1
The mask of man they paint
with so many fingers as brushes
man’s only colour now
2
They take away the day’s flower
husk I retain for tomorrow
nobody knows what the robbers may look for
3
Unable to rise beyond themselves
they worry about their colleagues’ peace
and die of selfless jealousy
4
Apple, snake and three-fifth of me
in bed manipulates man
inside selfish rubbles
5
The painted paper-god and Christ on the cross
stand on the dawn-coloured wall of my bedroom
watch sex, prayers and restlessness each night
6
The colour of night is the same everywhere
what if my identity is not known
let’s f**k the moment and forget the place
7
If passion breeds beads of sweat
in winter night the plateau is reached
too much love can run one out
8
Crushed heads of serpents coil along the road
green glitter of stream strikes my vision
I walk and fear the growing ripples in urinal
9
It needs less than a drop to procreate
but months and years of readiness to enjoy
sex sustains both life and art
10
Once your body was the sitar waiting for my touch
the sweet fragrance of your hair still lingers
but the cigarette that was mine is now ash
11
Locked in the giant Chandragupta
I fly over snow stacked stones
and defy clouds in unseen sun
12
Civilization hasn’t spared the caves
man suffers in the hands of parasites
here too who work often go without food
13
The smile you weave splits the sun
I lose my direction in clouds darkening
the white of the lake moon kissed
UNTITLED - II
1
Here she goes in the long light
and swiftly a shadow moves with her
2
What if my nights are poisoned by evil spirits
they can’t corrupt my bare truth in one life
3
The fire broke out to retaliate
they fight with lightning
4
Where will I reach running with gluey feet on gashed earth
a relentless sun licks leftover of a dying day
5
Not to kiss my feet they rush
waves vie with waves to reach the shore
6
The dance of rain is good for a short
but the fall of sky is too much
7
Keep my cracked tongue tightly closed
lest the diseased mind is known
Bio note: Ram Krishna Singh, an Indian English poet, has been writing for about four decades. Professionally, till December 31, 2015, Professor of English at IIT-ISM in Dhanbad, he has published more than 160 research articles, 175 book reviews and 46 books, including Sense and Silence: Collected Poems (2010), New and Selected Poems Tanka and Haiku (2012), You Can’t Scent Me and Other Selected Poems (2016), God Too Awaits Light (2017), Growing Within/Des─Гv├вr┼Яire l─Гuntric─Г (English/Romanian, 2017), There's No Paradise and Other Selected Poems Tanka & Haiku (2019), and Tainted With Prayers/Contaminado con oraciones (English/Spanish, 2019). His haiku and tanka have been internationally read and appreciated. web: https://profrksingh.wordpress.com ; email: profrksingh@gmail.com
Thanks Sunil ji for publishing my 'tanshi' poems.
ReplyDeleteR K