FACE TO FACE K. Satchidanandan Have you seen nothingness face to face? It occupies chairs, walks the streets, slightly concave. We can see its other side: like crystal, or word. It will descend the staircase and stare at us, will hide behind trees to suddenly appear and scare us. It will rise laughing like lightning from funeral pyres and graveyards, with no clothes, not even skin. Sometimes we meet it on the shore of the sea or desire or a book, its body covered in sand, secretions or letters. I have seen it in homes, not just in drawing rooms, but even in bedrooms. Have seen it adorned with garlands in the temple’s sanctum. Sometimes I have heard its footsteps in the rhythms of my heart beat. Dogs can see it just as they can see ghouls and demons, clearly, head and limbs in place. Then they howl that rare howl as if they were seeing the other world. Crows too know when it comes: it is then their cawing gets slanted. We cannot foresee its arrival as our instincts have been blunted. I wish to get my sharp sense of smell back and my crow’s sharp vision. Then I will warn you too, With a black howl or a slanted cry, until you too are able to see nothingness on your verandah clearly, like seeing the unclaimed ghost of a child bleeding all over from bombing. 2014 ( Translated from Malayalam by the poet )
Posted on: Thu, 07 Aug 2014 16:43:35 +0000
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015