THE CAMEL
K. Satchidanandan (1946) is an Indian poet and critic, writing in Malayalam and English. A pioneer of modern poetry in Malayalam, a bilingual literary critic, playwright, editor, columnist and translator, he is the former Editor of Indian Literature journal and the former Secretary of Sahitya Akademi. He is also social advocate for secular anti-caste views, supporting causes like environment, human rights and free software and is a well known speaker on issues concerning contemporary Indian literature. He is the festival director of Kerala Literature Festival.
For Nasira Sharma
I am the ship of the desert,
the tallest offspring
of sand-dunes and dust-storms,
the vessel of dates,
the solar sea,
the endless kiss of
the cactus’s dream,
the moist prophecy
of the mirage, the brown
beauty spot of the oasis,
the tenderness of silk,
the perfume-tree of Paradise,
the minaret of prayer.
The mark the prophet left
is still on my back;
all those who rode me
are here still: traders,
emperors, slaves, aggressors,
poets: at night they steal
out of the sarcophagi and
red sand-stone palaces
buried in the desert.
Swords and armours clash;
moonlight blossoms
in the heavy torrent of screams.
I breathe history
in this sandstorm
as I await with the exiles
the distant rain and
peer into the pathways
of the caravan to see
what the new century has to offer:
in saintly detachment
like my ascetic friends
of Rajasthan.
(from 'The Arabian Nights', written after a trip to Syria with writers including Nasera Sharma)
Best wishes