In the mid-portion
there was a shallow washing place.
The steps, the verandah
threw us into an old fashioned Brahmin house.
Above the shallow there was an open glass to let in light.
The roof stood on four pillars
on the four corners of the washing space
which had moveable glass panes above
to permit rain water to fill the place.
In a side room a Swamiji stayed
he fed both of us with morsels of epics.
Vatsala’s mother gave me the oil bath for my hair
of course I wore a thin white petticoat.
Vasala was classmate, I also had to cope
with needlings for my eyes for eighteen months
so she became my senior. Till now I had not seen
any type of written script. My father said, ’repeat.’
Besides in the second standard
I had had orals only. And now Hindi.
Berthela Sister was nondescript
I can only recall her voice.
Not even once did I pine for my house.
Meanwhile I learnt to converse in English.
Vatsala’s mother did not differentiate between us two kids.
Vatsala’s House
Poets post their works-in-progress here for crit and commentary. We want poets who are serious about getting their work published.
Message
Author
-
- Posts: 1168
- Joined: 14 May 2011, 20:30
Return to “Writer's Block - Where The Poets Hang”
Jump to
- Writer's Block Forums - Poetry and Palaver
- ↳ Writer's Block - Where The Poets Hang
- ↳ Writer's Block Palaver
- New York Write to Pitch 2022 and Algonkian Forums
- ↳ Algonkian Writer Workshops and Retreats
- ↳ New York Write to Pitch Conference 2022
- ↳ New York Pitch Conference - Reviews By Successful Writers
- ↳ New York Pitch Conference Reviews
- ↳ New York Pitch Conference - March 2020
- ↳ St. Augustine Author-Mentor Workshops
- ↳ Algonkian Writers Conference - Contracts and Comments
- ↳ Manuscripts to Market - The Novel Editors - New York Pitch
- ↳ Reviews of Algonkian Writer Conferences - Aspiring Authors and Professionals
- ↳ Algonkian Writer Retreat
- ↳ Algonkian Novel Workshop Forum
- ↳ Michael Neff, Algonkian, Fiction Craft
- New York Pitch Conference Work and Discussion - All Genres
- ↳ New York Pitch Conference and Seminar - December 2020
- ↳ New York Pitch Conference - September 2020
- ↳ New York Pitch Conference - December 2019
- ↳ New York Pitch - September 2019
- ↳ New York Pitch - Summer 2019
- ↳ New York Pitch Conference - March 2019
- ↳ New York Pitch Conference - December 2018
- ↳ New York Pitch Conference - June 2018
- ↳ New York Pitch Conference Work and Discussion - SF/F, GF, Historical
- ↳ New York Pitch Conference Novel Execution Forum