Thursday 15 August 2019

Poetry 2019 Longlist, Nivedita Narsapuram

Debu's Quandary

Debu sits by the bonfire, 
fueling the fire with twigs
He held one between his fingers 
like a cigarette, 
that his mother forbid him from 

Caught in the wraps of geometry
and algebraic expressions, 
Debu was busy in learning 
how to make a living 
till Clint patted his back 

Lanky, young Clint 

his long hair tied with a rubber band, 
like the one his mother had.

Clint prodded him to taste chow mean, 
with a hint of pork 
He gave him half his cigarette, 
as a sign of friendship 
He made Debu a taste of his world,
a taste of his life 

But mother did not like how Debu smelt: 
Of freedom, adolescence, and a non-Brahmin caste

2 comments: