In Kushal’s poem, a child’s question births imagined trees—mango hybrids blooming in memory—while an eerie, fragrant dusk stirs mystery and sensation, exclusively for Different Truths.

The hairy sky scurries and slips
inside the dark head of a long tree.
"Which tree is it?" The child asks.

My mother always answered, "A mango."
So, we had cottonwood-mango,
fig-mango and guava-mango.

In the fragrant locks of the evening 
we hold our breath and release it.
The nameless tree buzzes around,
pricks our skin, and hisses near our toes.

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.

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