The Evening Tale
The Evening Tale
Dr. Preetinicha Barman
The stories never end,
Past mixed with the fanciful present
adds an extra charm to the drowsy evenings –
The enormous ponds, giant fishes gliding,
Riding through the golden fields;
Then…heavy cooking pots, covering children’s notebooks,
the metallic record-player, hot summers under the coconut palms –
All hover on the same axis.
The night wind turns them into
crisp delicacies,
Her occasional singing in a cracking voice
would make her young,
Looking into the mirror
she tidies up her greying hair;
The song and the smile compete for the rejuvenated lips,
The blush, the desire, the forlorn longing
intoxicate the opulent moon
laid on the evening sky
Dr. Preetinicha Barman (1982) teaches English Literature at Women’s College, Shillong. She writes in English, Assamese and Rajbangshi languages. Some of her English poems were published in the print and e-journals like Muse India, Peregrine Muse, The Thumbprint Magazine, Ethos Literary Journal etc. Aiyor Photok is her collection of Rajbangshi poems. Her critical essays have been published in various journals, both print and web as well as collected volumes. She is also a Classical Manipuri dancer
