The Dewdance

The Dewdance

The moon shone so bright that night!
The river danced in silver waves;
Leaves were a ballroom of dew –
Pearls of water on grassy blades.

Why stole I when the moon was out,
Inching through the woods I knew,
Stepping softly on stick and stone,
Casting gloom on silver dew?

Was it my husband’s jarring snore –
The knell for the waking mute
Or was it the tendril sound that
Came afar from Kanha’s flute?

Whichever it be, I ran fast
On the stony hooves of love,
Released from the reigns of shame
By an unknown Rider above.

Till at last I reached the place,
The core of sight, sound and smell.
I parted the rushes to see my love,
With the shepherd and his music dwell.

But oh! My dreams just broke and fell
Like a wave upon the shore.
And my heart it sank so much that
It could not plummet any more.

Kanha and eight milkmaids, I saw
Dancing in perfect harmony
With the trees, the flute and the breeze
While clashing only with me.

All of them wanted the shepherd
And grappled with his lotus skin,
But none could leave a mark on it
As Radha pounded from within.

He did not waste upon vagaries
Or groped for a redeeming phrase,
He found me guilty of desire
And sentenced me to his embrace.

He, his flute, his lotus skin
Were hence only for me
And though I danced with eight Kanhas
We seemed just one to see.

Upon his love, his touch, his kiss
I burnt and I glowed
And then like a teeming liquid
I caved in and flowed.

Also flowed that night the trees, the maids
And also all things around these too,
Till at last everything but Kanha
Became a drop of silver dew.