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Siesta (poem)

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"Siesta" is one of the best known poems of Shampa Sinha, the Indian born Australian poet. The poem won First Prize in the Fifth All India Poetry Competition conducted by The Poetry Society (India) in 1993. The poem was the second major award winning work of Shampa Sinha after she won the Best Young Poet award at the Third National Poetry Competition in 1991.

Contents

Excerpts from the poem

After lunchwhen the files had ceased buzzingover the food-littered floorand the air was still and heavywhen only the soft plopof drops from a leaky tapbroke the quietmy wrinkled grandmotherwould ask me to combher long wet hairand as the comb furrowedthrough the dark shining massand the smell of her coconut hair oilher lips would tell meof how an illiterate peasanthad obtained the gift of rhymesfrom the Goddess Saraswatiof how the new-born Krishnaescaped the wrath of a jealous kingI would look onwith sleep-drunk eyesas she recited Sanskrit versein a grating sandpapery voiceand when her eyes closed in comfortand her breathing became as rhythmicas the poetry she had chantedthrough the long lazy afternoon,I would tiptoeUp to the old wall clockto seeif time had stopped.

Comments and criticism

Shampa Sinha wrote the poem when she was a 22-year-old student. The poem has received rave reviews since its first publication in 1994 in the book Voices of the Future. The poem has been frequently quoted in scholarly analysis of contemporary Indian English Poetry. The poem is regarded by critics as a jewel in contemporary Indian poetry.

References

Siesta (poem) Wikipedia