Pilgrimage Poem by O Sudhir Janardhanan

In this room, love resides
Every night, I, sleep with it besides

The light of a firefly in flight
Moving out, lead into the night
Breeze, rustles leaves, shivering slight
Moon drapes scene in cool light

Skin damp with sweat
Loves labour, leaves it warm, wet
The caress slides cool
The navel, becomes a love pool

The rising breath, caressing
the candle light wavering
Dark tresses to face lit, shifting
from, to, sight moving, playing

Nails, contours and teases irrationally
seeking curves and crests passionately
Fingertips, feel the welts that rise
from loves stroke, stark, arise

Fingers knead the skin
into, the soul deep, it reaches in
Tormenting the heart with an ache
squeezing breath into my soul, me it make

In this room, steeped in passion
I return, ever, for my love potion
In this darkness, lit, is my love's image
This to me, is my pilgrimage

In this room, love resides
Every night, I, sleep with it besides

© O. Sudhir Janardhanan