Rhododactylos Poem by Anway Mukhopadhyay

There is a cigarette between the two rosy fingers of Dawn. Homer is singing to Dawn, and to the cigarette. Zeus chastised Dawn in the night yesterday for her smoking obsession. But she will continue to smoke so long as the bow of night does not kiss the arrow of the day. And from her cigarette our eternal dissatisfactions are born. Zeus threatens her; she threatens him too.
'Father Zeus, if you shout too much, I will shift the temple of the Furies from Athena's head to the hallowed circle of my cigarette smoke.'
Zeus is afraid, and Apollo complains about his pampered sister.
As a gesture of protest, Apollo won't go to the market today, and the rays of the heart of the sea won't be bought.
Morning won't come.
My dear boy, let's sleep some time more....together. And Aphrodite's atomic dove will perch on your sweaty breast. This is how we invoke the Dawn, not in the sky, nor in the sea, but in the mouths of rosy-fingered lovers.