A Rain Tree Falls in Dighalipukhuri

You heard evening birds,

A pandemonium of whispers.

Early mornings, a sad old man

Sleeping under it, dreaming hot May.

Under the big rain tree

Lived a night forest.

The strange woman uttered deep profanities.

Do you know where fruits come from?

Always overdressed, her rags

A mountain even in summer.

Another rag added, the next time you saw her.

Leaves above, leaves under her feet.

When the big tree fell, everyone came.

Children from long ago, after school

Saw ants crawl out, birds hatching, a snake slithering

Into the watery dark where every tree became a story.