Prime

photo of the village landscape with green and brown patches

Amidst green patches,
stripped of life; bald surfaces,
prime real estate.

Dry

Photo of the Cauveri river in Trichy with spots of water. As seen through the window of a bus.

Lifeblood running out—
the river as dry as bone;
hypoxic city.

Parched

Photo of a paddy field with lots of grass but no proper crops. While clouds appear to be streaming into the photo's frame — A field in south India. Ideally, should be brimming with crops. There’s been some rain, but not enough.

Clouds devoid of rain,
come sweeping into the fields—
farmers’ tears dried up.

Wasted

photo of a steel dumping site in south India, depicting a pile of metal barrels

Desolate country
where old metal goes to die
all the world’s a dump

Gone are the days

Photo of an old brick building in a small village in south India.

Shabby old buildings,
lifetime’s worth of memories—
forgotten in cracks.