Poem
Manushya Puthiran
Road: Two Scenes
I have beenwatching that boy
ever since we came here
As soon as dusk falls
he comes with his ball
in search of a compound wall
Walls may know nothing
about games
but you can trust them
never to flout the rules
On some holidays
and festival days
in the scorching afternoon heat
I’ve seen walls play
with him
their faces implacable
In this colony
there live at least
seven or eight boys
who play with walls.
2
You
I
and so many others
walk furtively
surreptitiously
down this road
Don’t know
why the dogs
pick only
the rag-picker woman
as their enemy.
© Translation: 2004, C.S. Lakshmi and Arundhathi Subramaniam
ROAD: TWO SCENES
© 1998, Manushya Puthiran
From: Itamum Iruppum
Publisher: Kalachuvadu Pathippagam, Nagercoil
From: Itamum Iruppum
Publisher: Kalachuvadu Pathippagam, Nagercoil
Poems
Poems of Manushya Puthiran
Close
Road: Two Scenes
I have beenwatching that boy
ever since we came here
As soon as dusk falls
he comes with his ball
in search of a compound wall
Walls may know nothing
about games
but you can trust them
never to flout the rules
On some holidays
and festival days
in the scorching afternoon heat
I’ve seen walls play
with him
their faces implacable
In this colony
there live at least
seven or eight boys
who play with walls.
2
You
I
and so many others
walk furtively
surreptitiously
down this road
Don’t know
why the dogs
pick only
the rag-picker woman
as their enemy.
© 2004, C.S. Lakshmi and Arundhathi Subramaniam
From: Itamum Iruppum
From: Itamum Iruppum
Road: Two Scenes
I have beenwatching that boy
ever since we came here
As soon as dusk falls
he comes with his ball
in search of a compound wall
Walls may know nothing
about games
but you can trust them
never to flout the rules
On some holidays
and festival days
in the scorching afternoon heat
I’ve seen walls play
with him
their faces implacable
In this colony
there live at least
seven or eight boys
who play with walls.
2
You
I
and so many others
walk furtively
surreptitiously
down this road
Don’t know
why the dogs
pick only
the rag-picker woman
as their enemy.
© 2004, C.S. Lakshmi and Arundhathi Subramaniam
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