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Dancing Cobra Eyes
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Dancing cobra eyes
twist into the body
striking at the corner
of the soul
asleep, sticking one’s tongue out
on those full-moon nights
Drunk with the saliva
sucked from the dripping mouth,
my poisonous poetry
scattered like
fragrant flowers.
Frightened
to smell them alone
you bring to your aid
those soaring birds of prey.
Denying Siva this time,
standing on the power of the
god of anger,
I tease the kites.
Ask them, are you well?
You fly away,
disappear in the distance
like a dot.
I cannot touch
the shadow of your wing.
I will be born
again and again.
As a devil,
a ghost,
as Kali,
and Isaki.
As the vengeful furies
I will terrorize you and follow you—
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Notes: This is a Tamil Dalit poem. The Tamil are the Tamil speaking peoples of south India. Dalit is the term for the untouchable casts of India. We found these poems on the web at /www.ou.edu/worldlit/onlinemagazine/SA2004/11608-15-May-_$B!D_(Bg%20SIVANARAYAN.pdf
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