What arrived

What arrived at the beginning

was a ship carrying young blades 

crowing about their amorous adventures –

snaps of the stunners in their pouches

corroding like the ethereal yesterdays.

The beach hooted along with the seagulls,

perplexed and stammering

in the company of strangers.

The forests answered,

but not what they were asked.

The young in the bunker who danced,

banged drums and had fun-fights, were

stunned to see an enemy.

The son asked the father: Who

The father asked the grand-father: Why

Using sorcery, the dead great-grandfather

who was desperate to know,

summoned his forefathers to the family grave.

After sipping toddy and folklore

on a moonlit night, they left smiling:

After all, a question is as good as a prayer

that follows the rain only until it seeps—

and we kissed the soil until

it dissolved in the earth’s cheeks,

meditating death

in the deepest of our prayers.

Aditya Shankar,