Pramila Khadun

 

Pramila Khadun

 

Midnight Moments

 

When the world is plunged in sleep deep,

I sit on a sea-swept shore

And think of the havoc that covid-19

Is doing to humanity.

It is midnight.

The beautiful moon, untouched by Covid

Is not rejoicing her safe plight.

She is sad and shedding tears of grief.

The clouds, seeing her, cry out their hearts

And the rain drenches my naked body.

I look at the trees

Which are much older than me,

They speak out words of wisdom

With an uncompromising faithfulness to humanity.

In complete unison, they cry,

‘May man be protected from harm.’

While the stars commune silently,

Their sombre faces looking

At the debility of many men and women,

Undergoing a canny experience with Covid-19,

I walk back home carrying the weight

Of midnight moments, while the transparent

mysterious night starts embracing

The beautiful hours of the morning.

 

 

 

At Midnight,

He Poured Water In Her Mouth

 

She is a long time yachting enthusiast,

A courageous, original and daring girl.

Her laughter is clearly spontaneous

And her voice often cracks like a child.

She is incalculably endearing,

Has an articulate manner

And outgoing telegenic personality.

She went to see the blue lakes of Switzerland

And the beautiful edifices of Italy.

Every night, she thought about them

Until sleep allured and captured her eyes.

She listened to the horses snorting and neighing

While carts were rattling and squealing.

While the scent of the lilac bloom rose in the air,

She felt an invisible pair of wings

Carrying her higher and higher in the sky.

Sometimes, she looked at the sky

As vaguely as a solitary dove.

A dewy luxury filled her eyes

And while she looked

At the shooting of meteor stars,

She enjoyed listening to the soft music

Of the holy sphere.

She didn’t have an over-dependence on cars and malls.

One evening, she went in a well-preserved

Natural open space amidst almond blossoms,

Cinnamon and rain-scented eglantine.

The moon was shining between the pines.

Three men came with lust overflooding their eyes,

Mouth watering with vicious saliva

And penis erect and hard like a cane.

They raped her in turns, beat her

And strangled her to a point

Just short of death.

She cried and a stranger passing by heard her.

He gently touched her and said,

‘What are you doing here at midnight, fair lady?’

 

She sobbed uncontrollably and his heart melted

And in between sobs, she told him about her nightmare.

He held her in his arms, kissed her and looked into her eyes.

He cleaned her wounds and poured water in her mouth.

Together, beneath the great sky,

They slept till the early hours of the morning.

The following Sunday, they were happily married.

 

 

 

When Christ And Krishna

Cried At Midnight

 

We are sure the thought-provoking luminaries,

Cutting-edge visionaries and tireless researchers

Must be pondering on how our lives

Have changed in unimaginable proportion.

We are convinced that everybody who plays a crucial role

In helping people live their lives expansively

Must be wondering with a delicate sense

Of moral concern and a necessary sense of urgency

That something serious has to be done

Before we all sink down with brows cloudy.

Dazed and confused, with face sad and sombre,

I walked alone in the valleys where tower

The cotton trees, in faith and not in fear.

Suddenly, I saw a light on top,

With a compelling power of attraction.

Looking carefully, I saw Christ and Krishna

Sitting close to each other, fingers intertwined,

Like inseparable twins who are alike and think alike.

There was a deep silence, I joined my hands and prayed.

I felt mysteriously heart-broken

Seeing their tears trickling down.

I walked a few steps closer to them

And the light became brighter.

Christ wiped Krishna’s tears

And Krishna wiped Christ’s tears.

I sat close to them sobbing lamentably.

They wiped my tears as well.

‘Do not cry Mama,’ Christ said lovingly

And Krishna whispered in my ears,

‘Mama, where there is life, there is hope.’

 

PRAMILA KHADUN

 

PRAMILA KHADUN: Mrs Pramila Khadun is a write/poetess from the Republic of Mauritius. Married to Raj, she has three children Dr Rajnee, Captain Kaviraj and Priyumvada. She is holder of a BSc degree in Home Economics from S.N.D.T. University, India and a Post Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) from Mauritius Institute of Education. Before retiring as educator, she was head of Home Economics at Modern College. She has had published Seven collections of poetry. She has contributed in at least 100 international anthologies. She has received various certificates of recognition worldwide.