Amber

Who  would  have  guessed? 

That  wanting  you   could  take 

this  shape ?     A  clutch  of 

coconuts   gleams  yellow  in 

this  dark.  It  is  afternoon 

and  we   are    aboard  the  ark 

sipping   till   we   are rich 

with  amber  glow.  

I  am  no  gypsy,  ballads   are 

not  my  thing.  But  I  will  write 

them  to  you,  for  you,  if  only to 

send   you   away   again.       

This  insatiable   murmur  is   me   not 

breathing   right.  Gather  the  falling 

rain   in   your  arms,  my  sweet, 

and  sing  to  me.  Never  have  I  been 

so   quiet,  so  listening.  

From 'Unmappable Moves', (Poetrywala, 2023). © Sampurna Chatterji 2023. Used by permission of the author.

The free tracks you can enjoy in the Poetry Archive are a selection of a poet’s work. Our catalogue store includes many more recordings which you can download to your device.

Featured in

Poetry of South Asia

This living and evolving digital and audio-visual collection explores the breadth, influence and poetic lineage of South Asia.

Close