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

La Barosa

La Barosa

From half a world, the planet's other side
this ocean's come to break
in sheen and glisten, silver on the green
white furious froth and foam
repeatedly, the long haul back, pull across the sand
up and up the forces gathered,
sea in roiling peaks 
crescendo ,then a crash
wild water over water tumbling
till all that fury's spent and liquid swirls, curls
lie still upon the sand. 

October 17th 2014, La Barosa southern Spain.

Three types of cloud

Three types of cloud today, at least.
Distantly and still
lenticular long lozenges
some cumulus in classic cloud, child with cotton wool, too  much glue
blue sugar paper, clumps
and overhead but on the move
the lovely cirrus wisps.

In the valley where the fields are dun, pale khaki,
October's low sun kindly coloured
someone has set a fire, so smoke is rising, floating sideways,
the great tit taps, persisting  for peanuts
and on the breeze a cockerel far and faint
crows and crows.

October 29th 2014, Hounoux

Flamingos today

Flamingos today

Blue skies and empty sand, made umber by the rain
has cleaned and rinsed the day, now luminous, back-lit
Marsh to the edge of the sea, drained in lines 
bright lemon-lime the reed-beds spread
far as the eye can see
channels where the sky lies drowned
no cloud, white of the seabirds massed, gulls and ducks
egrets picking their path
mountains of shining salt

This is the place layed out in the sun
an artist's  dream of perfection
where some from the Arctic, Norway, come
fleeing the chill in the air, the dropping of night, loss of sunlight
so many birds all met
swallows and rollers mythical storks, for respite en route to the south

And here for the winter, flamingo
pale to brighter pink
all in a line, catch one taking flight
finishing flourish, light touch
an artist's dream of perfection

October 4th 2014, Gruissan/ Hounoux, for Clare who spotted them.