Aditya Shankar
Touch-Ⅰ At times, I feelthe most moving touch is a handshake—a tree and a nest on it,at liberty to evolve into themselves. Is it a rub of shoulders?Strangers in adjacent train seats oradjacent plots in a housing colony,at ease in their silent camaraderie. The touch of wisdomas you read lines that define you.A pat on the back,the blessing of mankind translated into a touch. The touch of a smile,a crescent moon that rose only for you.The dreamy touch of winter in orchards.The goodbye touch of eyes from the gallows.A nursing touch on the ill.A touch of equality on the marginalized. The hug of a father,a private cartography of care.The warmth of a mother,the touch that you wish to hold forever.The touch of love,just how rain completes a pothole. The touch of the hand of god.The saintly touch of Mother Teresaon the sorrows of Kolkata.The defining touch of Gandhion the Indian soul. Sorry, I'm not able to choose.I'm composed of all the touchesthat you planted on me. Note:* - Hand of God is the goal by Diego Maradona, 1986 Soccer World Cup.
Touch-Ⅱ The body wishes to be touched in farewell. Arms of the river around the torso.Parental soul of metal on the metro handrails.Knuckles of green at the branch bend. Kiss/hug/pat/shake hands— says the conformist. Look/wave/turn back/disappear—says the pining. A peck on the cheek by God— the divine seekers. Holding the hands of beloved— the suffering. Braving the assault of the police— the revolutionary. The breath subsumed in wind— a dying spring. What else is a mystery, if not the chronology of touch?What else is a farewell,if not a miniature of death? Aditya Shankar is a Pushcart and Best of the Net nominated Indian poet, flash fiction author, and translator. His work has appeared in international journals and anthologies of repute from twenty-five or more nations and translated into Malayalam and Arabic. Books: After Seeing (2006), Party Poopers (2014), and XXL (Dhauli Books, 2018) that was shortlisted for the Yuva Puraskar by Sahitya Akademi, India. He lives in Bangalore, India.
Touch-Ⅱ The body wishes to be touched in farewell. Arms of the river around the torso.Parental soul of metal on the metro handrails.Knuckles of green at the branch bend. Kiss/hug/pat/shake hands— says the conformist. Look/wave/turn back/disappear—says the pining. A peck on the cheek by God— the divine seekers. Holding the hands of beloved— the suffering. Braving the assault of the police— the revolutionary. The breath subsumed in wind— a dying spring. What else is a mystery, if not the chronology of touch?What else is a farewell,if not a miniature of death? Aditya Shankar is a Pushcart and Best of the Net nominated Indian poet, flash fiction author, and translator. His work has appeared in international journals and anthologies of repute from twenty-five or more nations and translated into Malayalam and Arabic. Books: After Seeing (2006), Party Poopers (2014), and XXL (Dhauli Books, 2018) that was shortlisted for the Yuva Puraskar by Sahitya Akademi, India. He lives in Bangalore, India.