This piece has found space in the poetry anthology titled When Fire Spoke to Water, brought out by LetsMakeStoriesDino, based on the same theme – the classic union between fire and water.
Here I’ve personified fire as Tangerine and water as Teal.
As the thunderous waters cascade down
Veiling the jagged mountains in a misty spray
Rocks, pebbles, leaves and blooms conjoin
Unlikely minstrels, in this vernal choir.
And then she slackens, and courses through the teeming town,
Where her banks reverberate with cries of ‘Jai Ma Gange’!!
The devout float their flame of faith
A blob of fire ensconced in a cradle green.
Bobbing on the holy waters, the fire serenades the night,
Kindling the hearts of men with hope, joy and light,
As Tangerine whispers gently to Teal, “You are only mine!”
Her slender, stately silhouette, her fragrant breath, her dewy lips
Inflame the embers of my soul with longings deep,
The lilting cadence of the balmy zephyr
Gently caresses her luscious face, and then mine.
As the honeyed tequila intoxicates the obsidian night
And the silver spangle above blushes a beetroot red,
She gently sways, whispering illusory avowals,
Promises that wane with the rise of the golden orb.
I stand – cautious, guarded – calming the eddies of my mind
While she melts in my arms – her blazing flame doused in my ocean of calm,
Forever entwined!
That’s when Tangerine assures Teal, “You are truly mine!”
Like the chirpy birds, flitting and scudding along their homeward flight,
Like the weary winds susurrating through the boughs of the jaded palms,
Like the periwinkle petals pecking each other gossamer goodbyes,
Like the viridian veins of the scented grass glowing in the setting sun,
Like the shadows of passionate lovers lengthening along the shores,
The sun, too, melts into the horizon in its opaline splendour.
A pearly palette splashes across the grey, translucent sky,
A fiery gold kisses the waves and croons a soft lullaby,
As Tangerine embraces Teal and sighs, “You are forever mine!”
