Afternoon
There was acid
In the sun
No screen seemed gentle enough
Winds hot and screeching
Shelled all.
The solitary stray
Lolling its tongue
Ran up and down
Looking for the tiniest bit of water.
Someplace.
It was hellish
Yet the shade
Never forgot its humility.
It sheltered all who sought.
Yet the birds did twitter.
Numb with heat
She strolled
Having no place to go
She chose the shade
But was it enough?
Monsoon
The showers were unrelenting
Tough
Upon every unfortunate soul
The boy and the girl
Stood together
Clutching the tree trunk.
Yes it was their solitary hope
But would the thunder
Spare?
The moist clothes
Hugged their bodies
Hair dripped water.
Each thunder clap
Was menacing
No wonder they shook.
It came flashing down
Taking both at one go
Now no one feared.
Dr Kusumita Mukherjee Debnath
Dr Kusumita Mukherjee Debnath is Assistant Professor and Head in the Department of English of Rajganj College in Jalpaiguri, West Bengal. She obtained her Ph. D in 2017 from the Rabindra Bharati University for her thesis titled “Negotiating Postmodernity”. Her specializations are American and Postmodern Literature however she is drawn towards Indian writing in English and its myriad possibilities. She is also a poet. Her solo book of poems is entitled “Beware! Beware! Her Flashing Eyes, Her Floating Hair” and was published in 2022 by Penprints Kolkata.