The Serpent Dance

The Serpent Dance

The nightingale has stopped humming a soulful note,
It has flown away into its nest in the woods.
For a while the Moon turned silent
And the Stars stared on…

Wondering at the sight of the serpent
Who danced and sang in full glory!

“What was so beautiful about the night
That the serpent danced and moved gaily?”
The moon thought and stood silently.
The night seemed silent as frozen ice –
Still, motionless, and dark.

Not a leaf fluttered, not a soul moved,
Not a child cried, not a mother fed,
Not a dog barked, not a cow moaned,
Not a soul peeped, not a life showed,
Not a beloved kissed, not a rose bloomed;
The night was dark, the Moon was still
But the serpent danced on…!

Shaking its long, thin oily skinny body
Boneless, yet firm, the Serpent moved
Yet, seemed restless even in a
Motionless state, stopping by the woods,
Leaping forth and then again back, watched
The frozen owl, whose eyes even failed to look into
The darkness that only demurred about its own
Existence! The night, still strong and dark crawled...
The serpent smiled, opening its bleak mouth
Dancing, moving, not fearing the night,
As the Moon watched silently,
And the stars stood in awe!

The beats were strong, the anger vile
The movements were fast and the eyes dreadful
The breath was furious, the cry was of lament
And pain; but anger burst out like flames
As the leaves beneath the body crushed and
Failed to breathe, the ground too shook
As the movement quickened!

Was it the cry of pain, or a dirge or of birth?
Or a reluctant chant if that wasn’t made
To be heard in the dark night.
Was it a dance of vengeance, or of merriment?
Was it a mere movement – frozen and cold, and motionless!

The serpent danced again, looking forth and back
Climbed up a branch, fell back on the motionless earth
Where the owl shut her eyes again, and the Moon and
Star watched silently, in this still, dark, soulless night.

Soon the serpent circled into a den,
Watched by the Moon and the Star;
While the owl still faked to sleep
Its eyes shut in fright, motionless, frozen by the night

The Serpent leapt forward into a den…
Where lights could not pierce the walls and
Cross the protected shell…

The ground beneath ferociously trembled
Fire unearthed, spread around the surface,
The owl couched itself further under the cover of the leaves
Its eyes still shut, while the Moon and the Star looked in awe!

The circled Serpent again, moved out
Dancing merrily back and forth, moving freely and celebrating life!
A new life, with a new silky skin, shimmering under the
Moonlit and starry night;
More vibrant, more jubilant
With new births of many more eggs that
Are yet to be unbounded and fiercely protected!

The Serpent danced, gracefully now, circled round, and again
Leapt into the den, where no lights could cross,
Only the Moon and the Star shimmered in the night sky
As leaves fluttered, as motionless silent faded…!
RAJDEEP PATHAK
March 30, 2010


Word - Meaning
demur – express doubts
vile – evil
dirge – funeral song

The Heart's Beat

Nine months inside the womb
She struggled to move out
From those protected walls
That kept her safe from heat and dust.

She moved, she kicked & she turned,
In her shell she made all the fun;
Together she and her mother smiled
As each day past by
As each day she grew strong
As each day her heart beat
Faster than ever before!

Each day she desired
To be with her mother
Each day she wished
Her mother touch her,
Her mother felt her,
Her mother fed her,
Giving the warmth of the bosom!!!

Finally, the time came when
She felt the urge to come out
Pulled out by the local old nurse –
Whose traditional hands has
Cut many a cord, giving
A breath of life to a new life!

She was out from the shell that
Kept her safe and secure
To the world of heat and dust
Of life and death!

The first cry relieved her anguish
From inside the womb to
A world that she silently looked into
Her little bright eyes, now wandered
As she moved her tiny frail fingers
To catch the worldly bliss!

She waited and her mother too
Felt her warmth in her bosom
Her little hands felt her too
And she looked and wandered; again!
Each smile greeted her,
Each face, she brightened up
Each hand caressed her,
Each pulse felt her
Each eyes envied her!

She was in the world where
She wanted to be, her mother’s
Protected arms…
Her bosom giving the warmth
That she urged long from
Within the womb!

Now she lay in peace
As little heartbeats filled the space around!
Her eyes closed in sleep, her hands still
Feeling the beats of her mother’s bosom
The same peace was in the mother’s eyes
As she watched, smiled and closed her eyes.

Long silence; longer hours of peace
Engulfed, and calmed the tensed mother
Her daughter was in close protected nest
Out in the world, but carefully held and prevented
From the heat, sun and dust

Under the moonlight night
Carefully covered under the shimmering
Night sky, with stars twinkling and smiling
Peace! Finally, peace at heart, peace as the
Heartbeat slowed down – the warmth of the
Child and mother in union – carefully protected
By the stars and night sky;
Aware, but ignored of the morning sun
The day’s heat and the dust
From the hills blown by the wind;
In sleep, in peace, they lay…!

RAJDEEP PATHAK
March 13, 2010
ENDS#