Epilogue

Epilogue

a collaborative poem by Arunansu Banjeree and Sergio A. Ortiz  

1.

Trudging aimless
amidst the mixed crowd
of angry young men,

octogenarians, a few fair damsels,

chirpings, smiles
and an underlying tone

of a strange inferiority complex,
I still think of you.

Are you busy

with your dreams now?
You must be relaxing

by your balcony
enjoying the company

of sparrows,

and those imaginary

butterflies you used to

tell me about.
Yes, I still love your touch,

your whispers
in the morning breeze.

I wish to cook for you

your favorite gazpacho soup. 
How life slips,

slithers between our fingers!
You are somewhere in Alpine snows,

I'm slogging over the age-old

pavements of dusty
Kolkata, with the maddening crowd

ever to eager to clinch

the best bargain.
How bargains slip through

our hands! Here I am

in an internet parlour mailing you,

yet your face seems so blurred

in the photograph,  your lips
pouting slipping out

some clichéd displeasures.

2.

Asian wind,

eager light brown Brahmin,

you come to my skin

bringing seeds

of Himalayan snow,

Kolkata gazes soaking

in orange blossoms.

Unexpected lover

what is night,

if not the royal sweat

that turns our mouths

into sponges.

We are covered

with lavender leaves

in morning rain.

Nothing slips through

our tightly woven hands,

only time wrinkled

like an old map

of the universe.