Cherrapunji

Evening home of clouds
Above town, this village
Where the noonglow’s a special guest
Digging its heels in the mist;
Here, memories of splashing about
All day in rainbow mirrors, muddy puddles
Haunt lives.
My memory of the lone umbrella,
Ownerless, dancing in the windy rain
Through the football field where I stand,
Its emptiness ringing in my head
After all these years, a traveler
Whose heart rained when weary
Reached the stall of youth
On a timeless evening day,
The village above town, and heard the clouds
Murmur with schoolchildren their lessons,
Burst in laughter with lovers,
In the church, with the seeking, pray
Till the candles were lit.
When the rains stand still and fade
Into the horizon of thoughts,
Beyond evening hills, the clouds leave home.