1.
bjp vs congress
a pinch of rock salt
in the teacup
2.
maid’s taunt —
a pile of koi
covered in ash
3.
shirish shade —
the collective sip
of salted tea
4.
market day —
she straps the child
to her back
5.
her toothless smile
wearing a necklace of
silver coins
6.
jujube pickle —
the vendor rips apart
a schoolbook
7.
sharp-edged noon
the bamboo worker clamps
between his teeth
8.
strained malpua
the politician’s face
on the front page
9.
jackfruit sunrise —
the milk squirting into
a metal pitcher
10.
dense mangroves —
the soft splash of
a fisherman's oar
(Hailing from Silchar, Assam, India, Daipayan Nair is a haikuist. He writes micro-poetry, mostly haiku and tanka poems. His works have appeared in several journals, including the prestigious monthly of haikuKATHA from Triveni Haikai India. His recent collection of haiku and senryu titled tilt of the winnowing fan was published in 2022 by Hawakal.)