Indian nights
Indian nights are deep and dark
a January moon, thin-pared, and silver on its back
with stars too far and veiled
smoke and dust swirled thick into a blanket, deadening;
but ceaseless noise from dawn till dusk
crows in rows (so rooks perhaps?)
roosting, then again, a further meeting, loud conference
all join in cacophony, just past midnight.
Meanwhile trains, hoot of horn, multiple toot and tune
rattle and roll, rattle and roll, rushing to crescendo
clickety-clack, over the track, and passing
Chennai to Bangalore.
So just before the sunrise, loudspeaker music comes
high-pitched and tinny to our ears, unlovely;
usually a cock or two
though dawn's announcement hardly necessary
this black and clamourous never-ending
noisome night.
January 15th 2016, RUHSA
Indian nights are deep and dark
a January moon, thin-pared, and silver on its back
with stars too far and veiled
smoke and dust swirled thick into a blanket, deadening;
but ceaseless noise from dawn till dusk
crows in rows (so rooks perhaps?)
roosting, then again, a further meeting, loud conference
all join in cacophony, just past midnight.
Meanwhile trains, hoot of horn, multiple toot and tune
rattle and roll, rattle and roll, rushing to crescendo
clickety-clack, over the track, and passing
Chennai to Bangalore.
So just before the sunrise, loudspeaker music comes
high-pitched and tinny to our ears, unlovely;
usually a cock or two
though dawn's announcement hardly necessary
this black and clamourous never-ending
noisome night.
January 15th 2016, RUHSA
I was thinking about your poems written in India, and remembering some of them when enjoying the sun on Clevedon prom. Ruminating on the many ways moments and experiences are captured and conveyed to others. So many times I have enjoyed sharing your moments and how lucky to have some memories of my own on which to hang your words. Xx
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear you've had sun to enjoy on the beautiful prom. That's an interesting rumination Jude, how we do convey to others experiences which are necessarity subjective. It is at the core of poetry isn't it- all creative art I guess, just the medium I find easiest for expressing myself. Having been a faithful reader always of both my blogs you can follow threads and gather more meaning than most I guess and now of course you are experiencing, like Wendy does, reading about India and being able to recall all your own memories. The noise of the night here!!
ReplyDeleteI had a conversation with someone who had discovered Haiku as a way to record the essence of moments on her trip to India so I mentioned your wonderful poems. It led to that thought process of as you say ways of communicating those subjective experiences.
ReplyDeleteOoh, Jude, Haiku- I love the Haiku form! I can imagine they would be brilliant for recording just the essence of moments. My new poems will have to be printed out and put into the wonderful album you created for me, won't they.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely x
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