Photo taken at The Indian Caribbean Museum; Waterloo, Trinidad; March 2012
DHOTIS AND ORHNIS
Fatel Razak rode the waves of hope and recovery
To sun baked days, in fields of King Sugar and Rum
Bare footed, bison and man, worked a path roughly
Strewn, with a music; orientally, ornately, flavoured
Yards of cloth carried waves of hope and recovery
Kholed eyes of women sought wrapped men in dhotis
Humbling themselves, to tread new mud, in a country
Squelched between their toes, their grip of a culture
Of homeland old, to eschew on the way to posterity
The rotis and chokas strengthened their tired bones
And daily they aspired on waves of hope and recovery
DHOTIS AND ORHNIS © gillena cox 2016
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Form - The FOLD
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1. Today is a holiday in Trinidad and Tobago
Happy Indian Arrival Day 2016
2. Fatel Razack was the first ship to bring indentured labourers from India to Trinidad
3. The dhoti Unstitched cloths, wrapped around the waist and the legs and knotted at the waist worn by men.
4. The Orhni A veil worn by women
You've heard about the Monday Blues ❧✿❧ well this is Monday WRites (musing on the definition here of rite, as any customary observance or practice eg the rite of afternoon tea).
Welcome to Monday WRites #60, ❧✿❧ Whats your mood like today ❧✿❧ I invite you to link in with one of your WRites
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Will link also to The Tuesday Platform - Open Mic
This is absolutely gorgeous writing Gillena :D especially love the repetition of "waves of hope and recovery." Have a wonderful week ahead :D
ReplyDeleteLots of love,
Sanaa
Happy you linked in Sanaa
DeleteMuch love...
Love the country 'Squelched between their toes'! And love how much your writings teach me about your home.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you dropped in today Rosemary
DeleteMuch love...
PS I like the FOLD form, and will be sure to try it sometime soon. :-)
DeleteRosemary, i look forward to reading your 'Folds'
Deletemuch love...
I do love the use of all those words that give a cultural aspect... wonderful and magic
ReplyDeleteThanks for your appreciation Bjorn
DeleteMuch love...
Love all the new info and a new form to try sometime. "music; orientally, ornately" and "a country Squelched between their toes" are great phrases.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your appreciation Debi
DeleteMuch love...
Very colorful piece, Gillena. And I learned something about your history!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you dropped by Timoteo
DeleteMuch love...
Gillena - Love how you captured the people, music-- the culture of a place in just a few words. I've never travelled to Trinidad but you make me feel as if I'm there -- the work of a poet, beautiful. Thanks for sharing. :-)
ReplyDeleteThank you for your appreciation Stacie
ReplyDeleteMuch love...
This was a magical write - I felt like I could witness these things. Very good write, Mosk
ReplyDeleteThanks for your appreciation Buddah
ReplyDeleteMuch love...
Ah, this is an interesting form I must learn more about. Your poem is so evocative and leaves me wondering whether they achieved what they hoped when they arrived.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your appreciation Marian
DeleteMuch love...