I walk down the winding paths towards the river
It is evening, I am holding a bamboo stick.
Blue is following me unwillingly, lazy
We are both lazy.

Summer has sprinkled her favourite colours
Yellow and a reddish, earthy brown
Over anything and everything imaginable.
Houses, trees, cattle, rocks, humans…

I am walking past the last few scattered houses
It is evening, there is a cool breeze
Blue has his mouth open, tongue out.
A wolf’s toothy grin.

The Monsoons tease us, leaving splotches of
vivid green nestled here and there
amidst the sun-colours as if to remind us
not to forget what was on its way.

I am at the start of the long concrete road
there are fields on either side
I am running, laughing at the sky. So is Blue.
We are both happy.

Mangroves line the very edge of the fields- a border
The faeries and elves living in them
They watch us race each other to the river
They are sickly, many are no more.

I am at the water’s edge, panting, exhilarated.
I listen to birds singing dream-songs
Blue is standing in the river, trying to drink it all up
We are both at peace.

The forest dwellers have followed us – hiding
they watch us, their faces twisted
Years of battling pollution has left them
weak, sickly, unhappy and so angry

I am running up the long road again – homewards
I stop in the middle, Blue shoots ahead
returns and watches me with bright yellow eyes
I look at the fields, the mangroves, the river
the sky streaked with night-whispers
I look at my dog. Blue looks at me.
The creatures watch our hearts smile, smile back
using the fields, the mangroves, the river
the sky streaked with birds and clouds
They smile back at us. We smile at each other.

I am walking up the road, arms out, looking up
It is evening, the sun is slowly setting.
Blue is following me gracefully, happy.
we are both very happy.