The Shadow Poem by Jagannath rao Adukuri

First the silence of the hills
Echoed in my closed ears
As if they existed outside of me
The tall casuarinas called out
Yet remained chillingly silent
The valleys dripped with mist
The mountains lay noiselessly
Stacked one upon another
The eagle broke their silence
A shadowy figure smiled at me
Through the morning’s silence
These trees became gnarled
The salt had blackened their leaves
From out of the mangroves came
The growl of my own royal tiger
I have to conserve this species
Then came the sound of the drums
I have to preserve this culture
And the flame of my spirituality.
My body cried out for pleasures
My soul for otherworldly attainments.
He walks down the afternoon streets
In wooden slippers under a palm umbrella
Sending down gentle reminders
I can clearly hear his footsteps
Down the rain-soaked streets, lanes
My unfinished jobs here are many
I have yet to resolve contradictions.