Alignment Poem by Neerada Suresh

When Rohan Kaul is away
his house comes alive
in a disorderly way.

Newspapers tend to look
fluffed up, opened out and read through.
Shoes, unaligned against the wall
laze around in exciting zigzags.
Misshapen cushions compete with curtains
to excel in a shameless disarray.
Paintings on walls in mute glee
sport lopsided grins.

But when Rohan Kaul is in
newspapers stand stacked,
compressed, breathing in.
Shoes align themselves
awed, open mouthed.
Paintings, curtains, cushions, sofas
all tell a tamed tale.

Rohan Kaul is away weekdays
and arrives weekends
to align himself with my friend Promilla
who defies
a certain kind of alignment.