Poetry at Sangam
Poetry at Sangam showcases poetry in English and translations as well as essays on poetics and news of new releases.
In Kannan’s corner shop,
everything is broken—
even the ceiling.
Through the light of day
and into the night,
he bends over, fixing, mending,
repairing, seaming, hemming, tinkering,
soldering all the brokenness
that housewives bring him.
Sometimes, they become good as new.
There are the repeat offenders
who arrive every few months,
in need of new washers, handles, motors
and what have you.
He mends them all.
But today, when Shalini brings him
her mixer of 20 years,
he looks over the familiar piece
for a long time
and finally tells her
it’s too broken.