my daughter sitting
On my shoulder
munching hot groundnuts
from a newspaper cone
I walked the temple grounds.

“trissur pooram”
a haze of colours
a symphony
so perfect
laid out for gods
gods craved from granite
some from gold.

The sun lost his luster
To the ornamented elephants
29 docile beasts.
Mammoths make me a little edgy
but then this music
infectious rhythm of the drums
That played a tune some centuries old,
The crowd was of the earth
No sophisticated airs
And it was so easy to join in
Point out the which one was “Ramasway”
And “Vasu”,
we beat invisible drums
Roared when the krishan Umbrellas were hoisted
Our hearts Washed by the music
Made pure by worship


The music was so heavenly
The golden haze reflected from the
Elephants’ ornaments magical
The pooram lovers so simple
It was enough I guess to melt
The granite and golden hearts of idol gods
I came away my heart melting
Like the sea
With waves
And a rainbow.

I don’t know when I breathe my last
But I pray.play me these drums then
And let me die with smell of the pooram grounds
Let me die with thoughts of God
And simple people, sweet music and
And an evening sky full of colourful umbrellas.