gulab khandelwal selected poems

Why have I caught this serpent
Which has turned back
And entangled me in its coil ?

There are poisonous needles
Pierced in every nerve of my body.
My bones are cracking.
But howsoever fire I may feel inside,
I have to smile outwardly every moment.
I am trembling
With the head of the serpent in my hand.
I am breathing heavily,
Being surrounded by crowds.
My lips are blue, eyes stony,
And my body is twisting with agony.

The serpent has become like a cross
Curling itself.
It has spread its head over me like an umbrella.
People are giving me a standing ovation
But the path is becoming narrower
At each step.
Why have I caught this serpent
Which has turned back
And entangled me in its coil.