No Veil I

We would go to Husainabad
We would sit there for hours
We would sit near the water
Seeing our shadows
We would find peace together...

We--the minorities
We--the lovers
No, we don't need veil
We don't need veil for modesty
Lovers do not need veil for modesty
Their hearts are always modest!

Lucknow, India

The suitcase

She slept under the bed
During hot summer days
The red floor was cold and pleasant.

She took refuge under the bed
While holding the small suitcase in her hand;
The suitcase was full of necessary stuff
So that one can anytime travel to the unknown.

Whenever she was sad
She slept on the floor
embracing the suitcase.

When the outside world was gray
The bamboo suitcase filled the canvas with color.

Lucknow, India

Aging

My little bird,
I am aging...
Like a banyan tree
I touch the ground with my aerial roots;
My little bird,
Even though I ache
I would always bend my branchlets for you
To give you warmth and shelter you need;

My little bird,
When you come to me
and rest at my sprig,
We celebrate life, peace, and all that good!

Lucknow, India