AJANTA PAUL

★ ★ ★ ★

POETRY

Image by Vino Li

Night

The sky was black
like a cat, the yellow moon
the tawny slit of an eye

in a feline fur of darkness
watching the earth, stealthily,
trailing it dutifully

like the familiar
of a cunning conjuror,
performing tasks allotted to her,

as her mistress mixed potions
of haunted hibiscus and bleak nightmare,
brewed tears and dark despair

in a cauldron of fear,
stirring its promiscuous potpourri
in time’s slippery slurry.

In the magic of the moment
of that wild, witching hour,
planet and moon waltzing,

firmament turning,
silent, sultry satellite
reflects the unseen star’s blighted light.

Ajanta Paul is an academic from Kolkata, India who writes poetry, short stories and literary criticism. She has published in literary journals including Spadina Literary Review, The Pangolin Review, The Piker Press, Shot Glass Journal, Poetic Sun, Capella, The Punch Magazine and The Bombay Review. She was nominated for the Pushcart Prize in 2020. Ajanta published a collection of short stories The Elixir Maker and Other Stories in 2019 and a book of poetic plays The Journey Eternal in 2013.

6 Comments

  1. Anonymous

    Lovely imagery

    Reply
    • Anonymous

      Thank you!

      Reply
  2. Anonymous

    Beautiful! Happy Halloween

    Reply
  3. Anonymous

    Your poem has given a new perspective of Halloween.

    Reply
    • Anonymous

      Pure chance that I came across this wonderful coming together of images of night! You are definitely the master of alliteration. Read Night several times! Will look out for more!
      Pritam Benjamin ( your ole teacher)

      Reply
  4. Anonymous

    I am friends with your sister Robita Sinha
    Mike Mastromatteo
    mastrofamily@live.ca

    Reply

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