The Sleeping Pond

By Sonal Kamble

you and i pull beneath the skin of the riverface

the one that oils algae-sheathed pebbles 

the one in the dream you keep dreaming 

where raindrops beat the lily-gongs and 

a baby dragon flies deep below, where

we huddle to watch it fall, falling

to our home in this beloved

ugly tree root

our home flowers out from the body of a

sad felled tree, beneath the tree swim 

you and me. in idle tides there’s 

pastures to see, in the above where 

all foals burn white. a knot of water 

warps our sky, then our banana cloud 

bloats into a weapon. you dream of 

bullets bursting from its mouth and

pitching down 

to raze us both

above, above, above, windfall leaves 

carve into currents, but we are strong

and little fish, baby, with full hearts 

beating one single loop of blood

so stop dreaming of red-roiled 

waters or a death that’s too 

human to come

as green wakes the water and

pale mist curtains first light

let’s just float in this cradle 

of a back eddy 

two fish far from earth

together, two fish in

the sleeping pond.