I TOOK PICTURES
by Ashok Niyogi
so it has come to this
hungry bulls with their balls cut off
cows who cry because their udders are dry
this is a perishing garbage hunt
without brasseries
automatons with nose rings
perky like my granddaughters are
towards grass flowers
they say the next avatar
will be a horse out of the east
not as east as we are
where horses carry grooms
calculate dowry
and then chew their emaciated food
until death does us part
your river has walked away
pitiably waterless
melons grow now
in those nooks and crannies
where you stole clothes
which melons are sweeter
the dust bears witness
to sweetness
vagabonds gambol with monkeys
and boats laugh
the immediate question is
do monkeys have enough to eat
or widows or the blind pilgrims
beggars from districts who thought
that monkeys are god
May 8th, 2008 at 8:44 am
hi , Niyogi ,
yes , i understand your poem , I am Indian .
loved the words “boats laugh ” ,within the context of the poem , it is most unexpected and i can hear the mirthless laugh of the boat , I could only envision silent turned over boats on waterless rivers , the least i expected was a boat laugh !
keep penning .
regards
ann
August 24th, 2009 at 2:07 am
Stunning. The seething voice gripped me. I could relate in toto.
Thanks for the read.
Regards
June.
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