the last sin   pale ashen sky a bleary eye clouds of recurring screams... i am a zoo   an octopus leviathan tentacles into an ocean of unformed emotions... syphilis and love     syphilitic pall stifles the clear blue i contort...   shell and pearl   amidst highs and lows in life's ocean flows a shell peony-mouthed...   i am an unmarried mother     fed on stings of barbed milk morality my child-plankton...   the lovers   cell upon cell bridge of their union hung on the pillars... rebirth   ogre of age and time cavil at a warm picture... the young today   innocence thaws at the altar of ambition...		Battle of the Cells—Part 2 There was a childlike enthusiasm in her voice “There’s a good news today,” she said I got excited Of late good news was in short supply “Here, talk to your sister,” she said My sister also sounded happy For a split second I thought: “Has it gone away?” My sister said: “Mother doesn’t have to go Through chemotherapy sessions Doctors have decided to give her the HRT A tablet a day for four months And then they shall see” A Delhi girl before marriage Mother is returning To our ancestral home At the foothills of Shivaliks Away from the madness of Delhi To be near Ganges Ganga Ma to the believer To inhale the fresh air at the Ghats To try a new-ancient weapon, Yoga To restore a quiet dignity to living To cow dung splattered streets Where emaciated dogs drink water From perpetually dripping municipal taps To gentle acknowledgements of old ladies In meandering galis Often lit with a flickering solo bulb The beacon of eternal hope Amidst despair Shine, you bright light Shine, you belabouring beast To serenity outside and within To a lonely vigil... “There’s so much to do And I will be fine,” she says 31 July 2007 Poetry Home