Lines 1-4: “This is a noon for beggars with whining Voices, a noon for men who come from hills With parrots in a cage and fortune-cards, All stained with time…”

In these lines, the poet invites the reader into the atmosphere of a hot noon in Malabar, a region in southern India. The beggars with their whining voices create a poignant soundscape, and men from the hills add a touch of exoticism with caged parrots and fortune cards that bear the marks of age and wear, symbolizing the passage of time and the endurance of these elements.

Lines 5-10: “…for brown Kurava girls With old eyes, who read palm in light singsong Voices, for bangle-sellers who spread On the cool black floor those red and green and blue Bangles, all covered with the dust of roads, Miles, grow cracks on the heels, so that when they Clambered up our porch, the noise was grating, Strange…”

Here, the poet introduces more characters specific to the region. The brown Kurava girls, with their old eyes, engage in palmistry with a singsong quality, contributing to the cultural richness of the scene. The bangle-sellers create a visual spectacle with their colorful wares spread on a cool surface. However, the dust covering the bangles hints at the harshness of the roads they have traveled, with miles causing cracks on their heels. The imagery of their ascent onto a porch creates a jarring and strange noise, emphasizing the contrast between the rural and urban, traditional and modern.

Lines 11-15: “This is a noon for strangers who part The window-drapes and peer in, their hot eyes Brimming with the sun, not seeing a thing in Shadowy rooms and turn away and look So yearningly at the brick-ledged well.”

The focus shifts to the presence of strangers during this noon. The strangers, driven by curiosity, part window-drapes to peer into shadowy rooms. Their eyes are filled with the intensity of the sun, yet they are unable to see anything within the dark interiors. The yearning gaze towards a brick-ledged well suggests a longing for simplicity and authenticity, a contrast to the complex urban life.

Lines 15-23: “This is A noon for strangers with mistrust in Their eyes, dark, silent ones who rarely speak At all, so that when they speak, their voices Run wild, like jungle-voices. Yes, this is A noon for wild men, wild thoughts, wild love. To Be here, far away, is torture. Wild feet Stirring up the dust, this hot noon, at my Home in Malabar, and I so far away…”

In the concluding lines, the poet delves deeper into the nature of these strangers. Their mistrustful eyes, characterized as dark and silent, suggest an unfamiliarity with the surroundings. When they do speak, their voices are described as running wild, akin to jungle sounds, perhaps highlighting the untamed, unbridled quality of their expressions. The poet expresses the nostalgia and pain of being far away from her home in Malabar during this lively and culturally rich noon. The mention of “wild feet stirring up the dust” conveys a sense of restlessness and displacement, emphasizing the emotional impact of being distanced from one’s roots.