The Naming of Namo is a contentious matter,
It isn’t just one of your algorithm games;
You may think at first that I’m dumb as a dissident
When I tell you Namo must have
THREE DIFFERENT NAMES.
First of all, there’s the name that the fanatics use daily,
Such as ‘Feku’, ‘Juicer’, ‘Butcher’ and ‘Coward’–
All of them insensitive insolent names.
There are factual names if you think they sound any better,
Some for his fantasy, some for his fashion.
Such as ‘Chai-maker’ and ‘Chawkidar’ –
But all of them uninteresting anyway,
But I tell you, Namo needs a name that is particular,
A name that’s particular and more majestic,
Else how can he keep his polygraph records precise,
Or twirl his moustache, or cherish his pride?
Of names of this kind, I can give you a quorum,
Such as ‘Supreme Leader’, ‘Great Redeemer’ ¬
Such as ‘Karmayogi’ and ‘Krishnavatar’ ¬
Names adopted by rare statesmen.
But above and beyond there’s still one name left over,
And that is the name we dare not guess;
The name that no genius can discover ¬
But Namo HIMSELF KNOWS BEST,
And is too ashamed to confess.
When you notice Namo in profound yogic meditation,
The reason, I tell you, is always the same:
His mind is engaged in anxious obsession
Of the thought, of the thought, of the thought
of his name:
His unnervingly obvious
Unmistakable
Conspicuously clandestine singular name,
THE NINCOMPOOP.
***
Madras Courier originally ran as a broadsheet with a poetry section. It was a time when readers felt comfortable sharing glimpses of their lives through verse. If you have a poem you’d like to submit, do email us at [email protected].
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