Kalam Painters Seen In A Dream

by Anuradha Vijayakrishnan

First they spun out
deep nests of yellow and white lines
on the ground
then poured in colour after colour
till there was enough to start a fire

Around this in a circle they planted
young green torches
with slim waists orange hair and so tall they
went right through the sky

For red they chose the red of demon's tongues
and children's blood
and some of the red that hides in the heart
of the angry woman and the laughing woman
mixed with a few drops of the tangy red
that drips from ripped out heads and fresh hibiscus flowers

For brown they picked the many shades that nestle
in the sandy footprints
of sleepless homeless fable tellers
For blue they mixed pure light into sweet simple poison
and for black they closed their eyes

Then they let the sun set and
without mercy
lit a thousand lamps unleashed a thousand hungry drums
Waved their long arms once
and drew us into their night

to join the hungry dance of gods