Scribd Logo
Upload

Welcome to Scribd!

  • 06 Soul Bird

    Uploaded by

    Raga Suresh
    486 views2 pages
    The poem describes a hawk circling above a fresh mound where a burial has taken place. The mourners have departed except for the grandmother, who watches the hawk intently. When the hawk emits an unearthly sound, the grandmother believes it is the soul of the deceased mother saying goodbye. She tells the narrator that the circling hawk is their mother's soul, bidding its final farewell before departing. In ancient Ao-Naga religion, it is believed that when someone dies, their soul takes the form of an animal like a bird to say goodbye one last time.

    Original Description:

    soul bird

    Original Title

    06-soul-bird

    Copyright

    © © All Rights Reserved

    Available Formats

    PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Did you find this document useful?

    Is this content inappropriate?

    Report this Document
    The poem describes a hawk circling above a fresh mound where a burial has taken place. The mourners have departed except for the grandmother, who watches the hawk intently. When the hawk emits an unearthly sound, the grandmother believes it is the soul of the deceased mother saying goodbye. She tells the narrator that the circling hawk is their mother's soul, bidding its final farewell before departing. In ancient Ao-Naga religion, it is believed that when someone dies, their soul takes the form of an animal like a bird to say goodbye one last time.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
    Download as pdf or txt
    486 views2 pages

    06 Soul Bird

    Uploaded by

    Raga Suresh
    The poem describes a hawk circling above a fresh mound where a burial has taken place. The mourners have departed except for the grandmother, who watches the hawk intently. When the hawk emits an unearthly sound, the grandmother believes it is the soul of the deceased mother saying goodbye. She tells the narrator that the circling hawk is their mother's soul, bidding its final farewell before departing. In ancient Ao-Naga religion, it is believed that when someone dies, their soul takes the form of an animal like a bird to say goodbye one last time.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 2

    Soul-birdi

    They are chanting prayers,


    But I watch a lonely hawk
    Soaring
    Amidst the swirling blue.

    Wings darken
    The whiteness
    Of the rushing clouds.

    It moves in hesitant circles


    Emitting an unearthly sound,
    Hawk-eyes seemingly riveted
    On the mound below,
    Fenced in
    By newly-cut bamboo.

    The mourners depart


    From this obscure bit
    Of disturbed earth.

    But grandmother clings


    To the new-made barrier
    Guarding the fresh mound,
    Until her grieving heart
    Senses a presence
    Hovering in the sky.

    She turned her gaze,


    Red-rimmed eyes
    Settled on the circling silhouette,
    And then with a sudden
    Unseemly whoop
    She draws me closer
    Whispering in my ear,

    'See that keening bird in the sky?


    That's your mother's soul
    Saying her final goodbye,

    It is over
    Come, Let us go home now.'

    By Temsula Ao
    i
    In ancient Ao-Naga religion there is a belief that when a person dies, the soul takes the shape of a bird, an insect
    or sometimes even a caterpillar. The sighting of birds, especially of hawks, is considered to be the last appearance
    of the loved one on earth.

    You might also like