I am a subhuman,
living in stupor-
when you live
in a land of goats
you are unable to read signs-
Night appears to be sizzling
with light
while Day lurches under cover of darkness-
this happens
when you live with goats
in a goat-land….
at night which originally is a day
you find hollowed, murdered words
lying like famished humans of the Bengal Famine-
you find hollow-men brawling
in talk shows of spicy politics-
and you can’t smell apocalypse with a blocked nose
while bridges collapse and fire consumes traders-
yet you are clueless-
you mistake the scimitar for a moon-
and write poems-on a breezy day
which actually is the blackest of nights-
this is because
you live with goats
in the goat-land.
Posted for Susan’s Midweek Motif ~ Evidence/Clues @ Poets United
&
Sharing with dVerse Open Link Night #228
sumanar/lekha 
Such an enigmatic write – superb
THIS is wonderful! Not smelling apocalypse with a blocked nose is brilliant! A fabulous poem, Sumana. We are all living with goats these days.
If stuper is human–to be subhuman is maybe closer to nature? Not if it’s as you depict the goats! I actually spent a while looking up the mythology of goats, but found no CLUES (haha), so I’m thinking you are referring to herding rather than having human-like capacity for perception and all that follows. This resonates so much: “you find hollowed, murdered words / lying like famished humans.” What can we feed on, with no scenses and when we “mistake the scimitar for a moon”? When we don’t know day from night? Maybe becoming sub-human in this way will be a mercy as the deluge begins? Hollowness, the hollow land of hollow humans–“hollow” sounds like what it is.
Well, the part of world where I live is a goat-land ruled by the goats and for the goats. Goats – literal, no symbol intending. Things happening here is just beyond imagination. Morning is darker than nights, here, specially in West Bengal. Government apathy to distress is so appalling! Ugh!!!!
Wonderful poem, Sumana.
Do you think goats confuse things? Your poem made me wonder?
Yes maybe the state of [cluelessness] is because the goats have eaten all the signboards
Thanks for dropping by my blog today Sumana
❤much love💛
This is thought provoking Sumana. Lovely writing!
Wow. To live in the land of real goats. Maybe the goats have eaten the signs? A thought provoking write.
Love “you can’t smell apocalypse with a blocked nose”. I have had little interaction with goats. I am sure we’d butt heads.
A searing and evocative write! I love these lines, especially:
“and you can’t smell apocalypse with a blocked nose
while bridges collapse and fire consumes traders-“
I can well understand you writing this following the recent disastrouse events in India, made worse by human error.
Oh my goodness Sumana.. this is now one of my favourites! Timely, incisive …loved it! The kind of poem I wish I could write!!
“and you can’t smell apocalypse with a blocked nose
while bridges collapse and fire consumes traders-”
Spectacular write, Sumana!
I like the emptyness of goat land.
What a cultural snapshot. Thanks for sharing
In the Land of Goats, in the Land Before Goats… I feel I’m recalling the title of a film?! It’s so evocative… here in Cambridge I could call it the land of grazing sheep!
There is such a wonderful rhythm to this poem. I liked the contrasts of night sizzling and day lurching…
Thank you for your comments on mine x
Gosh Sumana, you paint a very strong vision here. A very stimulating read… Thank you
So good this – like others – liked the ‘you can’t smell apocalypse with a blocked nose’ line but- also liked “you mistake the scimitar for a moon-/ and write poems-on a breezy day” which is actually the blackest night. Who says poetry has nothing to say? Passionate, committed, bravo.
A land of goats we have here as well…politics especially creates
stubborn irrational decisions not made for the betterment of all, but rather for the already rich few. Such stark imagery in your poem.
This is so powerful–both evocative and dream-like. I would single out the same lines others have mentioned–“”you can’t smell apocalypse with a blocked nose” and “you mistake the scimitar for a moon”–but really the whole thing–this land of goats.
that is an absolute stellar write. really like the analogy and how you strew the images in
I like the continual reference to goats and these lines: “you find hollow-men brawling
in talk shows of spicy politics”
Graphic and disturbing. Indeed there are those in power who give goats a bad name.
I agree, this is an outstanding write Sumana. Love the images of living in the goat land.
Wow…what an evocative poem ripe with imagery and beauty. I can only imagine what living with goats in a goat land must be like. Your words are deep, poignant and emotionally stirring. A tremendously beautiful poem.
A land of goats for me is like a land of donkeys—a poor place. Poor people are always the ones who live in darkness and who are relegated to joke status by the men who talk politics on the TV. Very visual poem.
This is my absolute favorite from you… the goat can represent so much not least with darkness… Maybe we need to be on our guards for the scimitars of evil.
A wonderful poem!
My goodness, I think this is powerful. Bleating truth to power. I encourage you to keep right on “write poems-on a breezy day”
Otherwise the goats win. Wishing you every blessing and admire your courage.
Your repetition here….as you weave us through the living with you. A wonderful write.