The sound of rain on tin roofs, drops shapeshifting into
a mangled steel bucket, the streetlight blinks at intervals
like a covert ally, a mosquito hums an ode to hunger even

as we move a Palmetto fan ardently, then the one with the
Peacock feathers; stolen from a wedding. Lightning shines a
spotlight on my mother’s face. A mute storm gathering force

on her brow. As night falls the stage is set under Ursa Major,
clenched fists, pursed lips, the neighbours open their windows, 
waiting Sub rosa and then the aging, mangy orange cat, wails,

leaping like a Cricket into my lap, as if to announce the emperor
as baba stumbles in, swaying hypnotically like a pendulum, his
black umbrella an unsheathed sword, dripping accusations as

a Centipede slinks unsure on the cracked mosaic tiles, the moist
air popping and fizzing like corks on a soda bottle, reeking of
cloves as she turns her face away holding on to a starched sleeve 

to rescue a drowning man, trudging home with the earth 
balanced on her head like a water pot, weighted down, 
a goddess in purgatory as she turns off the lights.

…

Jahnavi Gogoi’s poetry has been published in Coffee and Conversations, Chrysanthemum journal, Tsuri-doro,Zen, Enchanted Garden Haiku journal, Zen Peacemakers, Fresh Out: An Arts and Poetry Collective, The Daily Verse by The Wise Owl, Haiku Corner by The Japan Society, Shadow Pond Journal, The Leaf Journal, haikuNetra, Scarlet Dragonfly Journal, Cold Moon Journal, The Usawa Literary review, Borderless Journal, The Chakkar, Poems India, Lothlorien Poetry Journal, and so on. She currently lives in Ontario, Canada with her family and loves to read and write poetry. Her debut collection of poetry ‘Things I told Myself’ is available on Amazon.in and Amazon.ca.

Glossary: 

Palmetto fan: A leaf or frond from a Palm tree used as a fan.

Ursa Major: A cluster of stars or a constellation in the north.

Baba: A term used to refer to one’s father in certain cultures in South Asia.

Sub Rosa: Done in secret or furtively.