He keeps a secret from me
Hidden away deep in a closet
Of his maimed heart
Layers of years heaped over it

Under another heap of dead orchids too
He keeps a secret from me
This one more camouflaged
under the mesmerizing scent of the welter

The autumn begins to show up
Even in my summers each year
He keeps a secret from me
Leaving barren monsoons at my door

When I probe and ask his eyes
They don't blink nor weep
His smile makes it more difficult to unravel
The secret he keeps from me.

- Sneha Acharekar