Weavings
Billie Dee and Neena Singh
rose-laced dawn
a young girl sweeping petals
from the courtyard
old narrow bed
our parents sleep entwined
Ganga ghat
the barefoot cobbler
with crossed legs
a rickshaw puller
wipes his sweat
city din
festival tuk-tuk
my driver's betel-stained teeth
Vedic chants
weaving prayers in one thread
a garland of marigolds
__________
Judge's Comments: A rich cultural context weaves itself into this rengay, adding an exotic flavor for North American readers. The first two verses might at first seem to be possible anywhere, focusing on entwinings. But from the third verse on, readers know we are in India, which makes us reconsider the location of the first two verses. We experience temples, transportation devices, and religious chants, each one further developing the theme of things woven together. The dawn is laced with color, parents wrap themselves together in bed, legs are crossed, the city's din envelops a sweating worker, teeth are stained, and prayers weave themselves into a garland of flowers. This rengay weaves us into its world.
—Michael Dylan Welsh
Frogpond 45.3, Autumn 2022
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