Manju Kachuli
Sparkles the music as emerald
Concealed in a green bush
In its midst the ditch reveals a thin green snake
No poison in its fang
Its eggs in water beautiful to look at
Splendid like pearl’s teeth, like heart beat!
Before I could praise it, I was in sleep’ deep cage
At the moment a tiger bellowed in the city
His voice as big as whale’s egg, I imagine
His emerald-eyes as green as mountain trees
I woke up and thank a silk worm
Survived unharmed in the pages on my shelf
I mellowed its song into my own blanket and quilt
The tiger’s heart beats weigh
With emerald beads
With snake’s eggs
And with lightning eyes
The eyes bellow warm light into the dark glass of evening
A man in his hand a torch-glows, in the city every night
Ever since their converged dazzling lightning borders them
That frightens the tiger and scares the man