Kali
Limbs strewn around her neck Intestines adorn her black hair Skull sets, freshly polished, jangle at her hips Kāli looks deadly in her new accessories The original ethnic, perfect in her gore Kali sways with psychedelic rock Kicking, boxing, head slashing. Kāli who lulls thousands to sleep Kāli who germinates life from stones Can’t bring herself to stop the dance of death Insatiable is her appetite, her heart wants more Like all the MNCs, Kāli is on a spree Spurts bodies for sport, grows indiscriminate, But Kāli could not stomach her husband at her feet Shakes her head with regret Kāli stops her act with immediate effect Gathers her open hair into a hasty bun, Drapes herself with a starched linen Removes her makeup and blood stains, From the hem of her garment Lowers the gaze, domesticates her gait Follows her man to his snowy residence.
Perfect Cake
How do you bake a perfect cake To lessen the guilt of too shoddy a gift, Of a party unplanned and wishes overlooked, A cake gentle on the waist line, Not the 'hey presto' ones from the instant mix packs, But one which swells with the labour of love From a pink slipped single mom. How do you beat the dough with the whisk, So that the eggs, flour, butter and sugar dissolves In a sweet dream of once upon a hearth?
Shweta Rao Garg is an artist, writer and academic. Her graphical novel on sensitizing the youth, The Tales from Campus: A Misguide to College, will be published by Crossed Arrows in September 2021. Her artwork can be viewed at www.shwetaraogarg.com
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