Bree Alexander: 'In गति'
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In Gati
Bree Alexander reading ‘In Gati’
The first sensation of गति, my आज़ादी
rolling out, humming away
the rush to get here is washed away
the दिल्ली buzz, the crowd, the smog
I am stripped of it all as I lay my sheets down
stretch my body out, legs bent
लंबे लोग weren’t made for this bed
as the gentle side to side motion begins
rocking in crescendo as we glide forward, onward
the gentle sway, mesmerising dance
that will go on for days
that drives me to meditate, into an altered state
brings me into a शांत place with my प्यार
for this compact space, this flow, this flux
that will see me embrace my dreamscape
release my clenched fists, my downward gaze
let it all go, a state of calm,
I surrender, let the गति take me
this solace in stillness I cannot taste
only ज़िंदगी in गति will see me sleep so deeply
as time and space take on another meaning
hours later when I wake, opposite me
auntie and uncle are seated खाना ready
packed and wrapped, they release their चपाती
सब्ज़ी in one टिफिन with another for अचार
my stomach is jumping, I lift my body slowly
feeling in my bag for foil, undo the पराठा
that मेरे दोस्त had prepared at 3 o'clock that morning
You can’t take a train trip without खाना!
their fine work still holds warmth, rolled with their care
I tear away small pieces, wanting to savour it all
as I ruminate on धनिया, हरी मिर्च, आलू and गोबी
the मसाला of the आम का अचार made by रितु की मम्मी
I close my eyes, see the flavours all the more intensely
before I wrap it up, curl up once more
finding my dreamscape once more, captured
in a state of surrender, only in गति
Transliteration and translation
| Word/phrase | Transliteration | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| गति | gati | motion |
| आज़ादी | āzādī | freedom |
| दिल्ली | dillī | Delhi |
| लंबे लोग | lambe lōg | tall |
| शांत | śānt | peaceful |
| प्यार | pyār | love |
| परदेशी | paradēśī | foreigner |
| ज़िंदगी | zindagī | life |
| खाना | khānā | food |
| चपाती | chapātī | A flat bread from the subcontinent |
| सब्ज़ी | sabzī | vegetable |
| टिफिन | ṭiphin | tiffin – a metal lunchbox |
| अचार | achār | pickle |
| पराठा | parāṭhā | layered version of चपाती madewith oil |
| मेरे दोस्त | mērē dōst | my friends |
| धनिया | dhaniyā | coriander |
| हरी मिर्च | harī mirch | green chilli |
| आलू | ālū | potato |
| गोबी | gōbī | cauliflower |
Bree Alexander (also Lika Posamari) is a multi-form Australian writer whose work has appeared with Eureka Street and Westerly, among others. She studied for a semester in Delhi in 2015 and continues to learn Hindi as she spends significant time in northern India. She was shortlisted for the Overland Fair Australia Prize 2018 (NTEU category) and she is the author of a poetry chapbook The eye as it inhales onions (in case of emergency press, 2018). She tweets sporadically @LaBree_A and blogs (mostly about films) at Roundly in the Eye.