Teesta Review: A
Journal of Poetry, Volume 8, Number 1. May 2025. ISSN: 2581-7094
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Smitha Sehgal
Come
with me to our seaside town
of
flaming almond trees and salt breeze,
where
the green buses ply around the waters
of
Mananchira all day and the sea
unfurls
a
long grey ribbon, oblivious to the din
and
the clang of the street hawkers, piquant
season
of salted mangoes and fish,
to
the mouth of Sweet Meat Street
opening
into
the throng of the crowd and the clamour
of
bells and the scent of coffee
beans
mingling in the fragrance of marigold
and
incense, in the sharp breath of red grain.
Come
to hear the tales of sailors
in
the dingy bazaars of pepper and cloves,
to
the songs of timber floating in the Kallai
river,
Come
to swim in the eye of summer,
in
the tides climbing the shores of monsoon,
to
the full-throated song of the great hornbill
and
the moon- breath of mango flowers.
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Bio:
Smitha Sehgal
is a poet and legal professional. Her collection How Women Become Poems in
Malabar was conferred Runner- Up, The Wise Owl Literary Awards (Poetry
Category) 2025. She was adjudged as Featured Poet, Erbacce Poetry Prize- UK,
2025 and her second collection Brown God’s Child is forthcoming.
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