"kajal" poems
Mujhe kuchh kahna hai,
mujhe tere dil me rahna hai,
Na ruth jana kabhi mujhse,
Kyoki tera banke jina hai
Mujhe tera banke hi mar jana hai,
Mujhe kuchh kahna hai,
Mujhe tera aansoo banke bahna hai,
na bna sako mohabbat mujhe to
gam hi bna lo,
Kyoki tere dard me bhi
mujhe tere sath hi rahna hai,
Mujhe tere sath hi rahna hai,
Mujhe kuchh kahna hai,
Mujhe teri muskurahat banke
tere labon pe rahna hai,
banke kajal teri aankhon ka
mujhe har waqt teri aankhon me hi rahna hai,
Teri aankhon me hi rahna hai,
Mujhe kuchh kahna hai,
mujhe tera khwab banke rahna hai,
Jab gahari nind se band ** jaye ye palaken teri,
teri un mitthe khwabo me apne dil ki baat kahna hai,
mujhe apne dil ki baat hi kahna hai,
Jul 7, 2015
Jul 7, 2015 at 8:45 AM UTC
Are tumhe dekha aj to lga ye sab tumhe bta du.
Haq hai nhi mera koi phir b thoda haq jata du ..
Or kehdu tum behad khoobsurat **
Ye jo tumne akhon ke kajal ko b palko ki had me dal rakha hai.
In aankhon ne jane kitna kehar sambhal rakha hai.
Kya chamak hai aankho me jaise ek choti si khush duniya ka sapna paal rakha hai.
Socha cheru thoda tumhe or thoda sata du.
Are tumhe dekha aj to lga ye sab tumhe bta du.
Haq hai nhi mera koi phir b thoda haq jata du ..
Or kehdu tum nazneen **
Phir kuch tumhare galon k un khaddo ki gehrayi dekhi.
Na us se gehri koi khaayi dekhi.
Nazar htane wala tha k us muskan ne rok lia..
Muje aj sambhalne se pehle tere chehre nadan ne rok lia.
Jane tumhe ye sab kehna lagta hai khata kyu.
Are tumhe dekha aj to lga ye sab tumhe bta du.
Haq hai nhi mera koi phir b thoda haq jata du ..
Or kehdu tum dilnashi **
Vo choti si kali bindi jo thik maathe k me kahi hai.
Vo b har shayar ko kheench rahi hai.
Jaise muje kehti ** idhar aao tumhe kano k jhumko ka pta du.
Are tumhe dekha aj to lga ye sab tumhe bta du.
Haq hai nhi mera koi phir b thoda haq jata du ..
Or kehdu tum dalkashi **
Ye phir thode uljhe thode suljhe baal hai.
Inki to ada hi bemisal Hai
Tumhe tang karte hai.
Manmarji chalate hai jaise tujse jung karte hai.
Chere pe aate hai tum unhe phir peeche karti.
Kabhi clip se kabhi rubber se kheenche rakhti **
Kabhi aaye chehre pe to shayad main b hta du.
Are tumhe dekha aj to lga ye sab tumhe bta du.
Haq hai nhi mera koi phir b thoda haq jata du ..
Or kehdu tum koi kehkasha **
Or vo sone ki nath ko koi
kaise taal sakta hai.
Jise tumne apni teekhi si naak me daal rakha hai.
Or kuch batein in sab se pare hai.
Tera chutkan sa Gussa hai jane tu kaise handle kare hai.
Phir vo pyari si hasi vo sharm haya vo bachpana vo nadaniya.
Samjhdari vo nasamjhi
Vo adayein vo shaitaniya.
Or sambko tumne brabar rakha hai.
Jane ye hisab kaise lagakar rakha hai.
Kya kehna hai kya sunna hai kya bolna hai kya btana.
Kab ruthna hai kab manana hai kab satana hai kab jatana hai.
Teri har ek choti moti khoobiyon ne dil me aatank macha rakha hu.
Jane tune kitne salo se khud ko ishq se bacha rakha hai.
Jane mujme kab se or kyu ye thode guroor k lakshan aaye hai
K tuje suna sabne hai samjh sirf hum paaye hai.
Tum jaisa or koi mere aas paas ni hai.
Phir kaise manliya jaye tum aam ladki ** tum me kuch khas nahi hai.
Ha aj maine ek kadam apne beech ki sarhad se thoda bahar aaya.
Tumne apna hunar azmaya tha vo pic dalke use shayri bnake maine apna hunar aazmaya hai.
ye padhke tum socho k inam du is shayar ko ya koi saza du.
Are tumhe dekha aj to lga ye sab tumhe bta du.
Haq hai nhi mera koi phir b thoda haq jata du ..
Or kehdu tum afreen **
Tum khoobsurat **
Sep 12, 2020
Sep 12, 2020 at 1:20 AM UTC
Teri mohabbat ki khusboo me
Hum es kadar rang jayenge,
Hasin hoga mausam bhi
Jab teri yadon me hum kho jayenge,
Nind se khulegi jab ye palaken meri
Apne samne tujhe hi payenge,
Tujhe hi payenge....
Khuli khuli ye julafen teri
Madahosh kar deti mujhe,
Ankhon ki ye kali kali kajal Teri
Apni or khich leti mujhe,
Teri othon ki ye gulabi rang
jaise gulab ki pankhuriyan,
Kaise sahun tere bin
ekpal ki bhi ye duriyan,
Jiyenge hum tere sath
tere sath hi mar jayenge,
Teri mohabbat ki khusboo
me sanam hum
eskadar rang jayenge,
Eskadar rang jayenge...
Jun 3, 2015
Jun 3, 2015 at 6:31 AM UTC
Mirror
by Kajal Ahmad, a Kurdish poet
loose translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch
My era’s obscuring mirror
shattered
because it magnified the small
and made the great seem insignificant.
Dictators and monsters filled its contours.
Now when I breathe
its jagged shards pierce my heart
and instead of sweat
I exude glass.
Keywords/Tags: Kajal Ahmad, Kurd, Kurdish, translation, mirror, shattered, magnified, dictators, monsters, jagged, shards, sweat, perspire, leak, bleed, extrude, protrude, glass
The Lonely Earth
by Kajal Ahmad
loose translation by Michael R. Burch
The pale celestial bodies
never bid her "Good morning! "
nor do the creative stars
kiss her.
Earth, where so many tender persuasions and roses lie interred,
might expire for the lack of a glance, or an odor.
She's a lonely dusty orb,
so very lonely! , as she observes the moon's patchwork attire
knowing the sun's an imposter
who sears with rays he has stolen for himself
and who looks down on the moon and earth like lodgers.
Kurds are Birds
by Kajal Ahmad
loose translation by Michael R. Burch
Per the latest scientific classification, Kurds
now belong to a species of bird!
This is why,
traveling across the torn, fraying pages of history,
they are nomads recognized by their caravans.
Yes, Kurds are birds! And,
even worse, when
there's nowhere left to nest, no refuge from their pain,
they turn to the illusion of traveling again
between the warm and arctic sectors of their homeland.
So I don't think it strange Kurds can fly but not land.
They wander from region to region
never realizing their dreams
of settling,
of forming a colony, of nesting.
No, they never settle down long enough
to visit Rumi and inquire about his health,
or to bow down deeply in the gust-
stirred dust,
like Nali.
Bi Havre (“Together”)
possibly the oldest Kurdish poem
loose translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch
I want us to be together:
we would eat together,
climb the mountain together,
sing songs together, songs of love,
songs from the heart, sung from above.
I want us to have one heart, together.
Many words in this ancient poem are in doubt, so I have excerpted what I grok to be the central meaning.
And because Kajal mentioned Rumi, here are my translations of Rumi:
Raise your words, not their volume.
Rain grows flowers, not thunder.
—Rumi, loose translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch
Birdsong
by Rumi
loose translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch
Birdsong relieves
my deepest griefs:
now I'm just as ecstatic as they,
but with nothing to say!
Please universe,
rehearse
your poetry
through me!
Apr 1, 2020
Apr 1, 2020 at 3:00 AM UTC
Ai khuda Mujhe Hawa bna de,
Mujhe unke sanso me bsa de,
Kabhi bhi na ** Saku Dur unse
Aisi meri taqdeer bna De,
Ai khuda Mujhe aansoo bna De,
Mujhe unke aankho me bsa De,
Khushi ke Pal ** ya ** dukh ki ghari
Us Pal unke aankho se Mujhe chhalka de,
Ai khuda Mujhe sitara bna de,
Mujhe us Chand ke paas bitha de,
Jih bhar ke dekh lu Mai us Chand ko
Aisi chandani raat bna de,
Ai khuda Mujhe aaina bna de,
Mujhe unke kamre me bitha de,
Har Pal wo mere samne **
Aisi khubsurat pari unhe bna de,
Ai khuda Mujhe kajal bna de,
Mujhe unke aankho me laga de,
Na lage Unhe kisi ki nazar
Unke sare dukh Mujhe dila de,
Unke sare dukh Mujhe dila de....
Feb 19, 2017
Feb 19, 2017 at 2:58 AM UTC
Lost in his thoughts
With her eyes closed
Waking up from her fancy
By the call of a pigeon
With a message from him
Conveying to meet him
Near the river side
Of the Gulmohar tree
Hearing the trumpet of
The evening conch
With an acceptable smile
Ready in his favourite
Shining peach fruit dress
Wide eyes with black kajal
Long black hair decorated
With magical fragrance
Of buds of jasmine flowers
Colourful bangles filling
Her soft wheatish hands
With musical bands
Sitting under the flame tree
Decorated with beautiful
Orange-red Gulmohar petals
Waiting for her beloved
Lasting the wait till dawn
But never did he come
Flowing kajal with her tears
Turning her to black cheeks
Back to her despondency
Like a broken soul
Comes again the pigeon
With a message on its body
Written by human blood
Dear, move on in your life
I am, no more in this life
Jasmines giving an odour
Bangles becoming colourless
Kajal, blurring her vision
Falling down on the floor
With her eyes closing !
Jun 9, 2016
Jun 9, 2016 at 1:38 AM UTC
she sat on the beige satin couch
looking down at her feet
which were designed with intricate patterns made of mehndi
her nails painted a light pink
a color much like the subtle blush on her cheeks
she was fair, but not pale,
she had a shine to her, a glow
her face was hidden for the most
with a white lace dupatta
like the midnight moon hidden behind translucent clouds
most of her hair was tucked neatly away
except the loose strand which rested on her forehead
a curl, the color of sweetened caramel
soft, delicate; and ever so sweet
she brushed it back with her small hands
but it bounced right back, falling on her face
she looked up, slightly titling her head towards the light
the way sunlight hit her eyes made you want to never look away
oh, her eyes
lined with kajal, they stood out
the kind of eyes you could find yourself getting lost in
hazel and green- with specks of yellow and blue
there was a universe within those eyes
like the rainforest after a summer sprinkle
lush, pure, mesmerizing
but they were quickly hidden once more
as she delicately pulled the dupatta closer to her face
and smoothed down the crease in her silk kameez
her movements were entrancing
you could not look away
the more you looked, the more you craved to catch one more glance
gentle, soft, kind
never in a rush
you couldn't help but imagine what it felt like to feel her touch
the only words we heard her speak
was right when the sun began to set
and the orange-red rays reflected in the pearls around her neck, the only jewelry she wore, yet enough to adorn her
her puckered mouth opened softly
and she was bearly audible as she spoke
her voice like honey: sweet & melodious
if she never stopped speaking, you'd never stop listening
she spoke with a tender sort of confidence & surety
"qabool hai, qabool hai, qabool hai"
Nov 16, 2015
Nov 16, 2015 at 8:50 AM UTC
Teri khubsurat tasveer ko churane ko mann karta hai,
Tujhe dekh teri tasveer me muskurane ko mann karta hai,
Churalu mai tere sare gumo ko,
Phir se mujhe usi pyaar me kho jane ko mann karta hai,
Tujhe apna banane ko mann karta hai,
Tujhe duniya se chhupane ko Mann karta hai,
Na lag jaye tujhe duniya Ki nazar,
Khud kajal ban Teri aankhon me bas Jane ka Mann karta hai,
Bhawra ban phir se gungunane ko Mann karta hai,
Pawan ban tere baalon ko udane ka Mann karta hai,
Hamesha rahu mai tere pyare hothon par
Banke ek pyari si dhunn tere hothon se gungunane ko Mann karta hai....
Sep 24, 2017
Sep 24, 2017 at 10:53 PM UTC
Flavored hukkas are passed around,
Alcohol and paan bring the mehfil alive,
The Ustad ji sits down and flexes his fingers,
He knows he’ll be working all night.
Dha dhin dhin dha, dha dhin dhin dha
Na tin tin ta
Ta dhin dhin dha,
Move the Ustad ji’s fingers on the tabla.
While with a veil on her face,
And feet dipped in and henna-colored,
Lips in cheap red lipstick covered,
She unfalteringly, gracefully enters.
Her steps are matched by the chhan chhan
of the ghungroos tied around her ankles so slender.
Eyes set on her, feast on her youth,
Just right for the taste of all her customers.
Bejeweled hands placed on waist,
She stands at the centre of attention,
She lifts a foot, readies to dance,
And begins the nightly convention.
Skillfully, perfectly, sensuously move
Feet well-trained since childhood days,
Harmonizing with the timbre
That the Ustad ji creates.
Tin tin na dhin na dhin na
On the tabla, experienced fingers beat.
Chhan chhan chhan chhan,
She dances, repeating the rhythm with her feet.
Metal bells strike against one another
And chhan chhan chhan-a chhan she goes,
Making breaths prance and jump,
As she strikes on the ground her heels and toes.
Then suddenly she stops and gasps,
Over disgruntled, impatient groans she tries
to hear the sound that flows in, only to her ears.
Several rooms away, a baby cries.
Naach! A voice booms,
Arey naach! More join in.
A glass of wine is shattered by an irritated one.
But she stands still, clutching her chest, frozen.
One sways up to where she stands,
For the veil covering her face, his hands dive.
He uncovers her, but is blinded by the sight of her beauty
And her tears that fill her kajal-smeared eyes.
She’s shaken back to reality as she looks all around.
Her sparkling pall is off her face.
She sees all those drunk men who’ve paid to watch her dance.
She knows she has to make the sound of the cries fade away.
So she stomps her feet on the ground till it hurts.
Hair flying out of braid, bangles clanging,
Anguish replaces her innocent loveliness,
The music in the air is now shrill, jarring.
Her steps match with the tabla’s rhythm no more.
But she dances, planting her feet so hard they weep.
She silences every sound with the noise of her ghungroos,
Praying that the night will lull her wailing son to sleep.
Jun 22, 2012
Jun 22, 2012 at 1:11 PM UTC
Kurds are Birds
by Kajal Ahmad, a Kurdish poet
loose translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch
Per the latest scientific classification, Kurds
now belong to a species of bird!
This is why,
traveling across the torn, fraying pages of history,
they are nomads recognized by their caravans.
Yes, Kurds are birds! And,
even worse, when
there’s nowhere left to nest, no refuge for their pain,
they turn to the illusion of traveling again
between the warm and arctic sectors of their homeland.
So I don’t think it strange Kurds can fly but not land.
They wander from region to region
never realizing their dreams
of settling,
of forming a colony, of nesting.
No, they never settle down long enough
to visit Rumi and inquire about his health,
or to bow down deeply in the gust-
stirred dust,
like Nali.
And because Kajal mentioned Rumi, here are my translations of Rumi:
Raise your words, not their volume.
Rain grows flowers, not thunder.
—Rumi, loose translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch
Birdsong
by Rumi
loose translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch
Birdsong relieves
my deepest griefs:
now I'm just as ecstatic as they,
but with nothing to say!
Please universe,
rehearse
your poetry
through me!
Keywords/Tags: Kajal Ahmad, Kurdish, translation, Kurds, birds, nomads, caravans, refuge, homeland, fly, land, flying, landing, colony, nest, nesting, Rumi, Nali
Apr 1, 2020
Apr 1, 2020 at 3:24 AM UTC
"چاند ایک نئے انداز میں گنگنائے گا۔"
"Chaand ek naye andaaz mein gungunaega."
"اہ، خوبصورت چھوٹا سا حسین تل، آسمان کا ایک ٹکڑا کھولے گا۔"
"Ah, khoobsurat chhota sa haseen til, aasman ka ek tukda khole ga."
"کل کے دروازے پر، رات کے پرسکون سائے میں۔"
"Kal ke darwaze par, raat ke pursukoon saaye mein."
"کان نیچے رکھتے ہوئے، ستاروں کی گلیاں بھی جھکتی ہیں۔"
"Kaan neeche rakhte hue, sitaron ki galiyan bhi jhukti hain."
"سمندر بھی اونچی قافیوں کی لہریں بہا دیتا ہے۔"
"Samandar bhi oonchi qafiyon ki lehren baha deta hai."
"تب ہی پردہ دار روحانی رات ایک بار اپنی کاجل سیاہ، پراسرار آنکھ کھولتی ہے!"
"Tab hi pardah daar rohani raat ek baar apni kajal siyah, purasrar aankh kholti hai!"
کل کے دروازے پر رات کے گہرائیوں میں
"Kal ke darwaze par raat ke gehraaiyon mein"
Jan 17, 2024
Jan 17, 2024 at 2:36 PM UTC
Congratulations sister ,
Congratulations for new phase of life .
I know you will rock the wedding ,
With kajal in your eyes and a blissful smile.
I know you will look
Mesmerizing ,with chudis in your hand.
And I know you will hook ,
To the thoughts in your head .
Jiji will be blessing you ,
From wherever she is .
She'll be proud of you,
And sending you loads of hugs and kisses .
I'm so happy for you ,
As you are gonna enter into new family and a new house .
But never forget that you,
Are part of our family and daughter of our house.
Yashu will miss your strictness,
And Madhav will miss your smile.
And you know that ,
No one knows you better than jiji and I.
Always saty happy and start this, beautiful phase of life with the chosen one.
With some tears of happiness and,
And the cutest smile 😊.
Jun 20, 2020
Jun 20, 2020 at 3:49 AM UTC
Sitting beside her
Watching her slowly break to pieces
The only thing keeping her together
Were her thin calloused arms
Clasped tightly around her heaving chest
I couldn't bear it anymore
I love you...
I blurted out hastily
Before the significance of what I said could settle in
But I couldn't take them back
The words now stood between us
Floating in the silence of my confession
Her eyes widened and bloodshot
Arms wrapped tightly around herself
Hair left in a messy half tied bun
She sat just an arms distance away
And all I could was see beauty
In those runny kajal lined eyes
Coloured a warm shade of brown
I love you I specified once more
Her stumped silence more annoying now
But better, much better
Than one filled with her tears
I've loved everything about you I explain
More for my own sake than hers
For my mind could barely process such a confession
I love the way you dance to the corniest of songs
When you think no one can see you
I love how you spend an hour just figuring out makeup
Only to walk out with just lip balm gracing your face
I love how you try to dress ****
But would rather get married in a pair of boxers
I love how you're a hard core geek
But still can't resist an episode of Greys Anatomy
I love the contradiction you are
As changeable as the winds
But always steadfast when I need you
I love that awkward smile
I love that messy bun
I love those over sized t-shirts
I love that sarcastic mouth
You are not as weak as you believe
Your scars are what I love most
And how you show them off with pride to the world
Your imperfections make you perfect
And your...
Before I finished this sudden display of verbosity
She kissed me
Wrapping herself around me completely
For our imperfections we loved
And no person would make us erase our proud battle scars of life.
Jul 22, 2015
Jul 22, 2015 at 1:36 PM UTC
School, nearby his house
Where she teaches English
Present in front of his house
Seeing her passing by
In the morning and evening
Slim and beauty was she
Looking attractive in a Saree
Eyes drawn with black kajal
Where eyebrows are like a bow
And a small black dot on her forehead
Like a painting slipped out of a canvas
Walking on the road
Crossing his eyes all the way
Perplexed was he about
The black eyes noticing him
Waiting to express his love
In his usual stand of gate
Highly strung to make his attempt
To the girl who impressed him first
Making him madly fall for her
Like a thunderbolt did she
Walking towards him
Looking into his confused eyes
Opening her rose petal lips
Dropped some pearl like words
I Too Love You Dear !
Jun 15, 2016
Jun 15, 2016 at 4:13 PM UTC
Arteries benumbed
Reading pharmaceutical's inserts no fun
Reading your mind even worse
Print so small
Foldings such as a roadmap
Those molecular models delineated
Moods might just as well be
Translating cuneiform
You wedge-shape marks on me
Deceptive blinks cut my clayey gray matter
That mascara you wear
Like kajal on Persian Princess
Ovular pills with spider legs
How do I defend from?
Enigmatical ellipses
Narcotic exotic
I look for, but find no
Adjoining pamphlets or warnings
To all your strange side-effects
Nov 24, 2015
Nov 24, 2015 at 7:04 PM UTC
Whenever u miss me....
U'll find me in ur favorite scent
In ur beauty & what it always meant
In dewy petals who envy ur rosy lips
Whenever breeze gives them a warm kiss
In ur kajal (Kohel) & when it's in ur eye
In ur words which speak truth & never lie...
Nov 16, 2014
Nov 16, 2014 at 4:34 PM UTC
Slick with self preservation,
I moisturize away the blemishes.
Night masks alone in the apartment.
Mane too long they dampen
Dark lines on dark skin, strands
stick to me blacker than kajal.
I’ll shower in the morning.
Grabbing at the extra, cupping
Slapping and ******* it in.
I’m so much when i think
I’m not enough.
Wrapping it in lace,
hug where it goes in
Abnormal hourglass,
I turn around to examine
The lightning storm around my
thunder thighs too thick to gap,
Just a small wineglass
Under a coarse tangle.
“Need to workout again.”
Dimples press and flatten,
Tattoos jiggle and beckon.
The hairs on my legs are fine
stand straight in the cold
My feet are sort of dry,
I dip them in cream
And slip on soft socks I could
Never wear in sleep,
I think of a silly dream
where I’m blonde and very thin
Like the best friend
Of every man I’ve ever been with
The one they crush(ed)
on only just a little-
but that was a long time ago.
Such a funny pattern,
Such a common trend.
I wonder if I’m meant to
bring myself to that.
But to change so quickly-
I’d rather be fat,
dark and dead.
Feb 12, 2019
Feb 12, 2019 at 9:45 PM UTC
I saw a glimpse of heaven
I wanted to reach out to the sky
not to touch any star ,
just to whisper to the moon
'How beautiful are u !!!
Innocence in her eyes
Charm on her face .
She was the one, who speaks through her eyes .
While others use to waste time putting into words .
Her eyes has their own vocabulary
What a beautiful language to learn !!!
The kajal in her eyes ,
Her eyes sparkled and were deep like ocean .
I want to drown in it ...
Those Hypnotic black eyes,
makes me go crazy,
She was an magician
I never believed in magic
Until I saw her sparkling eyes
I let myself be enchanted
By her wonderful magic.
Eyes so wide, so deep
Beauty in her eyes !!
You are the definition of Beauty.
Or shall I say,
Is Beauty compared to you ?
It feels shy and ashamed when I describe you.
Eyes which crinkle
and twinkle They are my catalyst .
They are a canvas on which I paint
the world.
~ Suhas Ghoke
Sep 12, 2018
Sep 12, 2018 at 11:15 AM UTC
याद पिया की आए
i miss you.
my disgruntled face,
constant gnarling at the sun
might have already betrayed
how much i hate the summer.
i hate the summer,
i miss you.
i miss your movement across the earth
as you
t i p t o e / march,
tread lightly / thunder in,
caress / trample,
r e j u v e n a t e / strangle.
most of all,
i miss you because
i wish you would rush in,
darken the skies with clouds
like kajal for a goddess.
shove the sun
under a celestial carpet
woven from cool water
and colder skies.
i miss you.
my hatred for the sun
only progresses with the months
till july, till you descend.
they say that when love arrives,
you can hear a hundred violins,
you can see the colours in every living thing.
when you arrive,
i see only joy -
pure liquid joy.
i miss you.
Apr 5, 2017
Apr 5, 2017 at 1:24 PM UTC
Those bridges.
Defiant, sure and ******
The red lines defined by every move, every emotion, every tear drop.
Her eyes spoke the stories, if only he knew how to read.
Jun 7, 2017
Jun 7, 2017 at 2:52 AM UTC
five years after
going cold turkey on kajal
because it made you look different to others
than what you think you really look like
now,
when you put on dark brown liquid lipstick
starting from your near perfect cupid's bow
and finishing with your glorious lower lip
and draw symmetrical, sharp wings
like acrylic on canvas
and choose to look like that
for yourself
i am grateful
because i grow
when you grow
Jan 2, 2018
Jan 2, 2018 at 11:56 AM UTC
oil splattered
underfoot
dripping from the diya,
leaking slowly
cotton wick burns black
smoke wisp
bending
paints the ceiling
like kajal
around your eyes.
my palms trace the wooden
alter,
a splinter punctures my thumb.
Jun 7, 2020
Jun 7, 2020 at 10:37 AM UTC