Mosque


Aziz had a wild desire to make an enemy for life.
- E.M. Forster, A Passage to India


1.

Song of an unknown birdthe river no longer sacred herein
every remark, a meaning
ladies treated like menthe high places of Dravidiaflesh of
the sun's flesh
a glimpse of them makes the breath catchflowing from the foot of
Vishnu and through
Siva's hairolder than anything in the worldre-entering the
curve of earth

2.

The heat had leapt forwardhand touching hand, the animal thrill
not to be frightened,
the height of follyeveryone cross or wretchedif you can't
see, you can't see
tranquillity swallowed everything upa rock resembling an inverted
saucerthick hair, fine
skinshe felt a bit dashedthe house came in sighta pebble
thrown by a child

3.

A friendliness as of dwarves shaking handsan infinite goal behind
the stars
people not really dead until they are felt to be deadkindness and
more kindness and kindness
againonce more he was unable to desert her"Are you mad?"
"Give me time
to consider"the wreckage of her silly attempt to see India

4.

The grim untidy plain, the white shrines, the shallow gravesdeeper
thoughts about breakfast
you keep your religion, I minethings he had shown to no one
content to help people
and like themhot weather approachingan accident, but no one
hurt
everything out of proportiona low embankment between dull fields

5.

Friends again, aware they could meet no morethe floods had abated
he did not travel
as lightly as in the pastno more nonsense or bitternessround
white clouds in the sky,
white pools on the earthall the way back to Mau they wrangled
about politics
waddling in at this hour to take her seatan awful rage danced this
way and that


- Halvard Johnson
[source text: E.M. Forster, A Passage to India]


Reckless Talk