Section: «Poems»
Verse (ancient Greek ὁ στίχος — row, structure), a term in versification used in several meanings:
artistic speech organized by division into rhythmically commensurate segments; poetry in the narrow sense; in particular, it implies the properties of versification of a particular tradition ("antique verse", "Akhmatova's verse", etc.);
a line of poetic text organized according to a certain rhythmic pattern ("My uncle of the most honest rules").
The Maggots
At sunset, on the river ban, KrishnaLoved her for the last time and left...That night in her husband's arms, Radha feltSo dead that he asked, What is..
© Kamala Das
The Sunshine Cat
They did this to her, the men who know her, the manShe loved, who loved her not enough, being selfishAnd a coward, the husband who neither loved..
© Kamala Das
The Rain
We left that old ungainly houseWhen my dog died there, afterThe burial, after the roseFlowered twice, pulling it by itsRoots and carting it with our..
© Kamala Das
Winter
It smelt of new rains and of tenderShoots of plants- and its warmth was the warmthOf earth groping for roots… even mySoul, I thought, must send its..
© Kamala Das
Krishna
Your body is my prison, Krishna,I cannot see beyond it.Your darkness blinds me,Your love words shut out the wise world's din.[From Only The Soul..
© Kamala Das
Punishment In Kindergarten
Today the world is a little more my own.No need to remember the painA blue-frocked woman caused, throwingWords at me like pots and pans, to drainThat..
© Kamala Das
The Dance Of The Eunuchs
It was hot, so hot, before the eunuchs cameTo dance, wide skirts going round and round, cymbalsRichly clashing, and anklets jingling..
© Kamala Das
Summer In Calcutta
What is this drink butThe April sun, squeezedLike an orange inMy glass? I sip theFire, I drink and drinkAgain, I am drunkYes, but on the goldof suns..
© Kamala Das
In Love
O what does the burning mouthOf sun, burning in today's,Sky, remind me….oh, yes, hisMouth, and….his limbs like pale andCarnivorous plants reachingout..
© Kamala Das
The Suicide
Bereft of soulMy body shall be bare.Bereft of bodyMy soul shall be bare.Which would you rather haveO kind sea?Which is the more deadOf the two?I..
© Kamala Das
Love
Until I found you,I wrote verse, drew pictures,And, went out with friendsFor walks…Now that I love you,Curled like an old mongrelMy life lies..
© Kamala Das
Relationship
This love older than I by myriadSaddened centuries was once a prayerIn his bones that made them grow in years ofAdolescence to this favored height;..
© Kamala Das
Words
All round me are words, and words and words,They grow on me like leaves, they neverSeem to stop their slow growingFrom within... But I tell my self..
© Kamala Das
The Old Playhouse
You planned to tame a swallow, to hold herIn the long summer of your love so that she would forgetNot the raw seasons alone, and the homes left..
© Kamala Das
The Freaks
He talks, turning a sun-stainedCheek to me, his mouth, a darkCavern, where stalactites ofUneven teeth gleam, his rightHand on my knee, while our..
© Kamala Das
The Looking Glass
Getting a man to love you is easyOnly be honest about your wants asWoman. Stand nude before the glass with himSo that he sees himself the stronger..
© Kamala Das
An Introduction
I don't know politics but I know the namesOf those in power, and can repeat them likeDays of week, or names of months, beginning with Nehru.I..
© Kamala Das
The Heart’s Gift
Beyond the presents, food, and song,Christmas Eve reminds us all along,That gifts of heart are greater still,Than any gold beneath the hill.A word of..
© Christmas Eve
Night of Wonder
A blanket white upon the ground,Soft whispers of a Christmas sound.The crackling fire, the starry skies,Reflections dancing in our eyes.We gather..
© Christmas Eve
Winter’s Glow
The frost outside, the stars above,The season wrapped in warmth and love.Children’s giggles fill the night,While snowflakes dance in gentle light.We..
© Christmas Eve
The Spirit of Christmas
Beneath the tree, the ornaments shine,Each one a memory, yours and mine.The air is filled with carols sweet,And joyful laughter on the street.But..
© Christmas Eve
A Silent Night
The night is calm, the stars are bright,The world is hushed this Christmas night.We pause to think of all we’ve done,Of battles lost and battles..
© Christmas Eve
Candlelit Dreams
By candlelight, we sit and gaze,At glowing trees in winter haze.Each flame reflects a hope, a prayer,A whispered wish upon the air.The world outside..
© Christmas Eve
The Night of Lights
The snow falls softly on the ground,A quiet peace is all around.The Christmas Eve lights twinkle bright,Guiding our hearts through winter’s..
© Christmas Eve
A Pledge for Humanity
On Human Rights Day, we take a stand,For every child, in every land.No voice unheard, no heart denied,No one oppressed, no truth belied.Equality..
© Human Rights Day