Cradled by the syncope of strange dreams,
Blue evils girdle the bed around me;
As a child, I didn't know
what it would be like if I could sleep it through.
Here, in this empty space,
Like wild leopard's skin, I spread out my hair
The dark night uncurls with his roaring fleet;
I pounce on his chest, bare foot, like Kali–
Fear mopes like the devil, resenting me.
He bloats and floats with his plummeting blue
I look him in the eye, unafraid,
I ripple inside this beating cave
I soar beneath the earth and eat the night.
I hold myself like a child's brittle heart;
Tenderness follows me like wisps in the woods;
Like blood in my girth, I have battled the fury alone,
The split of dawn: blank… forgiven.

Snata Basu is an aspiring poet from Dhaka, Bangladesh. Her work mostly centers on passionate, personal bindings. She is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature at North South University.