Poetry at Sangam
Poetry at Sangam showcases poetry in English and translations as well as essays on poetics and news of new releases.
unprepared and unmannerly
yet i burn
to receive you
my heart to unclose itself
and empty of all
not you
snatch this sheet
from my body
tear this shirt off
strip me
of my clothing
of skin
and yet
i am not
naked enough for you
surely my soul
has a right against me
surely my body too
from heart to heart
a narrow window
opens its shut leaves
purchasing sight
from blindness
sightlessness from seeing
love and gall
severity and gentleness
is all in your service
but first, obduracy
denial, turning away
in anger and pique
so i may belong
to myself entirely
before gentleness comes
i wander
into a secluded thicket
distracted and dazed
if i were any good
would i be obliged
to tarry here?
i am become
the bearer of your freight
and find myself nowhere
sour, sour words
that is all i have
for kindness you show me
ready ever
to squander dreams
like an addled beggar
recklessly wagering
all on a fickle promise
your knife at my throat
my bed i make
on this stony ground
i talk in my sleep