A Chorus of Horns, Brahma of Om
Brahma cow horns
Brahma cow horns
silently saluting Devi cow goddess
silently saluting Devi cow goddess
wet chocolate bulging eyes
wet chocolate bulging eyes
calmly closing,
calmly closing,
opening,
opening,
while frenetic waves of wooden rickshaws
while frenetic waves of wooden rickshaws
budget cars
budget cars
white vans
white vans
psychedelic painted busses
psychedelic painted busses
pickup trucks with 35 people hanging on
pickup trucks with 35 people hanging on
crawl and whiz past,
crawl and whiz past,
chirping
chirping
belching:
belching:
dha dhin dhin dha, dha dhin dhin dha
da tin tin na, dha dhin dhin dha
the music of horns
the music of horns
beeping,
beeping,
short staccato honking
short staccato honking
treble bewailing cacophony-
treble bewailing cacophony-
school’s out!
school’s out!
“hey kid! look, no hands!”
“hey kid! look, no hands!”
bicyclists delivering mustard flowers
bicyclists delivering mustard flowers
weaving in and out
weaving in and out
throughout this constant parade of sound and color,
throughout this constant parade of sound and color,
these mystical Indian roads
these mystical Indian roads
where in solitary calm
where in solitary calm
holy cows loiter about
holy cows loiter about
passive and unmoving,
passive and unmoving,
sprawled solemn Gandhis
sprawled solemn Gandhis
oblivious to the bebop symphony enveloping us all:
oblivious to the bebop symphony enveloping us all:
scata- tip-tip tat!
dip deeeeeeeep-ta dhat!
beeeeeep!!!
and motorbikes
and motorbikes
dart
dart
weave
weave
in
in
then out,
then out,
no fear,
no fear,
biker’s hair
biker’s hair
brains
brains
blowing all directions,
blowing all directions,
while even more midget cars
while even more midget cars
and scooters
and scooters
wait their chance to lurch out
wait their chance to lurch out
from some long-forgotten side street,
from some long-forgotten side street,
beggars hands or stumps reaching through any open windows,
beggars hands or stumps reaching through any open windows,
the chorus of horns
the chorus of horns
flying purple kites:
flying purple kites:
dhat dhat dhat!
dhat dhat dhat!
meanwhile, oh our punching bag earth,
meanwhile, oh our punching bag earth,
holes
holes
ditches
ditches
Ayurvedic streets choking in permanent repair,
Ayurvedic streets choking in permanent repair,
anarchy construction company out to lunch,
anarchy construction company out to lunch,
truck drivers bloodied and turbaned,
truck drivers bloodied and turbaned,
teawalas and street workers gesticulating
teawalas and street workers gesticulating
hands and feet busy with life living,
hands and feet busy with life living,
some heading for Kerala rice or Punjabi yellow mustard fields
some heading for Kerala rice or Punjabi yellow mustard fields
dodging off this constant passionate way of life,
dodging off this constant passionate way of life,
the ringing of horns
the ringing of horns
flashing,
flashing,
cutting like knives,
cutting like knives,
blinding white light
blinding white light
multidirectional 23 entrances
multidirectional 23 entrances
all converging at once:
all converging at once:
dhaaaat! tat! ata tat!
whizzzzz-beep! beep!
tooooooot-toooooot!
lekin, you Holy Cows
lekin, you Holy Cows
from Rigveda verses
from Rigveda verses
are here to save us all from
are here to save us all from
these battery charged clarions:
these battery charged clarions:
you who are hip and indifferent,
you who are hip and indifferent,
you enduring bovines chewing on wisdom,
you enduring bovines chewing on wisdom,
you heroic Hindu horn blowers
you heroic Hindu horn blowers
who come to teach the rest of us
who come to teach the rest of us
to practice your non-violent examples of passive resistance,
to practice your non-violent examples of passive resistance,
devotional acts of civil disobedience,
devotional acts of civil disobedience,
dignified and honorable
dignified and honorable
valiant and emphatic
valiant and emphatic
amid this world's turbulent ocean
amid this world's turbulent ocean
buoyed about with these uncertain trumpets from hell!
buoyed about with these uncertain trumpets from hell!
1/1/05
1/1/05