While getting out and gazing alone
The half-naked earth before, becomes her self
The interior of her home is arranged accordingly
Outwardly she is always that Malabar lass
Temple bells and shades of the sacred grove
Provincial river and primal trees formed the garden of childhood
Internalizing the lone boat revealed by the river
To stay still in solitude on the bank
And crossing so many whirlpools to sit alone
In her room that is rowing nearby
Moonlight and the toads of darker love
Black cobras crawling on the body
Shady blue clouds and charred hilltop
Songs from the shrine and the walkways of the specter
If an isolated wench on the other side of the river
She would engulf the male to her bosom on this side
She has drawn and painted each of these restless resonances
In uncountable hues and textures
Intense yearnings are rendered into carnivals
Never adorned the breeze-damped hair tip with petals
In a suppressed sob she spread the lilacs
To moonlight with the touch of cosmic essence
As the feeling of the self dispossessed her
The enlightening who deluged her
Even when the kids, the lone kite and the moonlit path
And the trees search for her in distance.
(A sojourn through the paintings of T K Padmini (1940-1969))
Translated from Malayalam by Ajay Sekher