Pravat Kumar Padhy
Frog Dance
After the final school bell rang, we students rushed over the drought-cracked ground to witness the Frog Dance, Bengei nacha. After one of the elders caught a fat frog from the local pond and the women decorated it like a queen, with turmeric powder and red pigment, everyone gathered in the middle of the village. With the frog’s release, they began beating drums, jumping up and down, clapping and praying to Indra Devata. The frog leaped across the sun-baked village road, croaking amidst the loud clapping, as we all waited for the first dark cloud to appear. Even today, whenever I hear a frog’s call, I smile and lift one eye toward the sky.
morning dream—
all the shapes
in the sound of rain
Author’s Note: The Frog Dance, known as Bengei nacha, is traditionally performed in the coastal villages of the Ganjam district of Odisha state, India, after a long spell of drought to appease the rain god (Indra Devata).
About the Author
Pravat Kumar Padhy’s poetry has been featured in many journals and anthologies. His seventh collection of verse, The Speaking Stone, will be released this year.
‘all the shapes / in the sound of rain’ is a particularly evocative line!
Thank you, Dorothy, for appreciating my Haibun. I also wonderd about the haiku that I just wrote instantly after completing the prose. Indeed, I feel humbled for your words of inspiration. I also feel indebted for the encouragement given by Rich Youmans. Please stay healthy and safe.
Regards
Pravat
The piece is built on a beautiful frame: the use of sound imagery in the bells, drums and croaking of frog; and the use of colour-the yellow of the turmeric, the red from the kumkum that offers a visual texture, both adding to the energy and movement in the piece.
I agree with Dorothy when it comes to the haiku.