Blessing (poem)

"Blessing" is a poem by Imtiaz Dharker. It is set in a settlement in Dharavi in India, and it describes the pandemonium that would occur if a huge water folly were to burst and shower the parched locals with water. The water is described as "the voice of a kindly god", "silver" and a "blessing". Religious imagery is used throughout the poem, including the description of the clamouring locals as a "congregation". It also uses the word "god" without the capital letter, and this is of some significance, as it shows there could be more than one god, or that they have lost respect for their god(s). The poem has a somewhat surprising ending, even ironic by some terms. While the beginning of the poem projects the image of a godly and almost heavenly gathering, the last stanza gives readers a sudden gruesome image.

Alternatively, some see the ending as an extension of the religious imagery with its blinding light and unusual imagery, "liquid sun".

The excitement of the children shows their innocence - they simply enjoy the novelty of the floods of water. This contrasts with the pragmatic desperation of the adults who gather water for future use in any container possible. There is a desperate irony in the arid dryness of the landscape, despite a "municipal pipe" running perhaps 6 feet under their feet.

The poem has been included in the AQA Anthology for study at GCSE, where it appears under Cluster 1 in "Poems From Other Cultures".