bare feet, tapping a shared rhythm, beating
hearts thudding to the harmony of sounds:
booming music, swishing ghagras, fleeting
voices heard in the lilt of the melody.

is this what it means to be in love? this
irreplaceable tandem of dancing,
the wheel of colors and strangers going
round and a tight knot of passion massing,

right in the centre of my body, it
turns as i do, two steps forward, then two
steps back. a spin here, then forward again
why do i feel this way? would if i knew.

i don’t know i’m tired, until i stop,
so powerful is the hold of that knot.

* In India, in the state of Gujarat, the religious festival called Navratri can be translated into “nine nights,” when people get together to do Garba — a traditional dance form. Navratri marks the advent of the goddess Durga on Earth, who fought against and killed a demon king. She had nine different avatars, which is why nine nights of Garba are celebrated to honor and worship her.