The Winds of Nagercoil

Like being hit by a speeding truck And then, like a lover’s gentle caress The winds of Nagercoil blow From the east, the west and all around.

Among the grass, the dragonflies veer- Swing up and away and then twist To drop: pummelled by the winds, they Grapple with the twigs as if on a joyride. The ponds ripple; little waves rise Like young girls shivering at their lovers’ kiss.

The crows and doves like drunkards Stagger in the air; the tall palms sway Their leaves chatter, huddled close like kids The green paddy, as far as the eye can see- Undulating waves of a vast sea.

Then – the winds would drop As suddenly as it blew. Dead calm – and you wonder If the winds were a dream, A hallucination.

Nagercoil suits me fine. Because, within me too, The winds blow, blow, blow – And die - all of a sudden...