By Shamik Banerjee
THE VILLAGE HUCKSTER
Upon the tracks of Assam's soggy soil,
She peddles from one doorstep to another.
Carrying a sling bag, she begins to toil.
Her scraggy feet -- all varicosed together.
Today, I saw her in a floundering state,
Submerged in sweat, shod in half-tattered shoes,
And haggling for the dairy in her crate --
Enslaved by mugginess -- to earn for two.
She halted at a nearby marsh with trees,
Reposed, and smeared some poultice on a heel,
Then toiled some more until the day's release
To have enough for one full, proper meal
And rest at last when all her tasks were done
While caring for her seven-year-old son.
Shamik Banerjee is a poet from Assam. He lives with his parents. Some of his latest poems have appeared in The Dirigible Balloon, New English Review, The Society of Classical Poets, and The Hypertexts.
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