Roots

Sunday, April 23, 2023

Hunger Notes

1
Hunger pattering 
inside their bellies 
To say you are hungry 
is an embarrassment 
It is more honourable
to sleep hungry 
Than to have a full meal
at the langaar 

2
I did not wish 
upon this discovery 
To know these sides
of you unknown hitherto 
That you could be mean 
so uncouth so scheming
The full wide spectrum  
of your personality 
I did not want to know
my ability to hate 
My capacity of hate
my range of hate 

3
I did not forget
everyday the gully dog 
If nothing I spared 
a morsel for the bony thing
After everything I did
that day I gave it one meal
Its wagging greeting 
was my redemption 
A comma, a sparse checkbox
of my humanity 

4
The rains arrived 
as the flood of dead bodies
He got a job
at the cremation ground
They began eating
three square meals 
As dead flesh burnt
urgently in mass pyres
They could afford now
fowl in their food

-
Chandni Girija



I have responded to Maureen's prompt of writing a poem with numbered sections. Each section, while individual, should attempt to talk to the other sections, like a different person picking up each new verse in a continuous song. Maureen also suggested the poem be set in a specific place that I used to spend a lot of time in, but don't do so anymore. Well, this poem is situated in and around the cremation grounds. I haven't visited this place a lot. But my head was a lot in this place as thousands of Indians were cremated during the pandemic. Why would I visit it anymore? Until recently, well no, I won't relive that horror again. 
Thank you Maureen, for pointing me towards Arvind Krishna Mehrotra. I enjoyed his 'Lockdown Garden.' Also, what a shame I didn't know about him! It speaks about my very limited reading, and, perhaps, the cultural obscurity? We should keep these accomplished poets and artists, from our part of the world, alive in discussion!! 



Day 23 of 30 | 30 Poems in 30 Days | National Poetry Writing Month #napowrimo 

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