—Photos Courtesy of Public Domain
REAR-VIEW MIRROR
Drops on windshield
the rains
still slow
been at it
since a few hours now
I like the haze
that keeps me
from seeing the ghettos
repeated head counts
after calamity
a decade ago
we still could use fuddy-duddy clichés
call our cities
‘melting pots’
I resist the wiper
as long as I can
larger drops
stain the car
the radio is on
nebulous days
when smokescreens
take us away
from city ghosts
and
the clarity of by-lanes.
Drops on windshield
the rains
still slow
been at it
since a few hours now
I like the haze
that keeps me
from seeing the ghettos
repeated head counts
after calamity
a decade ago
we still could use fuddy-duddy clichés
call our cities
‘melting pots’
I resist the wiper
as long as I can
larger drops
stain the car
the radio is on
nebulous days
when smokescreens
take us away
from city ghosts
and
the clarity of by-lanes.
A STILL WINTER
It isn’t the sort of cold that moves
static all around
I look for a pizza cutter
and ice cream scoop
I imagine making triangles
out of the dense fog
and consuming it
to make visible spaces in the atmosphere
I imagine the ice cream scoop lifting the fog
splashing it
into dessert glass
it is a decadent country
of stale debate
on fresh television screen
the Winter from another eon
seems to have seeped into the bones
so quietly
there are no surface breezes
I am wary
a Winter without its wind-chill
is no Winter at all
LADY IN RED
You, in vermillion attire
with a slit that starts from the waist
and runs as long as the river Nile
how I wish you smiled
just for me
and not
for all the pirates of the Pacific
you!
With rings on fingers
on the hand, right
on the hand, left
are you a prisoner?
Of one of the men
whose harem you head?
Do you play out your politics in bed?
For an entire tribe?
You in your dress, oozing red
I wonder just how many doctors
run to your rescue
press the nerves
kiss every pore
suck out the blood stains
it is a day parched
such thirst
single malt
quality unquestionable
come to me
Oh woman, in scarlet or cerise dress
become every dirty thing
I want you to be.
WAIT UNTIL SUMMER!
When you hate the Winter
Oh! Those teeth that chatter
and several inches of snow
several days of it in a row
the season harsh so
isn’t the best thing for the libido
the layers of clothes you must negotiate
the mere thought of undressing can wait
if the parts of you down there —right under
refuse to cooperate, don’t wonder
such a bummer!
To leave the steamy sex
for Summer!
AND NOTHING SHORT OF THAT!
There will be a mesh
after the hernia you got removed
it won’t reoccur
you are reassured
gall bladders
one kidney
one ovary or two
without it
sooner or later
we half-learn to survive
but with all the dangers fraught
O have your heart
right out
in your throbbing hands
and walk along the sidewalk
the one with leaves strewn
some freshly fallen
some dried
roads with egos waylaid
all that matters
to the heart that walks outside of you
is giving
even as it puts itself at risk
like leaving your home
front door unlocked
or entering wars unarmed
for battles meant to be lost
no collateral allowed
the rest is mere convenience
or serendipity
when put to test
your favorite clothes
also tear at the seams
walk into the night
starless
no candle-lit home around
to help navigate
for hounds might bark and pounce
conditions and consequences
only for the meek
sit and watch your heart wrecked
unable to distinguish
night from day
or the dance of one season
into the next
know that then
you have loved
and loved
and loved.
______________________
Today’s LittleNip:
your hand
touching mine.
this is how
galaxies
collide.
—Sanober Khan
______________________
Vandana Kumar first appeared in Medusa’s Kitchen on Feb. 19 of this year. She is a French teacher, translator, recruitment consultant, Indie Film Producer, cinephile and poet in New Delhi, India. Her poems have been published in national and international websites like Mad Swirl, Grey Sparrow Journal, The Piker Press, Dissident Voice, Borderless Journal, Madras Courier, Outlook, Ink Pantry, Backwards Trajectory, The Daily Pointers, Synchronized Chaos, and everywritersresource.com, to name only a few. She has been featured in literary journals like Fine Lines, and anthologies like Harbinger Asylum, But You Don't Look Sick, and Kali Project, which was a Finalist for the 15th Annual National Indie Excellence® Awards.
Vandana was a jury member for the All India Poetry Competition organized by Cocoa-Butter, and she also co-edited their debut print anthology that resulted from this competition in 2020-2021. She was the only Indian of 40 participating poets in the INĐIJA PRO POET 2023, a festival held in June, 2023 in Serbia. Her poem was translated into Serbian in the Pro Poet anthology published there. Her debut collection of poems, Mannequin Of Our Times, was published in February 2023; it was awarded The Panorama International Book Award 2023 and The Mighty Pens Awards 2023. She is also a Pushcart Prize-nominated author-poet for the year 2023. Thanks for today's poetry, Vandana!
_____________________
—Medusa, wishing us all top o’ the morning and a happy St. Patrick’s Day—
Vandana Kumar
A reminder that
Poetry of the Sierra Foothills
features Frank Gioia and Paul Godwin
this afternoon in Camino, 2pm.
For info about this and other
future poetry happenings in
Northern California and otherwheres,
click on
UPCOMING NORCAL EVENTS
(http://medusaskitchen.blogspot.com/p/wtf.html)
in the links at the top of this page—
and keep an eye on this link and on
the daily Kitchen for happenings
that might pop up
—or get changed!—
during the week.
Photos in this column can be enlarged by
clicking on them once, then clicking on the x
in the top right corner to come back to Medusa.
Find previous four-or-so posts by scrolling down
under today; or there's an "Older Posts" button
at the bottom of this column; or find previous poets
by typing the name of the poet or poem
into the little beige box at the top
left-hand side of today’s post; or go to
Medusa’s Rapsheet at the bottom of
the blue column at the right
to find the date you want.
Would you like to be a SnakePal?
Guidelines are at the top of this page
at the Placating the Gorgon link;
send poetry and/or photos and artwork
to kathykieth@hotmail.com. We post
work from all over the world—including
that which was previously published—
and collaborations are welcome.
Just remember:
the snakes of Medusa are always hungry—
for poetry, of course!
Poetry of the Sierra Foothills
features Frank Gioia and Paul Godwin
this afternoon in Camino, 2pm.
For info about this and other
future poetry happenings in
Northern California and otherwheres,
click on
UPCOMING NORCAL EVENTS
(http://medusaskitchen.blogspot.com/p/wtf.html)
in the links at the top of this page—
and keep an eye on this link and on
the daily Kitchen for happenings
that might pop up
—or get changed!—
during the week.
Photos in this column can be enlarged by
clicking on them once, then clicking on the x
in the top right corner to come back to Medusa.
Find previous four-or-so posts by scrolling down
under today; or there's an "Older Posts" button
at the bottom of this column; or find previous poets
by typing the name of the poet or poem
into the little beige box at the top
left-hand side of today’s post; or go to
Medusa’s Rapsheet at the bottom of
the blue column at the right
to find the date you want.
Would you like to be a SnakePal?
Guidelines are at the top of this page
at the Placating the Gorgon link;
send poetry and/or photos and artwork
to kathykieth@hotmail.com. We post
work from all over the world—including
that which was previously published—
and collaborations are welcome.
Just remember:
the snakes of Medusa are always hungry—
for poetry, of course!
by Vandana's poetry!