Ember Festival Poem by Konalli Rajeev Naik

EMBER FESTIVAL

Devout women walk barefoot
Across the bed of red hot coals
Holding wooden wands in their hands.
Village Goddesses are in their bodies
Sprouting the volcano in their live coal eyes.
Spherical mark vermillion foreheads
Shine with sweat bead ornaments
Knots of their charcoal dark hair
Are the resorts of flower garlands.
That Night the moon is the live coal
Twinkling stars are the glowing coals
Women smile like the sparkling red hot coals.
The emigrant market glows at the edge of the gutter
Selling plumpy balloons
And the delicate dolls for
The babies in the swinging cradle.