Sunil Sharma writes

Crushed within!

The un-slept 

Other half 

Of the old bed.

The quilts/sheets 

Light summers 

For the hill resort.

The shrill laughter 

Un-heard by the others 

On dark nights 

When a truant moon 

Hides---behind a bank of 

Grey clouds, kissed by a rough wind.

Shadows lingering in the hall 

The passages and rooms.

The jasmine flowers 

In the black hair bun 

And the scents 

Circulating in the places 

Frequented by a kind being, despite 

Rheumatism.

The encounters 

Once, lively intoxication 

Now---empty; surreal.

Black holes of the universe 

Sliding within a soul 

Developing cracks within--- 

Like the glass shattered 

Of a once-cheerful home 

On an abandoned farm!

Hindu Widow -- Ram Kinkar Baij