Tales from an Asati (Asati-Kathan)
Anjana Chakrabarty for shaitaan Pebble Dipping at this river In dress untainted Sankha-sindoor adorned At your tread thakur this pebble I fix to a twig No, not seeking children Nor husband’s health An unalloyed asati I am Another’s husband Who I have desired all my life Fasten him to this pebble And drop him—thhok! Right in front of my feet thakur Just for once. ****************** He My cross My nails My crown of thorns My tortuous death I have lugged them all unto him Smiles, vanity, this make-up Beneath jollity waking up With such ease can he spill blood Everyday *********** Tigress Sniffing, sniffing, the pale telephone A stray knock, leaping to the door Pointless nail scratches so Phone calls one or two, an sms may be (work related) Or perhaps a shadow lengthening there—afar Ah, then wagging tongue –swishing, twitching Raised tail, ah-tu-tu fondness Vaulting upto the moon To be doggish more than a dog can be Is how the days go by… And people think—tigress ! ********** Global Warming How close does the sun come to the earth? Days of rain have evaporated, like a miser’s perfume In every direction a scalding sun now, its rays blistering Phanimanasha Brambles Weariness Two people, unable anymore to lie together Poems, too, are combustible Sets ablaze The destined twosome **************** After the Rain Finally, it all eked out today Chunks and chunks of pain Golden filigreed sun One or two sparrows come out to play Wiping wet eyes they look up at the sky On such cloud-clear days I even wish I could love your wife. *********** Hazarduari A house met in a dream Rows of closed doors, rooms And you sleeping in one Your light body awake in lean darkness From such a distance its spark And heat Raging, flaring colour Scorching down a whole lifetime Just that I don’t know How many more demons Succubus Man-eating boa Three-headed dogs have I to cross Before that door comes unhinged ************* Shame In the dream there were no clothes Since you have not looked at me for days Since you have not shrouded this hungry body with yours Since you have not bedecked my naked body with a caress In this winter With no food, clothing In public, among so many people I was dying, splintered by shame ************** Otherworldly Following every ritual—pindo-daan, mukhagni Communes, fraternity, relations Beyond all trials and chhi chhi Quitting the vestures of our bodies Our souls have emerged The electric furnace has devoured Body and all else Ashes mingled with water Come now Let us draw close and make love Scrape claw lacerate each other For one more lush life ************* Relationship A lifetime of alap-vistaar Surdas? Shall this muffled, garbled relationship Never arrive at that jhala? Yours and mine? ************** Tune Tune is disguised fire Which you did not know Scalding throat tongue lips it will Slide you off your perch And then pour over you a river of fire *************** Bolted Attic No, I do not unlock the door anymore Do not dust Or spray baygon No garland or chandan Long ago I have tossed you Into the bolted attic Just beside the broken doll ************ Anjana Chakrabarty teaches English at Beltala Balika Bidyalaya, Kolkata. adminhumanitiesunderground.org