Totality
Devika Brendon
Here we are, and the commodification of the source of all life begins in about two hours.
People across selected parts of the world have been planning road trips for years, to see it.
They are measuring it by its duration, and its capacity to generate income.
People vying for best
viewing position
All through the Totality
Some can see it, some only hear about it. It’s not advisable to look it full in the face.
Astrologers are interpreting it,
and here, in my carapace,
I can hardly experience it through the noise.
Inside our rented room
We take off all that covers us
for the first time
It’s taken us so many years
to get to this:
For the alignments to subtly shift
And for us to cease
the cut and thrust
and find the fit
We are supposed to rest:
To shelter in place
Refrain from strenuous activity
Or impulsive action:
to light no spark.
My face is resting in your shirt
While you are wearing it
It’s a dolly shot, from overhead:
Everything is shimmering
Alight, in the abbreviated dark.
Dr. Devika Brendon is an academician, reviewer and editor of English language and literature. Her poetry, short stories and academic articles have been published in journals and anthologies in Sri Lanka, Australia, India, Africa, Italy and the USA. She is the Consultant Editor for the South East Asia Leadership Academy (SEALA), Content Editor for New Ceylon Writing, and a columnist and contributing writer for several national print and digital newspapers including Ceylon Today, The Mirror, The Sunday Times, Groundviews, and The Morning.
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