Poetry at Sangam

Poetry at Sangam showcases poetry in English and translations as well as essays on poetics and news of new releases.

CHIMERA by Ranjit Hoskote

(for Adil Jussawalla)

Fear translation. The first verse grows
a red beak, a blade curved and fresh
as the mango it’s about to bite.
The second whips open across the rustling page,
a pair of wings, all-weather kit, cased in steel
feathers, not wax. The third is a snaking tail, de rigueur
in futurist circles (this version isn’t for now, you see,
but for after). So, mid-phrase, mid-sentence, a twitching sierra
on fire. Take a deep breath. Go to the fourth, which slices
what’s left of the stalled air, a sleek black fin.
The eyes open last, and they will never look
at themselves in water. These amber-flecked lenses
are mine, on loan. They’re strong enough to pierce
the walls and roofs of the floating mirage
we call world, and never turn to stone.

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