The Maggots
At sunset, on the river bank, Krishna
Loved her for the last time and left…
That night in her husband’s arms, Radha felt
So dead that he asked, What is wrong,
Do you mind my kisses, love? and she said,
No, not at all, but thought, What is
It to the corpse if the maggots nip?
– Kamala Das (*1934)
A poem by one of India’s important writers posted for Totally Optional Prompt’s request for poetry inspired by mythology.
well i know the feeling well.. and whether or not she realizes it now or not.. it is sure to turn into revulsion….. very interesting take on the prompt…
This a power packed into a few lines; quite the metaphor for the disengaged wife and the cuckholded husband. G
Thank you both for visiting and commenting.
I quite agree with you, suburbanlife, that this is a very powerful poem.
What I find so fascinating is that the story of Krishna (the god) and his love Radha (a cowgirl or “gopi”
is thousands of years old and everyone in India is so familiar with it as if it happened yesterday.