Wings of steel
screeched past feathers
deriding thunder lightening
cloud trudged
message of yaksha stowed in driblets
Life is too brief for dreams for fancies
technology has effaced stretches exile
fashioned armor on flesh darted through
Woven with fingers of metallic giants
jaded with concrete glazed with tar
opaque purdah covers visage of history
wind had blurred footsteps already
Present has no time to tangle with past
wait for future
pushes off as hog shoveling dirt onto chronicle
mules crawled from under
Horses are swifter
Hooves by the hundreds thousands
pounded the breast of earth
eager to emulate wind
reverse the tide of loincloth
armor forged with warmth of blood of life
magical spells of affection
Weavers watched with awe
Alexander descended to bow
monk in nude enthralled deluge of legions
curtain of dust veil of time
not thick enough to stifle all imprints
Earth has embraced steps culminating in leaps
more giant than forged on moon
men have walked
Buddha
Gandhi
Grumbled the steel
horse
wheels rolled, bugle sounded
melody vibrated air
Yamuna flows slowly eternally
upstream streamed reminiscences
fingers that fiddled with flute had held reins steering horses
sang Gita
chariots had rolled, bugles had sounded
Mantle of greatness has descended to adorn the fallen
chetak by river, queen in fields of Jhansi
Padmini in fort adorned with powder
fire thundered to propel in time
tales of defeat of marching legions
Fields garbed in choonar
dancing pubescence in flesh
urged multicolored sprinkle of affection, of love
Present has no time to revel in present
in narcissistic tangle
Stretch of sugarcanes sundered
life in flesh in carriage thrust his head neck buttocks feet
dirt road bestowed affable smile
Suddenly in twilight it dawned
this was not first
had journeyed before
Birth is magical
repeat is more
