Author: Ranjani Murali
Publisher: Almostisland 2015
She wrote “Thank you for coming to the reading. I hope these poems resonate with you” before signing my copy. Well… I know next to nothing about poetry. But, I though the reading was interesting. I did enjoy it.
The poems are grouped into six categories. I am going to pick one poem from her reading for your reading pleasure.
This is in the category titled "A Corollary of Cataracts". She said she used English subtitles of a Tamil movie in this poem. The name of the poem is: “Circa 1970 Tamil Film Stalker’s Ghazal”.
From the front, you’re Thanjavur,
From the back you are Taj Mahal.
You are a big city indeed.
You are my capital city.
—Vikram in Dhol
Dear Dove, I assure you, our stars do align
Your winged eyeliner cinches my affections, a truly astral line.
Like a highway, your powdered neck guides me to your cheekbones;
your decahedron pendents are my guilty pleasures: your hook, sinker, and proverbial line.
Your hair is tied back into a high bouffant that must hurt when you nod, upon which,
“Is there a sight more beautiful than your coiffured mane?” I sing my line.
What armor, my love, what conical fabric contraptions gird you breasts?
What viscous suspensions lid down your eyes, make plural their crease-lines?
Two days back I saw you at the bank, a locus, a center with moving points around.
The boy by my side whistled at you. I broke his neck — he missed the line.
And yet, you smiled at the director today, and brushed against his shoulder
If only he could have kept you from falling, right near the exposed power line.
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