An Evening In July Poem by SRIRANJI ARATISANKAR

I am not Neil, my arms are not strong at all
So needless to say I could not be Neil Armstrong
Tell beforehand once, long ago (in July,1969)
I tried to imitate the man to set foot on the moon

A girl faultlessly beautiful came to our neighbour's house
On the occasion of chariot-festival of Lord Krishana,
We a group of boys and girls
went to visit the fair on the bank of a river...

It was July after-noon,
drizzling, enchanting dark blue shadow
Friends were loitering aimlessly, some of us detached
Buying a flute made of leaf palmyra tree
I was playing in joy sitting under a blooming kadamba tree
On the bank of the brimful river, none was there
Suddenly saw that faultlessly beautiful girl
coming out of the fair alone
I tried to draw her attention making a signal with the hand
She put on a flaming-fire-red frock,
moist gentle July breeze blowing indolently
enamoured being playful and inquisitive exasperating her
and playing with her curled hair and long forelocks

knitting the brows, she cast a bashful and timid glance
as if a streak of lightning and coming by slow steps
coming and coming and coming...as if endless way....

My assumption was wrong,
Actually she didn't take notice
Rather carefully observed a lamb as white as snow grazing
On the wavy verdant meadow
The girl started running after the lamb
in a funk running at high speed
And disappeared on the far-off mysterious bushy curvature...
Seemed a full moon running after a divine rabbit...
Next morning learnt that the girl left our neighbourhood..

Since then I haven't seen her,
Even her name also not known;

I name her moon
Now when I stay alone, closing eyes, can see
The sky is a river a far-extending blue river
There on the bank a blooming Kadamba tree underneath
deep blue shadowy July evening alighted spreading wings
A far-extended meadow,
The lush verdure of the July valley veritable
There a faultlessly beautiful moon girl
Running after a rabbit as white as snow

Running and running and running
But not disappearing.....