The Courtyard of the Big House, Mambalam
-
- Posts: 1168
- Joined: 14 May 2011, 20:30
The Courtyard of the Big House, Mambalam
When the cattle left in four wheelers from Pondicherry , they came to T-Nagar in Mambalam,
straight to their sheds at the back of the house where partitions were made
for the cows and buffalos which settled not so slowly, wagging off the flies.
The trough soon filled with kitchen waste, all the edible uncooked peel
and rice-washed-water filled the fodder trough. Daughter-in-law no 1,
did puja; she habitually took Arthi with camphor and incense, worshipped
the behind where the tail started, the dung shitting place, goddess Lakshmi
resides there. How she loved it, to feed it Agathi Keerai and to circum-ambulate.
The dung was used to make Cobal Gas which reached the kitchen in pipes.
Harvest festival of Pongal, was for worshipping the cows, buffaloes and goats
and the cows were brought to the courtyard, with painted horns and mock-silver anklets,
Hara Rama beads, circum-ambulated the wood-brick-stove, cooked jaggery rice
was given as prasad first. Pampered. Prior to the festival, cowdung gods flaunted flowers
early dawn. The courtyard was prepared for the festival, topography with special pointers
marked for the girl of the house, the hierarchy of daughters-in-law vied with her
to draw the kolam, a rice flour art work with loops and dots marking the Sun Lord’s chariot.
Grandma and little uncle had four chicken coops for growing broiler chickens.
When the floods came the chickens drowned, but the cattle were walked to a higher plane.
Servants and vendors dared walk in only through the side gate. The long queue
was for buying thick butter-milk. Drumstick-trees, mangoes, giant limes, guavas,
chicki, were on the inner side of the compound. Parijatha, Ixora, Nandiayvatta, Arali,
Harshinga were for the gods.
Gradma had a farm, a few furlongs away, where the well was full, always.
Beans and guards, intertwined and every two or three days
we had lady’s finger and brinjal; I tagged along with her to this ‘Karamb.’
Inside the house was an inner courtyard, where uncles sat in short-shorts
while their wives (respective) rubbed gingilli oil on their bodies for the ritual oil bath.
I vowed never to get married if this was one of the wife’s duties , little realizing
they enjoyed it.
Now there are flats here and the well is never full.
straight to their sheds at the back of the house where partitions were made
for the cows and buffalos which settled not so slowly, wagging off the flies.
The trough soon filled with kitchen waste, all the edible uncooked peel
and rice-washed-water filled the fodder trough. Daughter-in-law no 1,
did puja; she habitually took Arthi with camphor and incense, worshipped
the behind where the tail started, the dung shitting place, goddess Lakshmi
resides there. How she loved it, to feed it Agathi Keerai and to circum-ambulate.
The dung was used to make Cobal Gas which reached the kitchen in pipes.
Harvest festival of Pongal, was for worshipping the cows, buffaloes and goats
and the cows were brought to the courtyard, with painted horns and mock-silver anklets,
Hara Rama beads, circum-ambulated the wood-brick-stove, cooked jaggery rice
was given as prasad first. Pampered. Prior to the festival, cowdung gods flaunted flowers
early dawn. The courtyard was prepared for the festival, topography with special pointers
marked for the girl of the house, the hierarchy of daughters-in-law vied with her
to draw the kolam, a rice flour art work with loops and dots marking the Sun Lord’s chariot.
Grandma and little uncle had four chicken coops for growing broiler chickens.
When the floods came the chickens drowned, but the cattle were walked to a higher plane.
Servants and vendors dared walk in only through the side gate. The long queue
was for buying thick butter-milk. Drumstick-trees, mangoes, giant limes, guavas,
chicki, were on the inner side of the compound. Parijatha, Ixora, Nandiayvatta, Arali,
Harshinga were for the gods.
Gradma had a farm, a few furlongs away, where the well was full, always.
Beans and guards, intertwined and every two or three days
we had lady’s finger and brinjal; I tagged along with her to this ‘Karamb.’
Inside the house was an inner courtyard, where uncles sat in short-shorts
while their wives (respective) rubbed gingilli oil on their bodies for the ritual oil bath.
I vowed never to get married if this was one of the wife’s duties , little realizing
they enjoyed it.
Now there are flats here and the well is never full.
-
- Posts: 1619
- Joined: 01 Jun 2008, 09:17
Re: The Courtyard of the Big House, Mambalam
I had to read this a few times, but I love everything in it.
-
- Posts: 1168
- Joined: 14 May 2011, 20:30
Re: The Courtyard of the Big House, Mambalam
It is a draft, though I have worked on it.This spreads all over the page. I wish I could get the gist of it for a poem.
-
- Posts: 1988
- Joined: 02 Mar 2016, 18:07
- Location: Between the mountains and the sea
Re: The Courtyard of the Big House, Mambalam
This reads as a rich tapestry of Indian village life.
-
- Posts: 1168
- Joined: 14 May 2011, 20:30
Re: The Courtyard of the Big House, Mambalam
Frank
This is the city life, when I was young.The poem is for Climate change.
S
This is the city life, when I was young.The poem is for Climate change.
S
-
- Posts: 2692
- Joined: 03 Jun 2016, 21:03
Re: The Courtyard of the Big House, Mambalam
I am with Ken on this... love the dey
Re: The Courtyard of the Big House, Mambalam
Well done. I’m sure I’m missing a lot since there are cultural allusions I’m not familiar wit as probably happens to you when you read. My poems.
-
- Posts: 1619
- Joined: 01 Jun 2008, 09:17
Re: The Courtyard of the Big House, Mambalam
Nominated Siva
-
- Posts: 1619
- Joined: 01 Jun 2008, 09:17
Re: The Courtyard of the Big House, Mambalam
When the cattle left in four wheelers from Pondicherry , they came to T-Nagar in Mambalam,
straight to their sheds at the back of the house where partitions were made for the cows and buffalos
which settled not so slowly, wagging off the flies.
The trough soon filled with kitchen waste, all the edible uncooked peel, and rice-washed-water filled the trough.
Daughter-in-law no 1 did puja;she habitually took
Arthi with camphor and incense, worshipped
the behind where the tail started, the dung shitting place, where the goddess Lakshmi resides.
. How she loved it, to feed it Agathi Keerai and to circum-ambulate.
The dung was used to make Cobal Gas which reached the kitchen in pipes.
Harvest festival of Pongal, was for worshipping the cows, buffaloes and goats, and the cows were brought to the courtyard, with painted horns and mock-silver anklets,Hara Rama beads, circum-ambulated the wood-brick-stove cooked January rice
Hara Rama beads, circum-ambulated,the wood-brick-stove, cooked jaggery rice was given as parsad.
. Pampered. Prior to the festival, cowdung gods flaunted flowers.
Early dawn,the courtyard was prepared for the festival, topography with special pointers marked for the girl
of the house, the hierarchy of daughters-in-law vied with her to draw the kolam; a rice flour art work
with loops and dots marking the Sun Lord’s chariot.
Grandma and little uncle had four chicken coops for raisiing broiler chickens.
When the floods came the chickens drowned, but the cattle were walked to a higher place.
Servants and vendors dared walk in only through the side gate. The long queue was for buying thick butter-milk. Drumstick-trees, mangoes, giant limes, guavas,
chicki, were on the inner side of the compound. Parijatha, Ixora, Nandiayvatta, Arali,
Harshinga were for the gods.
Gradma had a farm, a few furlongs away, where the well was full, always.
Beans and guords, intertwined and every two or three days, we had lady's finger and brinjal;
I tagged along with her to this ‘Karamb.’
Inside the house was an inner courtyard, where uncles sat in short-shorts while their wives (respective)
rubbed gingilli oil on their bodies for the ritual oil bath.
I vowed never to marry if this was one of the wife’s duties , little realizing they enjoyed it.
Now there are flats here and the well is never full.
I formatted and did minor edits of spelling and syntax
straight to their sheds at the back of the house where partitions were made for the cows and buffalos
which settled not so slowly, wagging off the flies.
The trough soon filled with kitchen waste, all the edible uncooked peel, and rice-washed-water filled the trough.
Daughter-in-law no 1 did puja;she habitually took
Arthi with camphor and incense, worshipped
the behind where the tail started, the dung shitting place, where the goddess Lakshmi resides.
. How she loved it, to feed it Agathi Keerai and to circum-ambulate.
The dung was used to make Cobal Gas which reached the kitchen in pipes.
Harvest festival of Pongal, was for worshipping the cows, buffaloes and goats, and the cows were brought to the courtyard, with painted horns and mock-silver anklets,Hara Rama beads, circum-ambulated the wood-brick-stove cooked January rice
Hara Rama beads, circum-ambulated,the wood-brick-stove, cooked jaggery rice was given as parsad.
. Pampered. Prior to the festival, cowdung gods flaunted flowers.
Early dawn,the courtyard was prepared for the festival, topography with special pointers marked for the girl
of the house, the hierarchy of daughters-in-law vied with her to draw the kolam; a rice flour art work
with loops and dots marking the Sun Lord’s chariot.
Grandma and little uncle had four chicken coops for raisiing broiler chickens.
When the floods came the chickens drowned, but the cattle were walked to a higher place.
Servants and vendors dared walk in only through the side gate. The long queue was for buying thick butter-milk. Drumstick-trees, mangoes, giant limes, guavas,
chicki, were on the inner side of the compound. Parijatha, Ixora, Nandiayvatta, Arali,
Harshinga were for the gods.
Gradma had a farm, a few furlongs away, where the well was full, always.
Beans and guords, intertwined and every two or three days, we had lady's finger and brinjal;
I tagged along with her to this ‘Karamb.’
Inside the house was an inner courtyard, where uncles sat in short-shorts while their wives (respective)
rubbed gingilli oil on their bodies for the ritual oil bath.
I vowed never to marry if this was one of the wife’s duties , little realizing they enjoyed it.
Now there are flats here and the well is never full.
I formatted and did minor edits of spelling and syntax
-
- Posts: 1168
- Joined: 14 May 2011, 20:30
Re: The Courtyard of the Big House, Mambalam
Kenneth
Thanks for working on the poem. This poem is not yet ready for nomination and much work has to be done. I will take your workshopping as base and work on it privately,and when I am ready I will post it on the forum.
Siva
Thanks for working on the poem. This poem is not yet ready for nomination and much work has to be done. I will take your workshopping as base and work on it privately,and when I am ready I will post it on the forum.
Siva
-
- Posts: 1168
- Joined: 14 May 2011, 20:30
Re: The Courtyard of the Big House, Mambalam
Kenneth
Maybe I will repost in November.But thank you for your interest,which has made me stick to it.
Siva
Maybe I will repost in November.But thank you for your interest,which has made me stick to it.
Siva
-
- Posts: 1619
- Joined: 01 Jun 2008, 09:17