A Rainy Night in Sonipat

Ruchira Sen

 

I think I will stay here as the rain falls

It’s plain land, not the hills or the sea

But it will have to do because it’s safe

And I’m a woman.

 

Don’t want to die in my quest for healing

Don’t want to be afraid while traveling

I want to drink my tea and watch the sky

Split open bringing rain.

 

A white hibiscus in my garden blooms

The fragrant jasmine overgrows the fence

Dickinson composed while skimming the milk

That’s what women do.

 

The baby is asleep. I am awake.

For a few hours, I belong to me.

No Shimla trip, no Manali can give

What my son can do just by falling asleep.