My Encounters with a Peacock | Ramu Ramanathan

my tenth encounter with the peacock

 The peacock sniffles 

Into my kerchief from Karur. 

He blows his nose in it; 

Still no effect, 

He wheezes. 

I’ve muscle cramps here, 

Pathos between my ears 

All that grief... 

I offer him Corex syrup. 

He is addicted, 

Suffers from withdrawal symptoms. 

Hello, he tells me, I am not an alcoholic. 

Saying so, he slurps two more teaspoons. 

Smacking his lips, 

He says, Corex-yum, Corex-yum, Corex-yum.

my 12th encounter with the peacock 

We watch the water buffalo

Pull a simple plough through the fields.

You know, the peacock says, I’m lucky.

If I had been slightly less pretty,

I would have been doing that work now.

                                                                                                                                             

my 20th encounter with the peacock 

Part 2 

When It was raining 

I expected the peacock to dance 

Feathers and train 

All five feet of it. 

Instead he whistles a Mohammed Rafi song 

He heard on All India Radio. 

He winks at me, 

As if to suggest, 

You human beings, you’re so full of stereotypes.