Ten Tanka Poem by Ram Krishna Singh

1
butterfly cushions
flutter the skirt
flame flickers
ground to whiteness
for her feast


2

in the park
seeing the green in her eyes
joy wells up:
she feels the silver blue
the leaves breathing her touch


3

looking for image
of divine on the wall
to pray or chant
a mantra or hymn in mind
she leans on him to kiss


4

in the air
I expected romance—
corona:
avoid her kiss
and breathing too


5

light switched off
for love sliding on
window pane
moon too shies away
behind the bare tree
6

intruding
the darkness of bedroom
a tree's silhouette:
she whispers its masked presence
and says no to making love


7

the power goes off
suddenly summer heat chokes
in bed sleepless she turns
undoing a hook or two
of her tight blouse

8

it's not ageing
but eternal delight
you under me
smooth belly, nude necking
slow stroking, parting flesh

9

short nights and long days
sleep loss rustles a friction
echoing in bed
the cycle of cravings
over and over again

10

in the white of night
sighs for supreme delight
steal tender pleasure
manipulating wetness
in bed unmask simple sin


--R. K. Singh