emma dotterell

by sanjay trehan, new delhi, india

a chance encounter in a chennai hotel bar

tall green-eyed blonde with a dulcet voice

unblemished skin and uncorrupted soul

i am tempted to say virginal

chastity being a state of mind in any case

not an english rose but pretty close

sporting a red top unaffected smile

and characteristic wit

far more ripened in thought

than your average nineteen-year old

in a cool unflappable way

her casual comfortable naturalness

free spirited almost angelic

with raw unsullied innocence

and trust which perfect strangers enjoy

she shared the story of her life

as it unfolded in the cobbled streets of cambridge

of pristine colleges and an unassuming river

her first crush and heartbreaks

her outgrowing her environment

her growing wings and flying away

savouring riviera white wine

and fried potato skins with cheese

we talked about world being a cauldron of cultures

how travel 'oh that horrid accident at goa'

imparts a unique perspective a holistic third vision

and meeting people an unmixed high

exchanged notes about life in london

staying at wimbledon park and internalising eastenders

channel 4 and its real life documentaries

she saw live dispatches from the kumbh

theatre at west end webber's bombay dreams

life in unhurried southern india

hinduism religious violence and naga sadhus

and a confluence of individual and cosmic souls

emma

a spirit willing to be reached touched

and then as uneasy waiters drew the curtains

it was past two am and not a felicitous time to be awake

she was gone