May 16, 2014 Uncategorized

 Anarkali

©May 16, 2014

By Vijaya Sundaram

 

Brick upon brick upon brick,

Piled higher and higher

And you, within walls.

Suffocation looms.

But only when mortar’s added.

 

So, confound them!

Distract them.

Pretend there’s mortar

At this spot and that one,

Insert grey spaces there,

Magic can work.

Pretend to die,

And when they’ve left,

Find those grey spots,

Prise the bricks out, and then

Remove them all,

One after another.

 

Now, scatter them around you,

Hurl them at the sky

Dash them to the earth

Hurl one at the fabled city,

And run for your life.

Perhaps your Salim awaits.

Perhaps not.

Who cares?

 

You are beholden to no prince.

You do not need him.

 

You, pomegranate blossom,

Bearer of many seeds

Encased with blood,

Sweet and tart

Is your life.

 

Escape!

 

Sweetness calls.

Life wails aloud.

Freedom cries out.

 

Burst the skin!

Scatter yourself to the four winds.

 

Somewhere, a sweeter life

Will grasp at soil, take root.

And you will be whole again.

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Tags: #Original Poetry, Akbar, Anarkali, doomed love, Immurement, Indian legend, Jehangir, Mughal legend, Mughal-e-Azam, Salim