Bougainvillea

Sleep gently on these bleeding eyes

as my red muse spreads unsure wings

to soar into heavens born of whispering lies.

Sleep gently on my bleeding eyes

and see papery dreams in disguise

those pink bougainvillea rising in rings

of sleep. Gently on these bleeding eyes

my red muse spreads his sure wings.

Anupama Raju is a writer and poet based in Thiruvananthapuram.

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