Sunkissed

By Chaitra Ramalingegowda

The late afternoon sun

filtering through the sheer drapes,

kissed her cheeks lovingly,

the warm breeze

tangled her curly tresses,

the twittering birds

tipped her lips up,

the low hum of the world outside

lulled her into that in-between -

the no-man's land of

not quite sleep, not quite wakefulness -

doing its hardest

to hold her in place,

even as she was far away,

on a sojourn unknown,

on adventures exciting,

that let her break free

of the shackles of mundanity.

By Chaitra Ramalingegowda