An evocative love poem by Smita.
We finished with every trick in the bag. If someone watches closely, almost like a halo, Calm, radiates around us. The meaning of excitement has changed. It’s no longer arousal, sea-food, heavy metal . . . We’re happy with dim lights, hand-holding, The live band crooning, “I just called to say I love you . . .” Long drives in our Innova over Tricky mountain terrain, Arriving, at an isolated spot, Granting us an unrestricted view of Trishul, Nanda Devi, Panchachuli . . . A clear winter sky, the strong Sun pumping us with warmth, And you, pleading – “Let’s stay a while longer, Please, please, please . . .”
- Picture design Anumita Roy, Different Truths
Prof Smita Agarwal is a prominent Indian poet writing in English and a culturally active person. She is the author of three collections of poems: Wish-granting Words (New Delhi: Ravi Dayal, 2002); Mofussil Notebook (Calcutta: Brown Critique/Sampark, 2016); and Speak, Woman! (New Delhi: Red River, 2021), which has been shortlisted for the Sahitya Akademi Prize, 2025. She is the editor of Marginalized: Indian Poetry in English (Amsterdam and New York: Rodopi, 2014). She is also a trained singer who has performed on radio, television, and various government-sponsored cultural festivals. Her songs are available on YouTube. She is our National Editor: Literature and Music.
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