Languidly they sail above
Filling the skies in their thousands
Drifting like smoke on the air as it rises
Circling and spiralling like leaves
On a hot summer’s wind
Wingspan stretched to the max
They swoop as the small bird’s cry
Crows shout protests in voices gone hoarse
Doves dip below foliage and flee
Unconcerned, the kites circle the sky
Alert and silently ever watchful
On the city’s communication masts
They perch like swallows mourning the summer
While below others dive and twirl
Winging low over the ground
Ever faster, ever more elusive
The pariah kites remain ever distant
The wings fill my mind and my imagination
Bright eyes, yellow beaks cruelly soaring
Over the city till the end of time
Weaving invisible tapestries
Across the daytime city sky
They look for instant gratification
Criss-crossing their chosen terrain
While below the hunted hide
To and fro they swing and jibe
Turn and wheel and start again
Their constant flight my endless fascination
Intersect and interweave
Waiting for the night
The monsoon rain empties the heavens
No place for any bird to fly
Sheets of water plummet down until
Suddenly over, the sun timidly appears
And, once again, the raptors rule the sky
Far away in memory and time
I close my eyes and see how
The ghost of
Yellow eyes and talons clutch my mind
Winged Delhi stalks my memories I find.
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