It was really nice of Tuhina Ganguly to have sent me this poem she wrote for my blog. She is a dear friend – very cordial and humble. In my opinion these words of hers bespeak of a tension between acute aphasia on the one hand and easy volubility on the other- predicaments encountered invariably on so many occasions in life. I quite enjoyed reading it. Hope to hear from you what you feel!
STALE MEAT
“You must wrest
my words from me
As if tugging
at a fisherman’s hook
lodged in the centre of my throat
Pull at it
as you would
a foetus the wrong way around
Blood gushes forth
gurgling like a tiny stream
splattering across your chest
hot and humid
but they are only words
my words against your chest
pulling out your hair
in tufts
No! Don’t scream
they are only words
running amok, piling high
crushing you under them
my words
my words
my words
my words, rotten
my words, fresh
my words, strawberry ice cream
my words, metal against fire
my words, salt, pepper, red, blue
my words, for you
my words, my life, my last breath
my death, my redemption
and the smell of stale meat
burning at my pyre, my words
those too”
Personal Concerns 
Hmm. Can you ask her to share a little background on the poem? Nothing too detailed if she doesn’t want to, but a high-level overview of what made her write it?
Thanks so much for your interest, Puneet. I wrote this in a state of anger and restlessness, when I found that I just couldn’t articulate myself. And yet there I was surrounded by books and their beautiful assembly of words. At that moment, I both hated and loved words. And that is my usual state of mind!
Got it – I’m not a big fan of poetry (mostly because I often have trouble understanding it), but the background always helps me so thanks for sharing! 🙂
That’s a stange title for the terrific words boiling in blood all over the space. Great poem.
Ah..the ‘strange title’ Umashankar..it’s in the last line of the poem..the death of the
embodiment of words, to free me of my words, and them of me. But it’s for you to interpret however you wish to. Really heartened to see you liked it.
A very heart rendering piece! The importance of getting expressed sometimes these words are lauded,liked,they touch ..and with time these words lose their value their worth,the importance…As life moves on the importance of a being been turned into vulnerability and then into just a piece of rotten meat! metaphor rules the poem..loved its intensity.
Quite well expressed Soumya. I agree!
A very intense poem, with words full of both strength and vulnerability. Thanks for sharing Tuhina Ganguly’s poem.
thanks for the visit and the comment Munchow!
soumyav and munchow..thank you so much. I was terrified of having my poem read..Amit knows! Thank you 🙂
I will be honest.
I could not understand anything in this poem and also the poem in your previous blog post titled “Falling in Love”.
Let this not be treated as criticism but as a confession.
The fault is mine, not yours or Tuhina’s!
Regards
GV
😦 😦 😦 😦
vishvanathjee, thank you, nevertheless, for your time! Hopefully, it won’t be as cryptic the next time
and me too!!
🙂
well narrated
hello, i have nominated you for the beautiful blogger award, my post on it will be up soon. ravenswitch.wordpress.com 🙂
I am impressed by so many very creative people in the blog world! excellent poem. Thank you.
You are right. One surely meets such talents in the blogosphere, it’s amazing!
FOR TUHINA: I did not find it cryptic. Give us more.
Inspiring poem.I read it twice.Thank you for liking my new post.
Lovely! The frustration is almost visual!
interesting poem amit. may be i will dedicate a poem to you 🙂