‘Chalk’ a poem: Keki Daruwala

April 20, 2021 Keki Daruwala Literary Trails 0

Photo for Chalk(1)

Keki Daruwala

Chalk

as she walks to the blackboard

her brain already a coil of wire

bristling with crooked teeth,

her hair

beribboned

coat wrinkling in embarrassment

at its sheen of velvet

when she is done with scribbling

she turns from the blackboard

to stare at the counsellor who has asked

her to draw

“home,”

her eyes marked with new found horror

for her chalk had drawn

a roll of barbed wire.

******

About the cover image: 

The girl who grew up in a concentration camp was asked to draw “home” while living in a residence for disturbed children, Warsaw, 1948--Keki Daruwala

Keki Daruwala, born 1937 in Lahore Pakistan is an Indian poet and short writer. Among his notable works over the years are the poetry collection The Keeper of the Dead for which he was awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1984, the short story series The Minster for Permamnent Unrest and Other Stories 1996, Collected Poems (1970-2005) 2006 and Swerving to Solitude:Letters to Mama 2018. He was awarded Padma Sri, the fourth highest civilian award in India, in 2014. He lives in New Delhi

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