Look at the bare back
Photo: Karan Madhok
A poem by Sonali Chanda: ‘The mystery still remains / in the petals of marigolds, / in the peels of oranges that I kept / the mysteries living in me.’
Chasing the full moon night in its intrusive nature,
if you listen to its withering,
chase the whisper to its origin.
The mystery still remains
in the petals of marigolds,
in the peels of oranges that I kept
the mysteries living in me.
I am the law of myself,
None can conquer me.
Beside this withering.
Here God’s silence
holds its grip,
the long silences
need to be read,
more than the words.
Radiance of truth
gleams in the dark,
moon disperses its fires
and my eyes get affable.
Resplendent moon’s lips
press against my soul,
Don’t go anywhere from here.
Silence is needed
more than words
Embracing this night
with a whole heart
not to conquer
Fall for its amour
look at the
bare back
of the orange peels.
They’re gleaming in your eyes.
I can see it’s reflection
with my nude eyes.
***
Sonali Chanda is an acclaimed Indian writer and poet. She is the author of the novella Love’s Faint Echoes and the poetry collection The Echoes of the Swooshing Winds. Recently, her travelogue Ladakh en Route Tibetan Taboos was honoured by the Nissim International Award. You can find her on Instagram: @blues_and_hues.
