like Kolatkar, between the painter’s world and the poet’s

(Kolatkar is a well-known commercial artist),

writing his “lunch poems,” crossing the streets

from Times Square to Sixth Avenue in New York

on weekdays, a cheeseburger in one hand,

Poems by Pierre Reverdy in one pocket.

Kala Ghoda, in those poems I’ve still

to read, is no less beautiful in its journey

between the Jehangir Art Gallery and the Wayside Inn.

“Neon in daylight is a / great pleasure,” says O’Hara

as he discovers its useless radiance around mid-day.

Kolatkar notes a different flame. “They’re burning

Valentine cards today,” gravely

in his deep Bombay accent, musical

with irony. And “Arvind’s begun

to look like Gurudev Tagore.” Pauses. “By

the way, will your daughter have ice cream?” My wife

gratefully accepts. Our mealtime’s not

quite over; while a half a lifetime’s work is almost

done, and remains concealed, as if it were

ingested, and coursing in the veins; and another’s

half a lifetime’s work still to begin;

no hunger, before or after lunch, is complete.

Note

Note

Two stories here are retellings—and quite personal interpretations—of episodes from the Hindu mythologies. “An Infatuation” is a retelling of an episode from the Ramayana, in which Lord Ram (often spelt Rama) is exiled to the forest for fourteen years because of a curse; he is accompanied by his brother Lakshman and his wife, Sita. Here, a rakkhoshi (the Bengali word for female rakkhosh, or rakshas in Hindi—a powerful demon), Surpanakha, falls in love with him and tries to seduce him. Ram plays along with her and then humiliates her, as the episode shows. She rushes to her brother Ravan, the king of demons, who will avenge her by abducting Ram’s wife, Sita—thus setting into motion the main action of the Ramayana. “The Wedding” is a retelling of the story of Lord Shiv’s (often spelt Shiva) wedding.