Ritual

 

                                                          By Ali Ashhar

It’s the month of October and the transition

is up for the day, the chirping birds witness

desolate leaves at the onset of fall season. Beyond

the aloof horizon belies a vibrant ray of hope;

the caretaker's metaphors get busy in bridging

the gap between the inner voice and the outer discord,

the syllables get heavy in the contemporary weather

for they carry the onus of vacant melodies

from erstwhile summer. The breeze of conscience around

the garden leads to a boulevard where fellow caretakers

vie for utopia; they follow a ritual in the toughest of times

they profess what comes easiest to them—enlighten the dark ambience.

About the author: Ali Ashhar is a poet, short story writer and columnist from Jaunpur, India. He is the author of two poetry collections: Mirror of Emotions (Notion Press, 2021) and Across the Shore (Zorba Books, 2024). He was chosen as the Best Debut Author for the year 2021 by The Indian Awaz and was the recipient of an India Prime 100 Authors Award. His works appear in Indian Review, The Raven Review, Wild Court International Poetry Journal and The Bosphorus Review of Books, among others.