I never knew of such seasons
in a crowded street
off old Gwalior wayside
nestling a pervading touch
of your breath caught in nooks
of sighs behind long ragged nights.
The tongas carry the weight of a destiny
jostling to reach the
far end of feelings
ebbing
in a raging storm
beyond the fort gates
I saw you perhaps
in the laughter
of orange and brocade
in the eyes of an evening sky
on the face of a saree
winding back
in a crowded street
off old Gwalior wayside.
by Dr. Amitabh Mitra
October 15, 2006