By G Akila

on and off
fireflies
... mood swing

last leaf ...
what does it take
to let go?

bedtime story
she asks me to be louder
for the stars

reunion
the bamboo grove bursts
with babblers

Not lip-locked clouds the aftertaste of rain


By R Suresh Babu

the sky rolling
on a lotus leaf
dewdrop

spring festival
the yellow pollen
on her nose ring

granddaughter’s birthday
the candles and cake
virtual

left out
of the wreath
a dead flower

wedding anniversary
daughter gifts me
a nodding doll


By Kanjini Devi

framed between
frangipani and a hedge
the photographer

queuing
around the block
weekly supplies and smiles

shooting season
a pair of mallards shuffle
to the old pond

sharing
a private joke
the donkey’s grin

loved ones
hovering by the door
touch-and-go


By Lakshmi Iyer

kite flying
I set free
my inhibitions

autumn breeze
another tiny cradle tied
to the temple tree

train journey
the gibbous moon
slips on my pillow

concrete jungle
banyan tree droop
with cement

first colouring book
sun rises with an orange
straw cap


By Ravi Kiran

finding its way
through the bylanes
a migrant’s song

setting sun
colours fade
silhouettes remain

trail’s end
the wind continues
between the pines

long after
the miscarriage
stretch marks

almost dawn
still searching for
the right words

Excerpted with permission from Late-Blooming Cherries: Haiku Poetry from India, edited by Kynpham Sing Nongkynrih and Rimi Nath, HarperCollins India.