Drunk

 The Rum drinking began at sunset. My Golconda wine tasted sweet and sour.

Soon Jokes began to slip and slur.

Slowly before my smoky eyes the rum drinkers morphed. Two became four.

Empty rum bottles rolled about like rattle snakes.

I panicked. My head ached. I was nauseous and sleepy.

Who dared empty my bottle?

I must park the empty wine glass. “Emperor Jehangir drank in this glass “

I leaned forward. Slyly the table swam away.

Jehangir’s wine glass fell on the tiled floor breaking into

glittering pieces.

My rum drinkers snored in a heap.

Slowly I toppled over.

Bio

A poet, editor, writer  and academic Dr Roopali Sircar Gaur taught English Literature at Delhi University and Creative writing at The Indira Gandhi National Open University.

Her areas of interest are women, gender, aging, violence, cinema, and military families.

She has edited four international poetry anthologies and contributed to several. She is consulting editor and travel columnist for Different Truths a prestigious ejournal, poetry editor for Aspiring Writers Society and mentor to The Fertile Brains. Dr Roopali lives with her military spouse in Meerut. They have 3 rescued dogs.