Holi Poem by Reena Puri

She looks out of the window
riot of colors in the air
Masses of drenched bodies swaying to the pagan beats
Shiva's prasad breaking the inhibitions that had been held fast.
A longing in her heart
To feel the touch of a lover's hand.
Smearing her face with red gulal
a color of passion and love.
The virginal dupatta marked
Hues of a rainbow that spans the sky.
Sheer cotton shirt wet to the skin
Warmed with the heat of her lover's gaze
To dance like a dervish
Round and round
Falling in the arms of the lover that she longs to find.