Kamala Das / Madhavikutty (1934-2009)

[Famous works: Sirens, The summer in Calcutta, Everest Press, An introduction, The descendants, The old playhouse and other poems, Orient Longman, The stranger time]

I wandered lonely 

When I lost my grandmother.

In the rooms of the Naalapattu house,

I lost the earth,

When I lost my grandmother.

I lost my mother,

In my mother's hard-pressed life.

I was alone in the darkness.

Language is not my caste, 

I don't have religion.

Language is my music.

Not interested in politics.

With marriage, 

I became completely alone.

Like in the desert,

I started to wear,

The dress of the men.

The sign of strength is not crying, 

But smiling.

So I started to smile.

I was in love with light.

I searched for the light in the darkness,

But, ended up in even more darkness.

I started to love the darkness too, 

Started laughing madly in the darkness. 

Kamala's laughter.