I’ll not talk to you anymore of that sea

by Gopikrishnan Kottoor (January 2016)

I’ll not talk to you anymore of that sea,

Or of mighty things, that overpower us with such lightness.

Perhaps that blue cannot be explained. It has a density

Of the salt of kisses, that come back again and again

With its circling memory of fishes. 

I’ll not want you to dance to that tune

Of rain that wants the rainbow to bend,

And yield, all her naked fruit like a woman in love.

It is better to hide, it is better to hide,

What I have for you,  that you know I have

And pretend you know you won’t know, nor will ever find.

Call it what you want to, call it a covered flame,

That burns the heart and pretends it was just a game.

But I’ll still call it the sea, the blue sea, the sea I’ll no longer

Talk to you about, nor wonder if you’ll even care

For you have put me down, with the salt of kisses

Covered me in flames,

And set me in that sea, in the circle of your quiet fishes.

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Gopikrishnan Kottoor recently brought out his eleventh collection of poems, Tell Me Neruda. He’ll shortly bring out his novel Hill House. He is working on his fourth play, King Marthandavarma and Devasahayam, set in the socio historic context, Kerala, South India, that focuses on the life and times of a Hindu nobleman executed by the king for his conversion to Christianity.

Kottoor’s awards for poetry include the All India Poetry Society- British Council Special  Prize for poetry. He won three more leading awards of the All India Poetry Society- British Council Poetry Competitions from 95 to 98. His poetry has appeared in Bloodaxe, Fulcrum, Orbis, Ariel, Plaza, Toronto Review, and other magazines. He edits the poetry ezine  www.undergroundflowers.com, a poetry quarterly. His book of poems Father, Wake in Passing, translated into German, was read on invitation across universities in Europe.

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