SAHARAN WINTER

Ramjas college boys' hostel, University of Delhi; Delhi. Courtesy: Uddeepta Deka

The serpent dreams to go clean,

Gathers some sand and crawls within;

Following the west wind is seldom seen

Traces of beasts desperate to find

Fears dwelling across

The moonlit waters of the desert stream.

I hear sounds – hymns,

Miles ahead along the highway,

But all I see is a mirage

Of frozen time and space,

And I know it’s an abyss

Too shallow to hold my fears.

It’s enough! Stop now.

Let me not look into your eyes again.

Wilderness surrounds me

Every time I walk down that sapphire hallway

Of pictures painted over and over,

But nowhere do I find myself.

We’ve been through this so many times

And it makes me wonder

If I can ever whisper to you, at least,

That I find solace in every word you say,

Without your lips moving

Through your ever-wandering glances.

Every smile you fake,

Seems like an oasis

Trying to justify its existence;

Now and again when you blink,

The hourglass gets restless,

Like a gust of wind time blows.

I just wish the grass to get greener,

The songbird to sing even in the winters

And the stars to lighten up the dark sky

Even at the edge of the world,

When I look up to your shadow

The same old story I wish to blend in.