Lean Kalli mé ar feadh ocht míle
go dtí an margadh, ionad trádála na mbó:
ainmhithe á ndíol mar dhaoir.
Beithígh gabhair bulláin camaill . . .
Dubh álainn agus sé bliana d’aois a bhí Kalli
an aois ab fhearr le bheith i do bhuabhall uisce.
Seasc a bhí sí. Chuir sí in aghaidh na dtarbh faoi mar
go raibh beartaithe aici nach mbeadh sí torrach arís.
Thar ár n-acmhainn, bheartaigh m’athair
ar í a dhíol. Thuig Kalli an scéal, measaim
ghéill dom agus mé á treorú
le slabhra cruach, ceann an tslabhra im’ ghlac
An ceann eile timpeall a muiníl.
Cúig bliana déag a bhíos. Ní raibh sí neirbhíseach
a thuilleadh tar éis dúinn dul isteach sa mhargadh
agus a n-áit féin ag díoltóirí ann
Ar nós na bhfógraí pósta
ar leathanach mór seachtanáin.
Shuigh Kalli agus gan aon mhothú le léamh uirthi
mar aiséiteach a bhí gar do nirbheána.
Shuíos sheasas shiúlas timpeall mar lao
ar deineadh faillí air. Níor cheannaigh éinne Kalli.
Lean sí mé an bóthar ocht míle abhaile
is ní raibh ceist ar bith ina súile.
Ní raibh a fhios agam an brón nó áthas
a bhí ar m’athair Kalli a fheiscint arís. D’fhéach
sé uirthi, sin an méid, mar dhuine den teaghlach
a chaill an traein.
Ajmer Rode
Kalli
Kalli followed me 8 miles
to the market where cattle were traded
or sold like slaves.
Cows goats bullocks camels . . .
Kalli was black beautiful and six
the prime age for a water buffalo.
She was dry. Repelled bulls as if she had
decided not to get pregnant again.
Hard to afford, my father decided
to sell her. Kalli seemed to understand.
She obeyed as I led her
by the steel chain, one end in my hand
the other around her neck.
I was fifteen. Her nervousness was over
soon after we entered the market
where sellers occupied
their given spaces like matrimonials
on a large weekly page.
Kalli sat with no emotion on her face
like an ascetic close to nirvana.
I sat stood walked around like a
neglected calf. No body bought Kalli.
She followed me 8 miles back home
with no questions in her eyes.
I wasn’t sure if my father was sad
or glad to see Kalli back. He just
looked at her like a family member
who had missed the train.
