Taming The Bull Poem by Prathibha Nandakumar

Taming The Bull



The whip and rope are necessary,
Else he might stray off down some dusty road.
Being well trained,
he becomes naturally gentle.
Then, unfettered, he obeys his master.
-Chinese master Kakuan



This is the time to use the whip

To lynch and show what it is to
Go stark naked, without even the skin.
Red blood dripping covers the canvas
I am a woman only till I bleed
You have no use of me, when I don’t

In fact, to stray off down some dusty road
was not what I was hoping for
Until you brought the rope and the whip
To train me
I do not become gentle, my master
I do not obey you or anybody
I am fettered. They told you to
Hold the nose-ring tight and do not allow even a doubt.
You should know better.

PS All this for the bull
and I am no bull!

COMMENTS OF THE POEM
Ivan Donn Carswell 20 February 2008

Prathibha - the metaphor is sustained none-the-less. You are not a woman on a rope - no bull indeed. Well stated. Rgds, Ivan

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