the flash of a starlit night in corbett

once there was a road that led to the forest
where you and i often walked hand in hand
under the starlit night
and the canopies of teak trees
fringed with fireflies

shadows cast by vegetation
swayed like larger than life carnivores
stripes of moonlight
resembled tigers prowling for vegetating prey
and we held each others hands even tighter than before

those were the days
and those days will be back again soon

i long, as i am sure, do you
to kill time, to forage for things to do -
we still forage - but it would be different doing it there
it would not be boring to get bored in the wild
and i would love to hear you complain about the weather

too hot in summer, in winters too cold
too wet in the monsoon, the autumn barrenness too bold
too much light in days, too little to see in the dark
too much dirt, too much daze
just excessive love and too many friends

we will love excessively
we will fight some more
but we will walk under the stars of fireflies
holding hand till knuckles turn white
and we shiver with fright of tigers and cold

come let's get ready
let's pack and be on the way...
...soon