The Sheets

By Anonymous
Translated By R. Parthasarathy
Smudged here with betel juice, burnished there   
with aloe paste, a splash of powder in one corner,   
and lacquer from footprints embroidered in another,   
with flowers from her hair strewn all over   
its winding crumpled folds, the sheets celebrate   
the joy of making love to a woman in every position.

Source: Poetry (April 2006)