‘Nobody’s citizens and nobody’s slaves’: Meena Kandasamy’s poetry of resistance and solidarity

A Wild Woman on a Word Hunt

Find me another word
that is not so ready. I want
a word that waits and weeps
and hesitates, that knows
of other words I kill, and
grows afraid to take its place.

Find me a word that has heard
of a woman afraid of losing a man
she does not have, find me a word
that flinches at the thought of being
trapped, a word that shows me
stealing time, not men.

Find me a word that is not so safe.
A word for a woman in a forest
to wake up with, a woman who
knows heat and long silences
and sleepless nights, a woman
who works with only words.

Not love, dear poet.
Find me another word.

Fire Walk With Me

Come, walk with me this spring evening
Walk with me as we go past ourselves
We shall change our clothes, we shall paint our faces

Walk with me as we awaken the dead
Walk with me as we disappear into darkness
We shall lock our lips, we shall lock our thighs

Walk with me as we discard this flaming day
Walk with me through this maze of streets
We shall dance to the beat of drums
We shall move to the mad song of our bodies

Walk with me against these blinding lights
Walk with me as we watch the many night-beasts
We shall have...

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