‘I’m
DURGA! I’m KALI!
The GODDESS!
No one can conquer me!’
She
pulled the crown off the idol’s head
And wore it on herself
The
crowds were aghast! They swore at her!
Chased her with sticks, stones, screams
But
she slipped into the wilds
Flying beyond their reach
At
the magic hour
When sun and rain dazzle the earth
She danced and skipped
Jumped and leaped
Chasing a single rainbow…
Light-footed,
she glided
Through the celestial landscape
Wearing her cheap silver crown
She tripped the light luminous!
‘I
am DURGA! I am KALI!’
A
frog leapt in the slush
She lunged towards it, caught it!
Croaky
frog twitching in her left hand
Stick in the right
A tinsel crown aslant her forehead
She was one with the elements
With
earth, with sky, with slush
With trees, with breeze . . .
Dancing!
Mesmerizing her Gods!
Her
laughter gurgled in the wind
Her feet spinning the good earth
And
then, the villagers got her
Caught
her by her feet
Dragged her through the sludge
Frog, stick, crown, dragged behind
Straggled on the muddy track
‘She’s
too dangerous to be left free!’
They
signed on a piece of paper
Dumped her in the loony bin
Wiped the vermilion off her forehead
Chopped the long black hair
Razed it to scalp
Locked her behind the solid grill
Left
her squalling… on the cold dank floor
Now,
when the sky is overcast
And the earth is wet and brown
She walks down the courtyard
Blue-templed and dead eyed
The
cardboard crown trails behind her…
None make a sound
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