Wanton Dark Poem by Saroj Padhi

In the darkening eye of the evening
images of the world turn quite hazy
as cattle raise dust from their retreating feet
in my village under Covid scare, gone crazy,
flora and fauna retract to a sleepy mode,
angry bulls dig sand piles with wounded horn,
gnats shriek out from cracks of mud walls,
moths search for some proverbial fire to burn,
the wind stops at the bamboo barricade
before taking a sad backward turn,
moron stars meekly peep from an overcast sky
the moon yawns over the paddy fields gone dry,
beggars and pariah dogs share bed
in tattered cyclone centers,
bereft of jobs young men mourn at the riverside
deserted by their erstwhile lovers
hopeless, hungry farmers crave for rain
as migrants think of some pastime in quarantine centers.

Where shall I go this evening with my mask
Under the cover of such wanton dark?

Let me ask the glowworm to lend light to my nest,
the musky jasmines to fan my eyes to rest,
let me, let me ask my love to bury me in her breast
before I open the leaden eyes for life's new test.