Bhuvaneśvarī
In the dark cavern
older than knowing, I
asked her, my Queen, what
the measure of this world?
Rose from her left
palm a black thunder moon,
thrilled an arc in the air, set
bright in her right.
I was
before I was.
First things first, I
devoured her sigils, ह्रींhrīṃ
ॐoṃ, her thresholdic runes.
Rolled up the matrix
like a carpet, closed
the space between us.
It is what it is — she
threw back her head.
It is what it is — she
knocked on my chest.
It is what it is — and
we have things to do.
Kanya Kanchana is a poet and translator from India engaged in practice, teaching, and Sanskrit philological research at the intersection of tantra and yoga. Her work has appeared in POETRY, Asymptote, The Common, Exchanges, Waxwing, Muse India, and elsewhere. Her poetry was shortlisted for the 2019 Disquiet Prize.
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