone days
I steadfastly steered my way
From verandah Anthropology to a barefoot one
I arise from the clouds like a bright, determined sun
Attacks make me grow more
Labels make me stronger
For I know my assets and my essence
To name a few – holism, comparison and relativism
I have silently carved my own niche
Which others also now believe
They take from me and call it their own
Unfettered, undeterred, my skills- I continue to hone
Who is this walking on the muddy road?
Oh, there’s the Anthropologist
battling storms and weather jolts
to talk, to see and hear those fellows out there
in villages and cities, in festivals and fairs.
I am Anthropology
Walking with empathy in heart
To serve them in the course that I chart.
Science and humanism blend here with a smile
And Anthropology goes mile to mile
mile to mile
mile to mile.


Poem written by

Dr. Geetika Ranjan,
Professor, Department of Anthropology,
North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU),
Shillong.