I found a sleeveless sweater today

Hidden away in a rusty trunk,

It was knit by my late grandfather

(Grandmas don't have a monopoly

Over knitting sweaters and mufflers)

Let me dissect the ingredients-

Spools of wool- thirty rupees a piece,

Long needles bought in wholesale bundles,

Ability to thread the needle

Cost a seven K cataract op

And love and time ( What do they cost?)

As naked and pure as my body-

When I first wore that bright brown sweater

In tandem with the trash-lit bon fire

And a warmth warmer than the sweater.

I wore it proudly over nude skin,

I'll wear it over my tuxedo,

On sherwanis and Nehru jackets,

Raymond whites or local t-shirts,

I'll wear it over my skin-lid heart...

~Ajay

7/10/17