Wednesday 30 March 2011

Such A Good Husband


you saved my skin from the harsh sun
behind my extravagant purdah

you helped fight pimples on my skin
with the steam from the stove

you made my arms and calves muscular 
with the cleaning cooking scrubbing

you prevented my hair from greying
with the soot from the tiny kitchen

you maintained my hushed coy voice
with the coughs from burning the firewood

you surrounded my eyes with thick lotus petals
when i'd sew your buttons under the kerosene lamp

you let my baby fat be chubby and cute
with the marks from birthing five children

you let my feet remain curvaceous
from the long walks to fetch water

you let my toes blush pink and red
sore from the rust iron that would sneak in

you made me shudder, shiver, moan, cry
when you'd return drunk, with a thick vocabulary

you gave me round red chubby cheeks
with your palms slappity slap slap on my face

you are such a good husband


Wednesday 23 March 2011

Touch And Go


the sun wriggles out
of the blue-black-blue blanket
the crowd of clouds
begin to jump their own jumps

he opens his eyes
and his pillow turns crimson
he touches his blanket
and it warms up in saffron

he looks up at the wayward clouds
they blush pink in awe

united in solitude, they traverse
across the blanket -- sea-like
they will now run, jump, glide
the clouds will now not hide

for they have heard of his tales
of how he wriggled
out of a dark blanket
to bring to us this morning

burning, he smiles,
emulating his light, the clouds fly


Bhagat Singh
Didn't they garland you this morning?