squirrels holed in a banyan.
back-scratching the trunk
to own music.
exchanging souls.


......

catch the day early
in its quietness.
later, the city cries.


........



switched off tv.
turned off lights.
stiller than bodhisattavas.



.......



chauffeur alone,
with the car.
owner, alone, at the bar.


..........


having taken over the house
sparrows chirp,
hopscotch.



........


new moon.
full moon.
sun trifled.

an elephant slapped a crow
for picking its food.
the crow filed an fir.
the police cuffed the elephant,
questioned it, died.
the crow flew into exile.
elephant sent an sms ---
sorry, fly back  ---
to the misplaced mobile of
the crow drunk in a bar.

...........


watering earth and air at kurampala,
silences were shoplifted ----
from wells, stands of bananas, coconut palms,
rice stalks, tapioca greens, rubber trees,
other silences.
nights, slept to cricket cracks,
moon and clouds in a reality show.
for a happy while.



..........


four nepali youngsters
wipe tables at alleppey.
unknowns in knowns.



...........

mary nair,
shankar wankhede ---
lepers awaiting prayer cures,
pillion-riding believers ---
taped to churchwalls.
"god blesses me, always,"
assures mary nair,
nair gone,
leaving mary speaking english in style.
"may god bless you,
good day to you,"
chimes she as faithfuls drop coins into
her rag-coloured soul.she learnt english in africa
worries about grandkids.
a bearded smile  ---
shankar wankhede in a saffron turban;
from bhandara, has two strays.
not a short story,
a novel,
an essay,
a poem,
a press note,
they don't contest collections.
on amavasya nights,
absent street lights,
the two, framed, in the folds
of a beedi's glow.