Mother don’t please don’t Don’t cut off the sunlight with your saree spread across sky blanching life’s green leaves say You’re seventeen already flash sari in street make eyes at passersby be a tomboy riding winds play that tune again That mother her and had played on snake-charmer’s flute into ears of nitwits like me I’m just spreading my hood I’ll sink fangs someone lose venom Let go way Circumambulating holy plant yard making rangoli designs to see heaven turning up dead without light air for god’s sake I can’t do it Breaking out dam you’ve built swelling thunderstorm roaring through land let live very different from you