Kushal shares a poignant reflection on observation and evolution in this evocative poem, exclusively on DifferentTruths.com today.

An old pelican rejects 
the origami fish 
We brought it for it.

The last hour at the zoo 
smelts out the pith of the feathers,
bones, rocks, streams and trees.

My daughter desires to leave
the space of caged sadness,
sphere of agitated monkeys.

We could have been inside those cages
had the evolution taken a wrong turn
We sit beside a fish pond. 

The water is so thick that
Even the pebbles do not sink.

My daughter wants some peanuts. 
I remind her about the allergy.
The sky evolves around us.
The return bus honks at the hollow stand.

Picture design by Anumita Roy

Kushal Poddar

Kushal Poddar, the author of ‘A White Cane for the Blind Lane’ and ‘How to Burn Memories Using a Pocket Torch’, has ten books to his credit. He is a journalist, father of a four-year-old, illustrator, and editor. His works have been translated into twelve languages and published across the globe.