She asks me br What is a poem? br br Her shapely nose, br Her lips like two slices of water melon, br Her eyes reflecting clear blue sky, br Her thick hair like dark grey clouds, br Her horizon-like forehead br Are poems. br br Frolicking of children, br Gossiping old women, br Cheering buddies gathered to spend an evening together, br Waiting travellers with carry-on bags in hand, br Strolling couples in a park, picnickers, br Are all features of a poem. br Lively sunlight warming the sanitorium stairs, br A nude poster, br A gypsy girl, br Are poems. br br Ramble through a wonderland, br Laughter at an amusement park, br Still blue lake, br Scream of herons slipping on the rocks, br Thunder of a water fall, br Symphony of four seasons, br Song of pure rains, br Silent hunch of rainbow, arching over all, br Are poems. br br Children of Bosnia br All are words of a poem. br Prior to gang rape br Women were preambles to poems, br Now they are complete poems. br Suppressed scream of a prisoner br In torture chamber br Is also a poem. br The blood ablaze br In the snow clad valley of Kashmir br Is fast becoming a poem. br Death of the starving in Somalia is a poem. br Coffin of the peace keeping soldier br Is a real-life poem. br br She asks me, what is a poem? br Shall I tell her br That her poem inscribing fingers are too a poem br And her handwriting, br Her handsome portrait, br Her brown sandal br Even destiny under her feet br Are a poem. br br She knows! br She is a poem to me clad in mauve.