summons

When the skies leaked, and rain

collected in messy puddles

in our driveway, first

tadpoles appeared—

small, slippery as sperm,

sliding through fingers.

Then, tiny frogs, hunched,

springy as the elastic between

our legs, hopped about,

slithery-smooth, dark grainy

eyes shining. Their bodies

thrummed with throaty calls,

and the surrounding darkness,

deep woods behind the house

picked up their call,

the air reverberated

with a low aching sound,

urging us, young and feverish,

to throw off our blankets,

step out into the night.

~ Athena Kashyap

Athena Kashyap‘s first book, ‘Crossing Black Waters’, was a finalist in the Stephen F. Austin State University Press poetry awards, and was published by SFA Press in Austin, Texas in 2012. Her second book, ‘Sita of the Earth and Forests’, is forthcoming in 2014, also from SFA Press. She currently makes her home in Bangalore, India where she teaches English writing and literature to college students and whoever else is interested. 

Featured artwork: “Papilio”, by Sonja Dimovska.