Wood Ash by Kamala Das


In this new world I lack coherence
Listen differently for what I have to tell
Let you blood listen and from within
Your descendants shall hear me.

The wild fire destroyed the flowering shrubs
The wild fire burned down the trees
The wild fire then burnt itself and in the blood of my
ancestors the embers lay cooling

On those days of flux the mixed fragrance of wood ash and
Smoke surface with the flow

The Dravidian king raised a loud war cry
The beasts in their den cowered in fear
But when he fell he cried in surprise 'Oh, Amma, I die'

The fierce storm clawed the country's face
The pagans danced round the flames in ritual gloom
The chieftains bartered their kingdoms away for trinkets

I have learned to listen to the thumb of blood in my ear
I have learned its brief language of sea moans.

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