The silence in my heart
The stillness of my soul
Tells me a storm is coming
Too still at the centre
Smell of the wind yet no wind brushes by.
The birds are still , nest has fallen down
A red snake has slid along the ground
Jackals cry from somewhere near
Crows gather round.
The Water Gourd is dry, a cinnamon taste
Red red sky far away.
Lightning startles my eyes-
Mountains shake, the tumbleweed blows
No destination this side of the road.
Be ready, nothing is written yet,
Djinns and angels bargain for my soul
Which can win the shadow of a man?
The emptiness so huge
(hush, a piano is playing a Love Supreme)
The high notes are flat, it’s way outta tune-
Like so many among us this side of the moon.
Pass me a spoonful of that hope only a woman can have
The twinkle of an eye
Before the storm comes by.
My knees are bent, my back is brown
My Herat Prayer rug lies empty on the sand.
Fill me with nonsense,
tell me lies as is your want
A moment of pure emptiness is hard to find.