Manimekalai
Posted: 09 Aug 2018, 11:00
I must have been six or seven
I was familiar with Amma’s Muruga songs
passionate, throaty, half in love with Tamil
and half for the Tamil God.
Then her voice changed
her tone mellowed, she turned to Krishna.
Someone had told her to woo Kannan
the eternal lover and ask for a son.
She twirled under the Pavalamalli tree
I had only seen her doing that at Pondicherry
with coloured plastic rings to slim her waist
she sang threading those red stemmed
white delicate flowers,to make a garland.
She looked mad with love, and I feared
Appa would get angry—first it was Muruga
now Krishna—Krishna had Meera and Radha
Rukmani also, so where was she, ordinary Mani?
I was familiar with Amma’s Muruga songs
passionate, throaty, half in love with Tamil
and half for the Tamil God.
Then her voice changed
her tone mellowed, she turned to Krishna.
Someone had told her to woo Kannan
the eternal lover and ask for a son.
She twirled under the Pavalamalli tree
I had only seen her doing that at Pondicherry
with coloured plastic rings to slim her waist
she sang threading those red stemmed
white delicate flowers,to make a garland.
She looked mad with love, and I feared
Appa would get angry—first it was Muruga
now Krishna—Krishna had Meera and Radha
Rukmani also, so where was she, ordinary Mani?