The Tropical Heart

Rise and Fall of the Breath!

Sweat percolating at the pores!

The ease of a lady with a

Cloth gently wrapped around her body:

Breasts free, uninhibited.

Sheltered from your gaze

By a soft veil.

The kaw of a crow!

The mating call of a peacock.

A Koel singing.

Large jackfruit hanging like studded jewels.

Monkeys swinging, thrifting, climbing.

Streets filled with incessant chatter.

The crescendo of raised voices.

Laughing, fighting, arguing, jostling, elbowing.

The thrill of a bargain.

The heady scent of  jasmine, roses, and champaca,

The stimulating smell of filter coffee!

A subtle stench in dark corners from men relieving their bladders.

The people! the plants, and the animals:

Impatient and alive in their uninhibited emotions.

The dance of a peacock,

Flaunting the promise of the lush land!