Mukul’s poem for Different Truths depicts an old man, now filled with jingling coins and a renewed spark, heading home with his earnings from the Holi market.

The containers emptying of colours,
filling him a nervous relief,
The amplifying clink of the coins
animating his stilled bearing,
The extinguished eyes turn
two flickering flames,
Their radiance is a gleaming dusk.
With sprightly steps, he emerges
from the village Holi market,
Headed to his hut.
At home, he parks his selling kit,
Shoots a smug smile at his wife,
emptying his pocket of coins
for her to count,
Comes out to dust off his attire,
It is a discoloured grey,
The flying dust intrudes into
The colours raised by a Holi troupe.
The old man sells all his
Colours for coins. 

Picture design by Anumita Roy

Mukul Kumar

Mukul Kumar is a civil servant, novelist and poet. Presently he is working in the Ministry of Railways. His published works include three novels, ‘As Boys Become Men’, ‘Seduction by Truth’ and ‘Lost in the Love Maze’, and three poetry anthologies, ‘The Irrepressible Echoes’ ‘Catharsis’ and ‘Rhythm of the Ruins’. Mukul has been honoured with the National award for 0utstanding service to the Indian Railways. His latest poetry collection “Rhythm of the Ruins” achieved the distinction of being recommended for Sahitya Akademi Award, 2024.

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