TANTRUM

 TANTRUM

 

Green grain fields, cocoanut groves,

Garden of a youth, banana leaves,

Adjacent to field canal greenish,

Admiringly boathouse sailing, invite,

Freshness in air aural infiltrating,

Sunlight orange, bright, entices,

Charming fair lady flower ornate,

Silhouette of female visitors in a boat,

Get down softly, move in fields,

Sparkles cluster of lotus in the pond,

Instinctively youth picked a lotus,

Offered to the lady she received,

She liked lotus pink, gave it to a friend,

Somehow, got youth dissatisfied,

Looking at her beauty, calm, composed,

Her white dress to knee silken shiny,

White shoe pointed high heels,

Slender leg white foot but tall,

A white figure, face charming from far,

Dark eyes, black eyebrows, red lips,

Awestruck youth by her beauty,

From a distance stood like a rock,

Looking at her eyes eyelids didn’t bat,

Hooked to her presence, forgot rest,

The nature, moving boat now rest,

Must be waiting for her, a visitor,

Suddenly the young woman looked,

Caught eyes of youth, smiled, waved,

Indicated to come near, he watched,

Immovable like rock, little blinked,

Looking straight at her invitation,

He looked back, in sock approached,

The fair female scrutinizing him,

Sat on a nearby rock, started drawing,

Requested youth to stand in front,

Told to be still as he was looking,

She drew black, granite, muscles,

Bare chest, shining black face,

Wide eyes penetrative innocent,

A stick on hand, loincloth cotton,

Covering up to thighs, firm, strong,

She drew pencil pictures exactly,

His white teeth between thick lips,

Long nose face as if idol of Lord,

She was discussing with her friend,

Bare feet, the youth inquired shyly,

What she will do with a pencil drawing,

She could not understand local talk,

Explained friend to her, and she laughed,

Tell him, I shall draw a painting,

Today, he is my hero, imaginary,

Appeared as a frame amidst nature real,

Inkling, she thought if Krishna calling,

She gave thousand rupees for the dress,

Another thousand for the shoe to buy,

Started leaving, the youth returned,

Returned notes into her hands,

Folded hands, he told not a beggar,

Was the owner of fields, cocoanut yard?

Came to enquired about the stranger,

Loved her sight, thought a beauty,

She asked to forgive, left quickly,

The youth embraced tantrum stood,

The sun sank, and darkness invaded.

 

@ Bijayananda Mishra