Time Thieving
No one gives a woman time,
She has to grab him by its neck,
Her shy, withdrawn lover,
Pin him down mercilessly,
Claim him as her own,
Throw her weight and sit on him,
Wrench him away from the hob,
Pull him from under the grinding stone,
Rescue him from wailing children,
Gather him from dusty corners…
Lest his elusive legs
Go wandering again
Out of sheer habit
To lands embroiled in drudgery,
Places best forgotten for a while
And kept aside, concealed,
Till she’s waltzed with her reluctant slave
Kissed, embraced and made love to him
To her heart’s content.
When he deserts her,
As is his wont,
Her short-lived dalliance
With her visiting lover
Won’t leave her heart-broken.
He’s made her a crafty robber.
She’ll leave her door open,
Wait with hot, bated breath,
Wide open arms, fresh memories
A sedulous woman
Who’s tasted sweet blood,
And she’ll go prowling again.
- Archana Pai Kulkarni
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