Our Summer

Before everything went out of our reach
We walked past the crowded alley,
Making our way among lazy cats, morose pigeons and dead smiles

Still holding our own under the scorching sun
Above us, the cloudless, naked sky,
Shooting sharp rays without a pause

Struggling with our voices in the blazing heat,
Everybody was concerned with dry leaves
Unmapped pains and wounds filled the memory landscape.

Skinny birds were circling above, the yellow flowers
Carried the soft words, unknown alphabets.
We were still not safe in the money exchanges.

Murals on the wall and the colours on the pavement-
It was like that we forgot to resume our handshakes,
To soak in the bonhomie of love and friendship.

Gopal Lahiri is a bilingual poet, critic, editor, writer and translator with 24 books published, including five jointly edited books. His poetry is also published across various anthologies as well as in eminent journals of India and abroad. His poems are translated in 16 languages. He has been nominated for Pushcart Prize for poetry in 2021. Read other articles by Gopal.