Three poems by Subhash Kak under Parnassus: Poetry, curated by Siddhartha Gigoo
The Petting Zoo
Ages ago
five animals formed the
circle of ritual slaughter.
Young boys watched
the snuffing out of life
as the priest intoned
Later, on the frigid highlands of Ladakh
the herders bled the animal to death
before it was dressed
and the lamas played
their long trumpets
Rituals and games are different now
meat comes wrapped
in plastic foil
animals graze far from habitation
and house pets
have taken the place of children.
Yet we need animals
at the college campus
to help anxious students
find calm before the big test.
An enclosure is erected:
Five animals rest there.
Goat, sheep, cow, miniature donkeys,
and a pair of proud lamas
are the petting zoo
They are chewing on hay
absorbed in the moment
as students stroke them
and take pictures
Their quiet eyes
make no contact.
They seem contented
in their being
and as I walk away
I think I hear
the cow’s laughter
Loss and Love
The sparrow that built its nest
feeds the chicks without rest.
Why does the sparrow toil?
The chicks will fly away
one day.
An eagle swooped down
and stole the chicks.
The sparrow darts here and there,
searching in corners
picking twigs
letting out shrill screams.
What is love?
A mirror to an expansion,
it is like rain
on a mountain path
on a steamy afternoon
on a track that goes
round a bend.
Some tracks
fall off the mountain.
A Prayer
It was from prayer books
that I learned to adore you with names.
Words are like bamboos
lashed together
across a mountain chasm.
When I lost my path
I needed more than words
to join my journey.
I have seen your image now.
The music of your creations
has become one with me
and I know that worship
is the happiness of walking
to the wilderness.
Words bind —
the smile on your face
has liberated me.
More from The Byword
Comments
*Comments will be moderated