Hari Alluri

౧| 

[follows a deer the way a breeze walks
behind an unsuspecting deer] ¹

౨|

[takes aim]²

౩|

[retrieves the guts, a fire
on the edges of her favourite time]³

౪|

[dances for and like her meal]⁴

౫|

[sets up her bedding, thanks the night
for keeping itself dry]
[is awakened by stars peaking behind
brighter stars]⁵

౬|

[ finds the rhythm of this specific cord]⁶

౭|

[names the string a name like perfect aim]⁷

౮|

[notices Ekalavya, between whittling
arrows, finger his worn
string with song]⁸

_౯|

[considers whether to smuggle the string
onto the statue’s lap or onto the next of
his arrows gone astray. Whether to walk
up to him with the string in hand or
return back to her day] ⁹

                                                                               

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

     

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1       This arrowhead 
          to the rock
          my first ancenstral
          mother struck.

2       The strands of my hair 
          the arrowhead
          now dangles
          from as amulet.

3        My lean to my mother’s lean
          before I was conceived.
          The part of the tree I lean with
          to the parts I cannot reach.

4        My elbow bend, the scar 
          it carresses, my swishing swishing
          hips. The bracelets made of wind
          I wrap around my wrists.

5        My yearning
          into this one long sash 
          two can lay on close: 
         climbing from knee: over-
          flowing shoulder: back to waist.
          The sash’s fold like a lover’s ear
          at the tickle in my neck.

6       This deer gut string I sing
          toward its own
          accumulated chorus.

7       The impression my teeth bite into this loop.

8       When strung, the bracing
          required, drawn over the hook,
          a contract: tree to animal,
          like breath. The need to stay
          attached, the need to flee.
          The muscles built to curl
          protection around a fawn.

9       The torque at bow. And arrowhead
          at contact point
          where flying ends. The hesitation
          transfer, automatic, core to cord to cord.