SHE: A FRAGMENT
-
Ram Krishna Singh (India)
i.
rocking chair:
sun through the clouds in
verandah
after days of rain
and nostalgic nights
she hands me
a lukewarm tea of
ginger, clove
and honey to make
love and stay alive
ii.
shadows fly from my fingers
with the moving wrist—
the hand disappears
I can’t touch her heart
under the tan skin:
they waver behind the glass
hissing through clenched teeth
as I sip my drink
she gives me a frozen smile
iii.
who can see
except myself
the ghetto within?
I laugh away
when she senses it
in the façade
of the forgotten
I reinvent
searching miracles
in her annoyance
iv.
she props the stooping lemons
with stake but avoids
bending close to me:
I die to draw the blossom
in my twining arms
but she likes the other scent
v.
she’s graceful
on bended knees
supplicant
head bent, in peace
victim of whip
can’t pull back
past happiness
love’s sharp tongue
he’s no lug
can’t see the gems
in rain drops
her aura shines
vi.
I feel her hyaline influx
in my deep love leaps
from the soul with subtle glows
her breath runs through my veins:
this vassal of the flesh blushes
as I drink the infinite in her
vii.
don’t question the lips
that wilt the tongue
licking wetness in the mouth
the mystery of delight
prophecy of the birth
by salty swallowing
make new parables
with face mask surviving
one more gospel
viii.
To see you naked
is to recall the earth
says Garcia Lorca
it’s no sin to love
strip naked in bed, kitchen
or prayer room
the bodies don’t shine
all the time nor passion
wildly overflows
but when we have time
we must remember parts
arouse dead flesh
rub raw with desire
peeling wet layers through light
sound, sense and taste
play the seasons:
the thirst is ever new
and blissful too
to recreate
the body, a temple
and a prayer
****