East London

east london
an african sun suddenly stood
still
in the midst of rain
people
and thoughts
unseen
a song climbed
another tenor
splashing you
ferns of laughter grew wild
a patter of rainsteps
ran amok
shadows
tugged
whispered
of distant shores
long lost touch
wet with a shiver
of dawn.

Photograph by Kaustav Mitra

Rain

Steady patter of summer that swung into your
windows
eyes that begged me to keep quiet
and wait for a promised
rain
again.

Silk Screen Print and Drawing by Amitabh Mitra
From my book, A Slow Train to Gwalior

Haiti 4

yes, it seems just like yesterday
there were many tomorrows
after that
and many tomorrows
really never lived
a man who survived
asked
about the sea
and the stillness
of a zealot sky
voices had been crushed
long before that
an aging earth
in an unforgiving
corner
never breathed
that day.

Poem and Ink Drawing by Amitabh Mitra

Haiti 3

the dead lived in caskets
their eyes shorn
suddenly
of a wisp
of unwept
agony
the dead saw
the living
in complete
congruity
as the living rushed
to be next to them
in death
life merely stammers
in death
eyes remember
the strangeness
of its first dawn.

Poem and Ink Drawing by Amitabh Mitra

Haiti 2

helicopters crossed a torn
sky
while birds escaped
on to the other side
people stretched their hand long
people peered at the hole for long
people caressed the tear for long
there were no stars
there wasn’t any sun
the birds never came back.

Poem and Ink Drawing by Amitabh Mitra

Haiti 1

haitians stood
some came from afar
there was this strange smell
not of death
nor of the dying
nobody had seen before
the laughter
of death
nobody
had spoken before
the common language
of death
nobody before
died
while watching death.

Poem and Ink Drawing by Amitabh Mitra

Haiti

people queue for rations
a ravaged sunset hides behind a tall night
a child suddenly just forgot to cry
a mother couldn’t remember her only child
the queue then just touched a solitary sky.


Poem and Ink Drawing by Amitabh Mitra