Poems in the Film
Translated by Pritham Chakravarthy

Salma: Night's Second Quarters Story

In those nights
After childbirth
in habitual nakedness
you search dissatisfied for
my beauty unblemished

Heavy body
Stretch marked abdomen
are extremely disgusting
you say
today and ever
never is it going to change, my body

In silent valley
is buried my voice
will murmur within

It's true
unlike any body
Is yours
In broadcasting
In exposing

Even before these
Your children, anywhere,
To anybody, could have been born
Because you bear no traces
You may be proud
What can I do
Like my demise, are
These stretch marks
Cannot be repaired easily
To cut and be restuck;
This body is no paper
More than you
Great treachery has been done
By nature to me
It is from you that began
The first stage of my defeat

More than the first quarter
Dangerous is the second quarter
When dreams invade

On the wall, peacefully
The Tiger that sat
At my headstand
Stares unblinking

Salma:
This Evening

Unlike any other time
Unable to bear
How does it become so heavy
This evening
Like soaked in wetness
Period napkins

Salma:
Agreement

Each time
What mother politely says
Sister would say with anger
In the bedroom
All that is wrong
Are mine

Every night in the bedroom
First thing that is said
‘What is it today?'
Usually, the last thing also
Would be this…

The pointing finger at prostitution
Extends from a million twinkling stars
In the shivering nights
Floating warnings

To feed the kitten
Futile cat's
Wailing child voice
Grabs at the guts
For you too
May have complaints

My stand
By time
By history
Has been clarified

From you
Even if soiled
To earn some love
The responsibility of a mother
To your child, to fulfil
To purchase from the world outside
Sanitary napkins
And condoms
For other small favours
If possible
To order you a bit
My tiny power
To stabilise

With all this knowledge
My vagina opens

Sukirtharani S:
Night Beast

Like a young woman's love-sickness
Engulfing darkness
After locking doors
In the orange candle light
I sit alone.
Then, that which I dislike
Everyday arrived
Even as I was watching
Stripping me of me
Replacing with another me
Even as I want to be shocked
The book printed with secrets
I had finished reading
My eyes light rays
On him sleeping in the front hall
Stared at his loose clothes
Cup brimming with wine
My body dived in and floated
Using dirty words
Whispering them softly
As I was masturbating
On hearing the birds' wings
Dropping me in me
Fled the night beast.

Sukirtharani:
Trees

My luscious body
Bows down like a mushroom
In front and behind
Carefully woven secret parts
Hair-ends aroused on skin
Aroma of moist fragrance of lust
From the blooming waist
Warm round cheeks
Cowries of lust
Pour and swim in the body
Now like steam
Like a street artist without makeup
Remove the front straps of the bra
Tasting the feeding ends
You are bashful to name them
My breasts music
You extend as murderous arms of war
Now in my power zone
Young breast
Sing aloud from the core
Long since my breasts have been trees.