Poems : Sereena
Poems : Sereena
Translated by KC Muraleedharan
1.
Alarm at Four
That day for the first time
before alarm
the house was awoken.
the June showers
and its frightening magnitudes
mingled with loud cries.
the house was shaking
as if caught in the doomsday wind.
Placed beside the bed
on the window sill the time piece
sounded the alarm as scheduled
She didn't wake up at all.
For the first time in that house
she was long asleep and
others all well awaken.
Everyone's breakfast,
take away food, supper
and clean bedspread
oblivious of
all these concerns,
with the clock inside
stopped working
anxiety and speed not in mind
she slept.
Meant for tomorrow
scored and spiced
the fish-wounds
that others haven't seen.
the sours
and sweets
kept covered not to overfroth and spill
The times of day
marked along with
the panting and gasping
running non-stop
from one work to the other
The alarm
stopped forever
may wake up the house
silently
whenever it is four.
2.
Louder and Louder
Wearing tattered sarees
one over the other
bags hung on shoulders
and forearms.
and calling out Shakespeare
louder and louder
- the woman l used to see
in the crowded bus station
on my routine bus rides
many a day.
A soiled and oily
news paper in one hand
spread and the other arm raised
she, in exquisite words,
spoke on to listeners
in her memory
louder and louder.
When the bus moved
our flashing gazes rubbed against
smarting mine and I passed her.
Words uttered aloud never tell anyone anything,
the silence of a person
deprived of words is a train shooting past.
on a bridge that shook at each step
word and silence
moved past each other
below, the same water baptized the two.
a swing tracing heights
arrested and stilled
at the edge of vision,
can you imagine?
in the midst of speaking vigorously
some people get pinned unawares
to the nail of silence
- the swing is theirs
and they are speaking on and on
in loudness the world cannot hear.
on this side of time
sitting on the bitter-tasting swing board
recalls her.
A train shoots past.
the same iron lines
baptized the two
in blood
as trunk and head.