Arun Kolatkar’s poem “An Old Woman” describes a moving conversation between the speaker and an elderly woman. As the story progresses, the elderly woman clings to the speaker’s sleeve, demands a fifty-paise coin, and swears to lead her to the horseshoe shrine. The elderly woman holds on to the speaker’s shirt firmly in spite of the speaker’s reluctance.

The speaker, feeling trapped by the old woman’s insistence, attempts to break free, expressing a desire to end the situation. However, the old woman’s response adds a layer of depth to the encounter. She questions, “What else can an old woman do on hills as wretched as these?” This inquiry injects a sense of vulnerability and resignation into the narrative, hinting at the hardships faced by the elderly in challenging circumstances.

A change takes place as the speaker meets the elderly woman’s eyes, which are referred to as “bullet holes” in metaphor. The hills, temples, and even the sky are all impacted by the fissures that begin around her eyes and spread beyond her body. A surreal picture of a world falling apart is created by the striking imagery of the collapsing landscape and the falling sky.

The poem ends with a powerful picture of the elderly woman standing by herself in the broken surroundings. With a “plateglass clatter,” the sky descends, conveying a sense of both fragility and resiliency. The speaker is metaphorically reduced to “small change” in the old woman’s hand in the final lines, which emphasise the power dynamics and the encounter’s profound impact. This creates a sense of inevitable outcome.

In essence, “An Old Woman” explores themes of human connection, vulnerability, and the transformative power of perception. Through vivid imagery and a brief yet impactful narrative, Kolatkar captures the complexity of the interaction between the speaker and the old woman, leaving the reader with a contemplative reflection on the fragility of life and the interconnectedness of individuals in the face of adversity.