The Taste of Earth - Poetry by A. Ayyappan (as translated by Sri Koyamparambath Satchidanandan)

The Taste of Earth - Poetry by A. Ayyappan (as translated by Sri Koyamparambath Satchidanandan)

The Taste of Earth

I am the desert dreaming of oases.

a dream for those who condemn

my scorching sands.

When the forests bloom

and rain arrives on the green earth,

when snow falls on the mountains,

I remain the burning earth.

I am the fever of the sun

not cooled by moonlight.

Remembering  the  rain,

I become the butcher’s laughter.

I too love flowers,

But not the  rain.

Its chill is a curse;

it’ll put out my fire.

Those who have travelled

from  the Sahara to the sea

know the taste of my heat.