Nocturnal Showtime Poem by Rajitha K.S. Ayyappan

Upstage
Behind the venetian curtain of clouds,
the moon rolled out like a gong,
announcing the arrival of night.
The cosmic backdrop flickered
with the fairy-light stars.

The panorama sprawled
like a packed theatre,
rows of primeval mountain ghats.

While I listen to rivulet songs
meandering through the valley below,
carrying the echoes
of the nearby whispering forest.

Silence sauntered on butterfly wings,
kissing the pollen floating
in the honeyed breeze.

An owl's hoot blends
with my sighs as I bid adieu
to the upstage of night.