THE AWAKENING

Amidst the cool sands of the desert night

Beneath the glittering all encompassing skies,

The melodious dohas float out clear and strong

Into the crisp, chilly night air that so embalms;

The dhol picks up the rhythm of the songs,

As the Rabaarans loose their restraint and sway along

Lost in the magic of the Garbaa dance throng



Darkly tanned, the Rabaaris in the firelight faintly glow

In their garb of pure white and rainbow hued native clothes;

The dhoti thin, wraps around sinewy legs so strong

While the frock like kediyu lends them mystic aplomb,

Colorful bandhani turbans sit snug and proud

Large whiskers adorn almost every manly mouth

While gold studs gleam in earlobes large and proud



One pretty damsel, lissome, striking and bold

Twirls around in supple, sensuous, assured folds

Bedecked arms swing with abandon and avidly invite

Her bronzed bare back glistens in the leaping firelight,

Mouth parted, breath escaping in sensual soft moans

As her eyes dart again and again to that young Rabaari,

Who spills magic from the songs he so skillfully intones



Lost to her overtures and the world he is, as eyes closed

The rhythm of the dance with the dhol he deftly picks,

Slowly, impishly she dances nearer as he sings

And with a movement deft, spills artfully at his feet

Jingling with tinkle bells, her silver anklet so swift;

The jangle invades and startled eyes fly open

As he sees that brazen invite lying there out in the open



A flush deep fills his gentle face, as falters he

In his tales of folk and lore of yester days

Standing on the sands before him tall and wild

Is a vision, soaked in perspiration drenched blouse

Lifting the mirror edged border of the ghaghra she wears

Her bare foot she arches in a circle over the cool sands

To finally rest, in front of that discarded anklet bell…



As he lifts his eyes to look in to her glowing face

He encounters her soft seductive knowing gaze,

With trembling hands the young naïve lad does then

Pick up the anklet to tie it back on her ankle now bare;

A brush of fingers on the skin so damp and soft

Sets ablaze a myriad of passions in his heart till now pure

As awakens a boy to manhood in that fleeting instant for sure!

As awakens a boy to manhood in that fleeting instant so strong




~Glowing Embers~

· Dohas folk songs of Gujarat

· Dhol a type of drum

· Rabaarans female nomad of Kutch

· Rabaari male nomad of Kutch

· Garbaa folk dance of Gujarat where women form a circle and dance

· Kediyu a frock like top half of a native man’s attire

· Bandhani a tie and die print (specialty of Gujarat)

· Odhni a stole worn over a skirt (ghaghara)

· Ghaghara a flared skirt intricately embroidered with mirrors

~*~*~*~*~