untitled 12

stretched in a creaky easy chair
showered with yellow droppings
of copper pods,
chintamani scans the lane
on summer noons.
at his feet rests an age-lost donkey,
his mother's pride.
knocked down,
she bought him from a stone
contractor;
christened him deva.
aza, the labrador,
chintamani's dear,
lay across the chair.
a lame acquisition when
aza was pushed out of a merc.
Below many-angled noon shades,
they play cards (without aces)
brought by pappu, the parakeet,
rescued from a soothsayer.
play carrom without  a queen
till the moon preens.