Best described as love
With just a few words
Perhaps fifty Tamil me, and you
Two dozen English
Plus, your phrase,'Body language'
Smiles and laughs and hugs
Not usual in your culture
But borrowed now from us
Together, in our strong determination
To communicate
To tell each other we are glad
So happy, rumba santoshum, to be back
Pulled from village house to house
Each family with food or drink, a welcome
Warm to give
One year on returning home
From home, stretching our languages
Across the barriers of age
And lives lived half a world apart
To a perfect understanding
Each of each
That what we share here
This day, this place
Is best described as love
With just a few words
Perhaps fifty Tamil me, and you
Two dozen English
Plus, your phrase,'Body language'
Smiles and laughs and hugs
Not usual in your culture
But borrowed now from us
Together, in our strong determination
To communicate
To tell each other we are glad
So happy, rumba santoshum, to be back
Pulled from village house to house
Each family with food or drink, a welcome
Warm to give
One year on returning home
From home, stretching our languages
Across the barriers of age
And lives lived half a world apart
To a perfect understanding
Each of each
That what we share here
This day, this place
Is best described as love
14th January 2010, for Balaji, Raghu, Suresh and their families in Sitaramanpet, with love
I can feel the joy of this reunion as I read the poem, in fact its nice to keep reading it I am smiling now.
ReplyDeleteYour candle in the dark is burning brightly, Sally!
ReplyDeleteThank you Jenny and Jude- faithful followers wherever I go! Now that we are living in a group I have reinstated the half- humorous 'Poetry readings' which Jude has had to take part in whilst staying with us in France. I read Like a prayer and they smiled approvingly. Then I read this poem and as I got to the last line my voice wobbled and tears started in my eyes. I looked up and Marilyn and Pam were in the same state! It was such a happy reunion Jude as you say- they are such special and open-hearted people, but there is strong strong emotion in our relationship.
ReplyDelete