where nature is a malayali girl .

come to kerala
for the rain festival.

pack an umbrella
and rubber footwear
your cotton shorts
book your ringside seats
in my balcony
i will organise
beachchairs
lemon tea
feed you roasted groundnuts
thin gruel with cooked lenthil
with grated coconut

if you impress the mother in law
she will fix you
tapioca and red fish curry
and i can smuggle in some
authentic local toddy
inside cola cans.
while we watch the coconuts-tree-dance
"possessed" with the all the devils
of the monsoon winds.

those of you
who like adventure tourism
can stay for the evening
thunderstorm and pshychedilic lightning
the scared ones can keep my daughter
and our little dog company downstairs
where Daddy can give you updates on
the current dirty political game

watch the rain with me
come huddle
say nothing
dont move
watch the blessed rain
and let the wicked sores
of summer heal


when was the last time
you admired a perfect puddle?
the garden hibiscus , the mango tree
the azure sky, the shivering crow
thrown into a magical mirror
fallen from the sky, unbroken still.

listen to the rush of rainwater
hurrying by the roadside
paper boats, twigs, dry leaves
all of the summer's sweat
this music of flowing water
soothing cool music
will play on far into the night

and you can sleep in the children's room
all four windows open
fanned to sleep
by rain angels.
you will drink
sweet monsoon night air
in your sleep and i promise you
you will dream of rainbows.

if you wake up early enough
we can go for a morning stroll
listen to the dripping sound
of rain slipping off my garden plants.
its rain festival in kerala .
and nature is this malayali girl
with jasmine buds on her wet mangled tresses.