A PHILOSOPHER SEES SRINAGAR THROUGH POETRY

THE AGE OF EUDAIMONIA
When the great ancient flood abated
Revealing symbolism behind metaphor
Satisar exposed her muddy ribs
My throbbing chest well kept
Inside a web of bridges
Running from heart to heart
They called me the 'City of Bridges'

THE AGE OF STOICISM
When the children cried for help
They fed them iron, bullets and fire
With bridges burned down
My heart gasped in smoke
Some left and endured
Some endured and left
They called me the 'City of Fire'

THE AGE OF HEDONISM
With wires growing out of my skin
Ugly malls mask my face
Copious cars crawl my plastic veins
Cement obscures my feeble heart
No one hears my frozen cries and whispers
Inside warm cafés throbbing with sound and junk
They call me the 'City of Cafés'

GNOTHI SEAUTON

(For H n A)

It all starts later
When everything has ended
Past that last call
After that orgasmic angry episode
In the later part of indifference
It all starts later -
Especially the loving -
After you ended the last call
On that lifeless depth of a tone
I have attended all your calls
That you never dialled
The dupatta that you forgot
Still hangs by the window of the room
Wagging like an unruly tongue
I had many meaningful conversations with

So this time when you come
Be warned
I may know you
More than myself