Bewildered City
Bridge frames bewildered city. Grey waters hold echoes of fading past, quiet…
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From Matchbox
Matchbox – August ’26
Gokarna Market Road
Ancient temple's market hums; a sadhu's smile, fiery grace. The bindi claims the seeking soul.
August 26, 2026
From a two-hundred-year-old Shiva temple,
turn left.
The market road in Gokarna
has two castes,
the worshipper and the curious.
On a half pink wall, sits
a yellow snake,
below which, is a border in Kanchipuram red.
In the Narayana temple on the left,
sits a sadhu,
his ochre robes a contrast
to the lavender from the jacaranda tree —
bending down, touching feet.
Confused, I bow,
do a namaste.
The sadhu raises a hand —
his smile setting on fire,
the dry leaves of fall.
The pujari at the door,
sears a red bindi on my forehead —
religion claims me,
like sudden water on dry earth.
📖
PART OF A COLLECTIONI Walk Instead and 3 Other Poems
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Maitreyee B Chowdhury
Maitreyee B Chowdhury is a poet and writer. She has authored- 'Uttam Kumar and Suchitra Sen: Bengali Cinema's First Couple', 'Where Even The Present is Ancient: Benaras', 'One Dozen-Hasan Azizul Huq'(Trans), 'The Hungryalists' and 'I Walk Instead'. Bengali Cinema's First Couple was shortlisted for the Crossword Awards(Non Fiction). Maitreyee is the editor of the literary journal The Bangalore Review and one of the founding members of The Bengaluru Poetry Festival. She has been widely published in national and international journals.