Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Arun Kolatkar

I am dazzled by Arun Kolatkar's poems. He evokes stunning visual imagery with his choice of words. His collection of poems "Jejuri" is a masterpiece. I am giving here one of his works.

A Low Temple

A low temple keeps its gods in the dark.
You lend a matchbox to the priest.
One by one the gods come to light.
Amused bronze. Smiling stone. Unsurprised.
For a moment the length of a matchstick
gesture after gesture revives and dies.
Stance after lost stance is found
and lost again.
Who was that, you ask.
The eight arm goddess, the priest replies.
A sceptic match coughs.
You can count.
But she has eighteen, you protest.
All the same she is still an eight arm goddess to the priest.
You come out in the sun and light a charminar.
Children play on the back of the twenty foot tortoise.

3 comments:

Gopinath Mavinkurve said...

Wow! Nice Poem posted by you. It is really amazing that you take keen interest in contemporary literature as well!

Gopinath Mavinkurve said...

Krishnan, it is Arun Kolhatkar (as in the heading) and not "Aruk Kolatkar" as in the link - may be a typo, please edit.

Krishnan said...

Thanks a lot Gopinath for pointing out the typo, I have corrected it.