The Long Shadow of Modi: A Litany
Sanaa -
February 22, 2021
PoetryPresent-Day Poems

We must unfetter ourselves;
go beyond many media managed meringues—
hot lemon discombobulating masses,
who knows
what’s being whipped in the name of politics?
Our world inches closer still toward its own dread,
where men violate riverbanks;
is this the inevitable order of things?

 

 

 

 

#Ladakh,
#India-China border disputes

 

Photo credits: “Citrus Time,” by Elena Klimenko, Pinterest

De is our hostess and the word is “Go.” Come join us! 🍋

Posted for Quadrille #122: Going, going, gone @ dVerse Poets Pub

62 Responses

  1. De Jackson says:
    February 23, 2021 at 4:04 am

    Such great use of alliteration here, Sanaa. And how true, in so many ways and places.

    Reply
  2. Ingrid says:
    February 23, 2021 at 4:06 am

    I hope it isn’t ‘the inevitable order of things’, but I do love the ‘many media managed meringues’ you whipped up here. Such an apt description!

    Reply
  3. Linda Lee Lyberg says:
    February 23, 2021 at 4:12 am

    Love the descriptive meringues used for media-it’s perfect Sanaa!

    Reply
  4. Laura Bloomsbury says:
    February 23, 2021 at 4:16 am

    “Our world inches closer still toward its own dread,” – very telling lines but we have been here before many times. A great take on the prompt and quite a different road you have gone!

    Reply
  5. Beverly Crawford says:
    February 23, 2021 at 4:27 am

    Things do seem a discombobulated mess, don’t they? Your poem made me smile and worry simultaneously!

    Reply
  6. Kim M. Russell says:
    February 23, 2021 at 4:28 am

    A political quadrille, Sanaa, unusual for you, and one that had me looking up Modi and the current situation in India. I admire your use of alliteration, the phrase ‘hot lemon discombobulating masses’, and the wordplay with ‘meringue’ and ‘whipped’, underneath which there is a worrying darkness, especially in the final lines.

    Reply
  7. Merril D Smith says:
    February 23, 2021 at 4:28 am

    A dash of not-Sunny today! I hope things improve, and that we’re not inching “closer still toward” our “own dread.” It’s extra scary to be close to it.
    “media managed meringues” is wonderful!

    Reply
  8. Bjorn Rudberg says:
    February 23, 2021 at 4:29 am

    It seems that men can only do good after a disaster is here…. again and again we do horrific things.

    Reply
  9. msjadeli says:
    February 23, 2021 at 4:32 am

    I really hope something extraordinary intervenes to interrupt the trajectory we find ourselves on. Plant trees is the best advice I can think of.

    Reply
  10. K.Hartless says:
    February 23, 2021 at 4:33 am

    I love the last two line of your quadrille. The ‘violated riverbanks’ stands out an amazing image.

    Reply
  11. Carol J Forrester says:
    February 23, 2021 at 4:34 am

    You run the imagery through this so well. It’s not a news story I’m familiar with (I’ve been avoiding current events a bit since it was starting to play on my anxiety quite a bit so I decided to take a break.) Fantastic choice of metaphor, meringue, sugar and air, sweet but without true substance.

    Reply
  12. Dora says:
    February 23, 2021 at 4:41 am

    “Media managed meringues” indeed! Sino-Indian relations have never been good but China is feeling a newfound confidence to violate international mores and human rights with impunity. You put it so well.

    Reply
  13. peter says:
    February 23, 2021 at 5:25 am

    Like others, a fine take on the prompt – and reminds us – when news is so monopolised by COVID – that these disputes have been going for years (1959?) – and continue – used by politicians for their dark ends. Your quadrille shines a light.

    Reply
  14. Ron. Lavalette says:
    February 23, 2021 at 5:30 am

    Fine work, well thought out, Sanaa. Loved the alliteration. I used to think that negative outcomes WEREN’T our inevitable outcome, but I’m more jaded and pessimistic these days. Awesome work.

    Reply
  15. ben Alexander says:
    February 23, 2021 at 5:37 am

    where men violate riverbanks;

    I loved this, Sanaa

    -David

    Reply
  16. rog leach says:
    February 23, 2021 at 5:55 am

    in answer with man kind involved anything inevetable!

    Reply
  17. calmkate says:
    February 23, 2021 at 6:15 am

    Skilfully crafted wordsmithing to bring attention to to the carry on which has lingered too long … that cake is going stale!

    Reply
  18. Alicia Grimshaw says:
    February 23, 2021 at 6:51 am

    You amazing me with your words.
    Great alliteration, “many media managed meringues” and yes, who knows “what’s being whipped in the name of politics?”
    Your tartness in this was spot on.

    Reply
  19. Gillena Cox says:
    February 23, 2021 at 7:21 am

    Good question. Is it i deed?

    Happy Monday Sanaa

    Stay Safe

    Much💗love

    Reply
  20. Tzvi Fievel says:
    February 23, 2021 at 7:51 am

    As a litany, perhaps, even a prayer,
    certain lines take on even more significance:
    We must unfetter ourselves,
    Our world inches closer still toward its own dread,
    Is this the inevitable order of things?
    Thank you very much.

    Reply
  21. Christine Bolton says:
    February 23, 2021 at 8:16 am

    Wonderful alliteration! You have such a way with words Sanaa and you used them so cleverly in highlighting something so important

    Reply
  22. lynn__ says:
    February 23, 2021 at 8:28 am

    I don’t trust the media meringues and politics picks some real lemons, it seems…good one, Sanaa!

    Reply
  23. Dwight Roth says:
    February 23, 2021 at 9:04 am

    I am afraid politics will be what it has always been… greedy, dirty and cutthroat! A great poem Sanaa!

    Reply
  24. Tricia Sankey says:
    February 23, 2021 at 9:59 am

    This little quadrille says a lot but I like that it ends in a question. We have to leave room for hope and a change of course in the story! 💖

    Reply
  25. Paul Cannon says:
    February 23, 2021 at 10:05 pm

    A palpable shadow, and not a singular contribution – men- and you have captured for you how that feels and impacts, but also collect how others do the very same in other contexts. A litany indeed, and you already had me at discombobulating. 🙂

    Reply
  26. Alexandra (Xan) says:
    February 23, 2021 at 10:31 pm

    Loving both the obvious alliteration, and the less obvious, like the repeated “v” in the second to last line. But that last line pulls it together with it’s absolutely perfect rhythm.

    This one demands to be read out loud.

    Reply
  27. Misky says:
    February 24, 2021 at 5:24 am

    What a brilliant use of words to tie ones tongue in knots “hot lemon discombobulating masses”.

    Reply
  28. Arcadia Maria says:
    February 24, 2021 at 7:16 am

    Great poem. Very relevant in today’s world.

    Reply
  29. Helen says:
    February 25, 2021 at 1:44 am

    Last line …. sobering. Great write, Sanaa.

    Reply
  30. Mrityunjay Dixit (Jay) says:
    February 26, 2021 at 10:13 am

    inevitable order of things is: the increasing state of disorder. Great poem, Sanaa.

    Reply
  31. Revived Writer says:
    February 27, 2021 at 2:18 am

    Wow, I really like this! This world has become a rather scary meringue. What a fascinating metaphor.

    Reply

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