Thin as a stick

Thin as a stick

Thin as a stick a lizard lurches
slips down the door frame
freezes still
the air in the room mercifully moves
fan-swirled
a ghost of a breath
my body beached, beaten by the heat
evaporates the sweat, wet, in rivulets
coconut fronds wave
desultory, flicker and clack
as January days grow hot
glass is rising, daily soars
my body, beached
no lizard
is beaten by the heat 

January 31st, Marari Beach Home Stay
 

In Kerala there's half a moon

In Kerala there's half a  moon

In Kerala there's half a moon
flat on its back and strange
not as it hangs in the west
but slung in a blue-black sky
hot wind in the night, pulling
and pound of the sea
relentless its rhythm and rise
rising to fall, over again
ceaseless and over again.
Time and the tides
magical moon
high in the hot black sky.

30th January 2015, Marari Beach, Kerala

This India

This India

India teems swarms sweats
full sun throbbing
insists and persists
thrum thrum of a drum
train rattle and clack, clackety clack

India teems swarms sweats
life is cheap work is hard
days are long life is short
the pulse and the beat, heat
the colour and culture, our custom this culture
this India
our way

Daily and dear
the rituals are strong, the heart beat insists
in spite of the squalor, the problems the pain
survival a struggle
no justice no pity, just poojah and prayer
the gods here are legion
entwined in our custom our culture
our lives, daily worship at shrines

Pray for a baby a girl or a boy
for health, education, a chance to succeed
for work and for marriage, enough food to eat
that life will be better, this life or the next
this India our India
in spite of the filth and the foetid, fight to survive
the pity the pain
astounding appalling
the gorgeous the vile 
beloved our country our birthplace
this India our culture
our way

23rd January 2015, RUHSA campus, for my family in India with so  much love

Today's frames frozen

Today's frames frozen

Today's frames frozen clicked and stored
mind's eye, treasure trove

express in a rattle and clatter whistle and wind
too close as I cross the track

mashed and messy brash
magenta yellow clash, funeral garlands
strewn and fresh-dropped cattle dung

skinny-legged hen strutting
and afterwards her skinny-legged raggle-straggle,
dusty powder puffs

silly goats in a wayward huddle
eddying out of line

women on the wall watching
laughing as we go by, 
giggling children too, calling Hi

mam welcome you come
flowers for you pin flowers
which you like in your hair?

small brown legs jumping dancing
bursting full of beans
dark eyes bright, young life

last and gorgeous 
a flight of turquoise blue
lost in the trees then perched, slash of red at the beak
white vent, posed for a photograph
kingfisher, still in the sun

13th February 2015, RUHSA, for Jude, photographer

The dear familiar

The dear familiar

 We take an early morning taxi ride, a coach
a long-haul flight, a Chennai taxi
dodge and weave, close our eyes and pray
a train air-con, what bliss!
A heave a grunt of heavy bags, staggering and sweat
and one last taxi, black and yellow
Katpadi to home
the dear familiar.

Tata trucks, Soundhorn, Latteri and KVK
the ATM, bus stand
then PKPorum, slow, turn left
still rutted final road
Paul's hotel unchanged
the dear familiar
RUHSA building newly blue
wood-smoke scented curls, rising heat and spice
crows and tamarind trees
hibiscus orange blooms
a click a clack a clickety clack
train's long long mournful call.

All day, all night and half another day and all for this
for this
Unlock the door, switch on the fan
listen...
we are home!

9th January 2015, RUHSA S India, for Pam with so much love