why do i feel the earth inside me, its fire in my soul

my veins like rivers flow in a mad rush to swallow

lips smacking of autumn, faint blue sky seeping in – i store memories

calloused feet growing roots take me inside your belly

i taste a life in seeds of tomorrow, crying like a much awaited monsoon

leaves spring from my scalp and i am your tree now

arms and branches – separated twins of the same old nest, sparrows ritually make

spiders trap ants in the secret maze of my palm – a forest floor of delicate lines

neon-eyes of discarded billboards whisper warnings about forgotten cobwebs in the temple of wombs

time, ever-ageing time strikes the bell

it starts pouring, ablution begins in the deep

– Raja Chakraborty