A Goodbye So Quiet

A Goodbye So Quiet


Would it have helped
after 14 years

if I;d framed things
in the elaborate politeness
your language demands..

if I'd fought
in the mock-anger
you once explained..

if my impatient American self
had cooked
with masalas
and chick peas...

blended gourds
and ground beef
pre-soaked pulses...

with gentle
sour and spice
meeting...

if I'd learned
to move in yoga-rich
grace

a piquant and yet still
soul-cleansing
slowness?