The River Calls Now Poem by Saroj Padhi

Frightened by thunder and lightning

that tear into the sagging breast of a heavy sky,

the bewildered river calls from the wilds

in voice of birds' piercing, piteous cry

to sit close to her throbbing heart

and pluck stars of secret happiness

from her tremulous, zooming eye

and savor life on earth

as a real and beautiful lie;



without a pause she whispers on

in strains of the strings of the wind

as her murmurs merge

into clatter of rain drops;

she lays bare all her honey coves

for the sky to dip into depths of her troves

and catch pearls of intimate moments

from the sanctum

where oysters roll on sands of ecstasy

to sing of rain-thrashed flowers' sweet love-sigh!