(The Old Man and The Sea – Shaleen Rakesh)

He sits there
in an old wooden boat
his hands folded together
like gnarled branches
of an ancient oak tree

that intertwine and combine
with details in the wrinkles
like the caves of arunachala

he doesn’t say anything
he just looks at me
as if examining youth

he and time
have been together
long enough
he knows
what youth
does not know

he does not say anything
as he looks at me
but I can see that
in the tiny trembles
of his lips, there is
a smile.

Shaleen works as an activist on gay rights in New Delhi, India. When he is (also when he is not) traveling down fabulous Indian village roads, he takes pictures, draws and writes poetry. The Bling Diary is a queer poetry and art column updated whenever it’s time to run down the street with sparklers