A canvas
stands on an easel,
a beaming bride in her finery,
as the paintbrush drapes
the flowers, buds and bees
in shades of desire,
and the blazing orange
of the spring sun
spreads its radiance.
And within,
a loss takes the shape
of a deep black crater,
a memory,
like a melancholy tune,
wafts through the lonely boulevards
of the sleeping city,
revisiting old haunts.
A starless December night
remains witness
to the contrast.
Mallika Bhaumik: She had been a student of literature and did her masters in English Literature from the University of Calcutta. She is passionate about writing and many of her poems and stories have been published in National and International anthologies, well known magazines. She is an event planner by profession and is fond of music, travelling and cooking. She lives with her husband and sons in Kolkata and is a proud Kolkatan.