The Valley of Travelers

By Omisa Panda

At dawn, the sky cracks open over a mosaic of

infinite footsteps

undulating over the relentlessly swelling barren

earth,

the sun walks up to its throne, and its light unfurls

my eyes,

in this unforgiving oasis of death, I’ve greeted it for

eons

I’ve walked over each footstep and made it my shoe

I’ve gone to sleep in teeming silence, heart beating

out of my chest

Until the earth holds my hand and puts me to sleep

This torrid wind, this desiccated air, these footsteps,

pull in thirsty and tired silhouettes

Trudging, limping, and tripping over uneven ground

I pull their chin up and offer a sip, feed them dry

grass

And caress their forehead,

I take their hand and stride over these sinews

Gaping in awe at the arid canyons, plateaus, valleys

Galloping like the horses, pronking like the gazelles

Our shadows splash greens, reds, pinks of the

rainbow

The ethereal trees summoned up from this

vanquished land, chasing us into the sky

Demented vines snaking around their barks like

Crocodiles, slathering their tongues, flicking their

tails

I close my eyes and feel my veins pulsating

As the clouds crack into thunder,

I run out of time, a force yanks me under,

My companion long gone, my body thrust back to

the ground, where we had met

The sun dips into the horizon, glancing at me

wistfully

While I trace the new footsteps bewitched,

confounded and aghast,

their shadows lengthen and merge

The night encroaches into their existence

Leaving behind their quiet echo;

My heart’s out of control again, tears rolling down my

cheeks

The earth holds my hand and sings a lullaby

Till I fall asleep in her arms

By Omisa Panda