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