Karli – a reprise
These caves - an embalmed capsule of time The chaitya - a channel in space For here, in this kingdom of stone Monks, monarchs, maidens Equalled in rock, are forever trapped In a Deccan dot, deep unknown Sometimes though, if you stay behind (A mystic meditating in his mind) Long after the day-trippers are gone You may feel, with the dusky sun Yourself rooting with the basalt base The same old world, now newly born You’ll hear the stupa breathe with age You can feel the wooden brolly hum While lonely murmurs come to life Of marmoreal men, mendicants Their Yavan lores from lands afar, In times that will now never come The amorous Mithuns lock their lips You can feel them wet upon your skin Their moonlit love, musky deep Brings life to rocks that never sleep The caves not dead for a single day A subtle life, felt when you look but far away Now, a cold wind blows As melancholy floats from distant l...
