Poems Of India - V

If they see
breasts and long hair coming
they call it woman,

if beard and whiskers
they call it man:

but, look, the self that hovers
in between
is neither man
nor woman

0' Râmanâtha

***

Suppose you cut a tall bamboo
in two;

make the bottom piece a woman,
the headpiece a man;

rub them together
till they kindle:

tell me now,
the fire that's born,
is it male or female,

0' Râmanâtha?

--DĒVARA DĀSIMAYYA [Translated by A. K. Ramanujan in the book - Speaking of Siva]