A dabble of poetry

Someone was extremely generous to me. That someone being RM. RM is a big kanjus when it comes to his books. He hoards them and never lends out his collection. Well, he gave me his Vikram Seth's collection of poetry: The Humble Administrator's Garden, The Three Chinese Poets and To All Who Sleep Tonight. I should consider myself privileged. Hmmmm.. I am not much into poetry but some of VS's poems left me sighing. And then, this made me burst out laughing.

Prandial Plaint
My love, I love your breasts, I love your nose.
I love your accent and I love your toes.
I am your slave. One word, and I obey.
But please don't slurp your morning brew that way.
-- Vikram Seth

I usually don't like poems that use uncommon, 'big' sounding words. They seem too contrived, yet while reading 'The Humble Administrator's Garden', I made note of a few words he'd used. Latinate, compleat, inchoate, chives, flotilla, nugatory, inveigle, libation and like prandial above ... In spite of all this, there's some charm in his poems that I can't define.

Sigh. One day I shall have a cozy library of my own and dear VS' poems shall be the first to decorate those shelves ...