The Milky way’s Horoscope
A milky way, curious of her day’s horoscope,
Reads astrology headlines.
Puzzled, she lights a sacred camphor lamp
Reads again.
Still unsatisfied, she sprinkles some leafs and flowers along the silvery river
And returns to the news paper.
Much determined than earlier, she fasts till night,
Offers cow milk, fire and turmeric stones.
Then finds her horoscope in a new version.
It’s the date that was missing, she sighs.
Jyothsnaphanija is a PhD research scholar in English literature at EFL University, Hyderabad, India. Her poetry has appeared in IthacaLit, Melusine, The Nervous Breakdown, Muddy River Poetry Review and others. Her short stories have appeared in eFiction India, Thickjam, research articles in Subalternspeak, eDhvani, Wizcraft, Barnolipi and in several books. She blogs at phanija.wordpress.com