Like a painting by Velazquez br A woman stands br Alone in the frame br Touched by the brush of light br Blossoming. br br How did br Flesh Tint reflect Naples Yellow br In this greenish blue room? br br What made the sun br Suddenly rise on the palette? br br That beggarwoman on Tulsi Pipe Road br That streetwalker in Chicago br What immortal light has washed them br To make her stand here br Naked br In mysterious clarity? br br Venice, Barcelona, Madrid, Rome br Florence, Castile, Nice, br Pune, Satara, Valsad, Palanpur, Jaisalmer, br Thrissur, Kottayam, br Hissar, Ludhiana, Muzaffarpur, Bhuvaneshwar, br Ujjain, Jhansi, East Godavari, Karwar, br Vengurla, Alibag, br All geography is as colourless as linseed oil br Pigments come from the sky br Like a naked woman from over the Western Ghats br Luminous.