Pramila Venkateswaran

2011 String Poet Prize – First Prize

Kummi Dance^*

It’s evening. Lamps are alive. Temple bells ring
as I sashay out in a bright red skirt and a zari top.
Sukanya, Radha, and Paddu run to meet me in their finery:

Skirts flying, we dance in a circle, clapping as we move
our hips, and twirl, plaits flying, steps beating
the earth awake to bells and song.

Clap, clap, clap, we dance the kummi
the whole land claps the kummi round and round.

We call our sweethearts, the ones promised to us,
to fill us with joy, more passion than we know;
soon it will be time to wear our mothers’ wisdom.

Clap, clap, clap, we dance the kummi
the whole land claps the kummi round and round.

We are birds widening the sky of earth,
feet flying, skirts barely touching the ground,
anklets ringing, faces bathed in jasmine and sweat,
breath in our bodies bursting the hooks
holding our blouses in place.

Clap, clap, clap, we dance the kummi
the whole land claps the kummi round and round.