Encounter: Rain

The clouds sped past in the sky

Rolling out their grey pall from north to south,

A sudden breeze started from nowhere and

Chilled your skin to the bones,

like a peak winter morning,

The coconut and neem trees shook their head

In sad understanding,

Still you wanted to dance in abandon,

Your heart going da…cha…cha…cha…

But you didn’t,

You only clutched at your umbrella, your clothes

And handbag

and tried to

Save your present world,

Which was getting a good many drops.

After the shower,

You traced a zigzagged path,

Carefully avoiding stray pools of water,

Hurrying vehicles

and the muddy, swampy tracks.

The day’s fever had gone down,

And the streets wore a wet and desolate look

You unfolded a sheet in your

Room, fed the sole fish,

And lay down,

With misty rain in your eyes and

In your soul.