MEHNDI CEREMONY, NIGHT BEFORE OUR WEDDING
by K Anand Gall
We mix henna with water,
eucalyptus and clove oils
a few drops of lemon:
powder to paste.
Artists decorate
my hands and feet,
cast runes up my arms,
scatter the letters of our names
into the curve and curl
between lines,
my body the board
for a bedtop game
designed for lovers,
a groom’s fingers hunting
the landscape of his bride’s skin:
lifting fingers
turning wrists
raising elbows
searching with lips
for stained fragments
of our separate lives,
pulling them together
with his tongue.