The city was waking up,
The morning softly landing on the house tops.
A family of pigeons huddled on the bridge,
The lone spectator of the speeding car.

The driver was quiet through the verdant land
That revealed the climbing timber trails now and then.
Below, the stream puzzled at this sudden turn.

Detaining the sun, the sentinels of the Himalayan range
Changed colors in layers and
Holding the remnants of my stay in their folds
Pledged permanence.

I let the truth pass.
The pain that crept as the darkness swept
Claiming my body to be a hostage.
The streak of tail lights pierced the dreamy curtains
Turning a grieving red.
I tried to sleep counting white lilies,
Thinking of the water pond, descending mist.

The droplets clung to the clothesline in anticipation.
The autumn trees had begun creating golden beds,
One for each of us.