In Its Element Poem by Dann Thomas

Dripping wet from the cold bath in the morning rain
The tickly excited chill of a new day to be served hence
Atishoo sneezed the Brahmin poojary onto the lane
Atishoo sneezed the mountains in recompense
Atishoo, much more feebler from a Harijan in pain.
The unhappy poojary goes inside, himself to re-cleanse.

A million drops from heaven reign upon the land
Washing tear, dreams and differences into the sand.

The many windowed house disturbs the valley mown
Waiting emptily for so many faces to frame
Click click. A worn shoe softly taps time alone
Click click as lights come on in slow train
Click click. A flint fails to spark, a picture is torn
The sounds of time hang in solitary strain.

The distant void carries not a hum of hope,
Unchanging memories, a trigger is groped.

On stiletto shoes, hips strut in provocative mirth
Standing tall, fiery red, across the 43rd street haze
Flash. On the cat walk with camera bulbs flirt.
Flash. A fleeting reflection of a lined face.
Flash Gordon a happy memory on a T-shirt.
Walks on, never delving long in that beautiful phase.

Every day beams of air fill up with boxfuls of sun,
To light up eye, mirror and shadows on the run.

Crouched, veins stream down taunt and tense
Dark thin fingers powder the dry thirsty earth
Thud. The pounding of little grain into sustenance
Thud. Another hungry body thrown into the dirt.
Thud. A heart feels for love lost to dark silence
And the only hope is the welcoming arms of death

An expanse called home to the dead and living
An abundance of hope but mostly unforgiving

Happiness runs on little legs, her hair flying in the breeze
Clutching a little smile, to chase away your dismay
Swish. Angelic wings flap away from cold's painful freeze
Swish. A swing in a field ascends to the clouds of May
Swish. The wind laughs through the great big trees

She dances through the clouds and emptied spaces
A peck, a kiss on the lips of oh so many faces.

Main characters in this poem: -
Life and the elements - Water, space & time, Fire & light, earth, air & wind respectively.