6 pm,
whiffs of a
clear,earthy
rain-flavoured wind

it starts off
as a tame drizzle
grows into a
full fledged downpour

some far away door
crashes against the wind
whoosh of the gale outside
curtains flying

close these windows now
thunder rumbles and roars
the world blinks
streaks of lightning

bang!
goes the transformer
frantic groping
for emergency lights

8 pm now,
they fade away soon,
flicker of the oil-lamp
burns a wind-distorted flame

black out in the apartment
someone's stuck in the lift
voices echo
in the corridor stairway

amma and I
sit in the balcony
black leaved trees
ominous animal outlines

its those monkeys again
chattering,swinging from
branch to brach
and into someone's kitchen.

we gossip,watch passers-by
mingled smell
of wet earth,
hot chai and samosas

Candle,with its
rainbow ringed yellow,
tilt it to get
wax finger-cups

familiar old routine,
hyderabadi ministorm,
I miss the excitement
of power cuts.

yellow days
like fraying edges
of old parchment

the dust of vellore
subtly golden
noise pixels

thirsty sun
coffee bean
roasted skin

dead flies
in the canteen
heat-killed conversations.