Rain Poem by Ajit Das

The dragon of summer spews fire,
draining moisture with its yellow heat.
Chataks holding their heads high up
wait for rain to slake relentless thirst.
The burnt-out days offer no respite,
restless nights drag on snatches of sleep.

Dark clouds gather, stratified into steps
spiralling up to the top of the sky;
thunder roars, lightning knives the dark.
Rain arrives on the shoulders of winds,
falls in torrent over the parched earth,
dotting it with puddles, miniature lakes.

Trees stretch out branches in ecstasy;
fragrance of drenched soil wafts in the air.
Sibilant sounds, rhythmic waves of croak
build up the symphony of the downpour.
The fatigue of long summer months
vanishes in the wetness of the first rain.

*chatak - rain bird