Kamala surayya was born on 31 march 1934 -31 may 2009. she was popularly known by her pen name madhavikutty and married name kamala Das, was an indian poet in english as well as an author in malayalam from kerala , india .
The poem the dance of Eunuchs by kamala das is quite symbolic and confusing. The poet who is a victim of patriarchal society talks about the dance of transgenders. The transgender are too victim of the social norms which alienate them from being treated as normal humans.
It was hot so hot before the eunuchs came.
To dance, wide skirts going round and round cymbals.
Richly clashing and ankles jingling, jingling jingling.
Beneath the fiery gulmohar, with long braids flying, dark eyes flashing
They danced and they danced, oh they danced till they bled.
There were green tattoos on their cheeks, jasmine's in their hair
Some were dark and some were almost fair.
Their voices were harsh, their songs melancholy
They song of lovers dying and or children left unborn
Some beat their drums, others beat their sorry breasts and wailed, and writhed in vacant ecstasy
They were thin in limbs and dry, like half burnt logs from funeral pyres a drought and a rottenness were in each of them
Even the crows were so silent on trees and the children wide eyed still
All were watching these poor creatures convulsions
The sky crackled then, thunder came and lightning and rain a meagre rain that smelt of dust in attics and the urine of lizards and mice
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