THE INSIDER-ON A STRIKE DAY Slogans slotted together to slab earth, labour Tented outside mill gates pitted like pebbles In a landscape not a cotton waste could come in That was not already in the compound.
Under-belly cries of animals full with milk Throttled peace, flabby udders searched for Props, scrunched out load grandmother Milked thirty cows /buffaloes on strike days. Grandfather combed courtyard for snakes Steel hands snapped slime like bamboo poles; Evenings he fingered cotton, spanning staple Like children would with butterfly wings. Music clutched uncle's heart, he is well with P.U.Chinnappa, mooted in talkies, turned pace Having mis-managed a mill, touched E.P.F. Clanged bars in jail, is repackaged home in Odd night lorries on strike days. The aunt noticed son daughter with cakes Pudding like a mirror would pimples, blackheads Took her own bath, for once Blew through corridors ------ a siren. Mother and I negotiated creek in wall Reached beach parts, ritual walks on the Promenade, salaamed the tailor and his bibi, Sweet smiled the sisters of Cluny, rubbed Shoulders with the bhai behns of Ashram, Noticed split in breeze, listened to the loll Of sea, debated height of waves, violet Blue green colour of spray, foam quality Sand texture stumbled back through back Compound of mill house on strike days. Sivakami Velliangiri ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Get fast access to your favorite Yahoo! Groups. Make Yahoo! your home page http://us.click.yahoo.com/dpRU5A/wUILAA/yQLSAA/yqIolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> -- You are encouraged to post poetry, respond critically to the poems circulated and participate in discussions. To post, email your message to [email protected] OR post online at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTPoets/post/ Tell friends to subscribe to ZESTPoets by sending a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED], OR, if they have a Yahoo! ID, by visiting http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTPoets/join/ ---theZESTcommunity-------------- [1] ZESTCurrent: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTCurrent/ [2] ZESTEconomics: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTEconomics/ [3] ZESTGlobal: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTGlobal/ [4] ZESTMedia: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTMedia/ [5] ZESTPoets: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTPoets/ [6] ZESTCaste: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTCaste/ [7] ZESTAlternative: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTAlternative/ [8] TalkZEST: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TalkZEST/ --- Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTPoets/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
