It was
One of our
Childhood habits
To crumple
The wax melting in front of St.Antony
And make new candles.
The tapers of
Thresya whose house got mortgaged, and
Selina whose wedding never got fixed, and
Anthappan who mourned his lack of offspring, and
Thankamma whose chickens died of infectious bronchitis
Stood and liquefied for us in those days.
Math test, pimple,
Cancer, wedding,
Death, visa, love,
Lost hundred rupee note,
Why, even missed periods,
Hair graying too early,
All these daily deliquesced for us
Day after day.
What did the new candle
We lighted in those days
Melt for?
We cannot see a thing
In its light now!
Nov 16, 2013
Nov 16, 2013 at 1:54 PM UTC
It was
One of our
Childhood habits
To crumple
The wax melting in front of St.Antony
And make new candles.
The tapers of
Thresya whose house got mortgaged, and
Selina whose wedding never got fixed, and
Anthappan who mourned his lack of offspring, and
Thankamma whose chickens died of infectious bronchitis
Stood and liquefied for us in those days.
Math test, pimple,
Cancer, wedding,
Death, visa, love,
Lost hundred rupee note,
Why, even missed periods,
Hair graying too early,
All these daily deliquesced for us
Day after day.
What did the new candle
We lighted in those days
Melt for?
We cannot see a thing
In its light now!
Translation : Anitha Varma
Request permission to use this poem