The Sufi in Winter | Ranjit Hoskote

The hem of a robe,
a tree's callused bark,
a frosted beard,
a whiff of musk,
dust on a turban.

Nothing is lost
in translation,
not even a woollen sleeve
smelling of woodsmoke.

Published with permission from Penguin India.

Ranjit Hoskote. “The Sufi in Winter.” Vanishing Acts: New and Selected Poems 1985-2005, Penguin, 2006.

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