Poems - Leela Solomon
Poems - Leela Solomon
1.
Cemetery
Enter through the banyan tree
in the cemetery into the earth
In the veins of the entwined roots
beneath Love undead flows.
Hear at night the fallen leaves melt with soil.
In the cold when raindrops seep into the ground
the earth sings a silent song.
Lost in the music their hands clasped together
the dead sleep for eternity.
Their souls flutter out as fireflies scatter broken pieces of light to those who have not yet died and return home.
(Translation by Navan)
2.
House for Sale
If you wish to see
the house for sale
go on a swing
with a goosebery-wood seat
Sit on the seat first
Hold on to the twenty two sized ropes
with both hands
slowly, bend the body backwards
touch the ground with your toes
and push forward on the swing
with each swing
the house comes more and more to sight
The bush jasmine in the dooryard must have bloomed
There is a towel spread on the chair in the porch
somebody put as chair-cover
On the wall, the dead
in their wedding photos,
among those, there is
the snap of a child
lying facedown on the mat
biting a key,
she, still alive,
owns the house.
Don't stop swinging.
Can see the kitchen beaming
hiding the smoke and coal dust
Like a dressed-up bride
the bed room
waits for you;
The lobby around the inner yard
washed off the stains of time
keeps the beats for you.
The room with the paddy chest
where all complaints lie piled up
is the cellar of your secret kisses.
The stone grinder
that no one wants
abandoned in the backyard
is an abode of peace for you.
Don't stop swinging.
Each swing
brings before you
a truth...
This house is your space
The only space that recognizes you
A space for you to live as You
and die as You - this house
(Translation - K C Muraleedharan)