Hijab

Hijab

Those eyes refused penetration,
no trespassing they said – firm.

Those eyes – they only seemed
firm .

Those eyes,
they were wet
oscillating
avoiding
insinuating –
searching , fleeting
every part
of ether ,
except those
that had humans -
except those -
that had
desire.

Those eyes ,
those desires.

Those eyes
they seemed
to have learnt
to respond
to ordains
primordial;
respond to
unknown tribulations

Those eyes, those veils
they had unknown potentials,
and, yet seemed
so much against the very
essence of
eyes.


Those eyes,
they seemed conditioned to avoid
they were sworn – to be void
despite they being the only visible
part of her anatomy – and yeah they knew
they held magic .

And yeah
those eyes
they knew
they could also be tragic.

One look . That’s it?

All for god, all for religion, all
For what ?


Those eyes ,
they seemed to have an expertise
all their own , the more keen you
look , ( you seek , you explore )
the more elusive
they seemed .

Those eyes,
they too seek
they too yearn
they too thirst
for that one long
deep look.

They do –
unknown to others
quietly
softly
quickly
breathlessly.

Those eyes.

Those veils.

Those eyes, those veils
they were past masters
at the game – they suggested they loved to
favor nothing but the void .

Those eyes, those veils
those oaths of hypocrisy.


Those eyes, those veils
you yearned
just to arrest them (if not to own them )
the more you tried to catch them
the more elusively they managed -
to remain elusive.

Those eyes ,
they were
veil behind veils
lust behind lust
magic behind magic
leash behind leash
embattling

divinity
dignity
birth
rights
death.

Freedom


What is it about veils
that refuses unveil?


Bah ! Their promise of
hidden beauty .

Beauty behind beauty?
Bah.

Those veils ,
were like the secret
transvestite.

Afraid to reveal
afraid to hide
afraid to roam
afraid .


Those eyes , those veils
those leashed wants –
so much they themselves
yearned – for anarchy,
for free , mad, insane nudity .

Those eyes,
they knew they had the expertise.

To tantalize voyeurism
taunt taunt taunt
Sigh !

Those eyes.
those veils .


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sriram
7th Sep’08
Mahindra Hills
Sec’bad


Brief

Ref. The Hindu Dtd. Sunday literary Review
Pg 3 , ‘To Veil or not to Veil’
The Veil: Women Writers on its History , Lore, and Politics .- By Jennifer Heath , University Of California Press, 2008.