“O what does the burning mouth”

The speaker begins by posing a rhetorical question about the intense heat, using the metaphor of the “burning mouth.”

“Of sun, burning in today’s,”

The heat is further emphasized, with the sun’s burning mouth serving as a vivid image of the scorching day.

“Sky, remind me….oh, yes, his”

The speaker reflects on the heat, drawing a connection to a personal experience—specifically, the memory of the lover.

“Mouth, and….his limbs like pale and”

The speaker continues the comparison, describing the lover’s limbs as pale and extending the metaphor to evoke a sense of desire.

“Carnivorous plants reaching”

The lover’s limbs are likened to carnivorous plants, emphasizing a voracious and consuming nature in the pursuit of the speaker.

“out for me, and the sad lie”

The imagery of the lover’s actions, reaching out like plants, is characterized as a “sad lie.”

“of my unending lust.”

The speaker acknowledges the continuous nature of her lust, suggesting a craving that is never satisfied.

“Where is room, excuse or even”

The speaker questions the place or justification for love, suggesting that in the presence of unending lust, there is no space for genuine love.

“Need for love, for, isn’t each”

The speaker further questions the necessity of love, implying that every physical encounter is self-contained and lacks the depth of true love.

“Embrace a complete thing, a finished”

The completeness of each embrace is compared to a finished jigsaw puzzle, suggesting a self-contained and self-sufficient act.

“Jigsaw, when mouth on mouth, I lie,”

The speaker describes the act of lying mouth on mouth, indicating physical intimacy but possibly devoid of emotional connection.

“Ignoring my poor moody mind”

Despite the completeness of physical intimacy, the speaker confesses to ignoring her own emotional state or inner turmoil.

“While pleasure, with deliberate gaiety”

The pleasure derived from physical intimacy is characterized as having a deliberate cheerfulness or joyfulness.

“Trumpets harshly into the silence of”

The joyful pleasure is contrasted with the harsh intrusion it makes into the silent moments.

“the room… At noon”

The poem shifts to a different scene, possibly a moment during the day when the speaker observes her surroundings.

“I watch the sleek crows flying”

The speaker observes sleek crows in flight, introducing a new visual element to the poem.

“Like poison on wings—and at”

The simile compares the crows to poison, suggesting a sinister or harmful quality in their flight.

“Night, from behind the Burdwan”

The setting changes to nighttime, with a mention of Burdwan, possibly indicating a specific location.

“Road, the corpse-bearers cry ‘Bol,”

The mention of corpse-bearers and their cry adds a somber and morbid tone to the poem.

“Hari Bol’ , a strange lacing”

The cry of ‘Hari Bol’ introduces a religious or spiritual element, creating a strange and unsettling atmosphere.

“For moonless nights, while I walk”

Moonless nights become a backdrop for introspection as the speaker walks, suggesting solitude and contemplation.

“The verandah sleepless, a”

The setting shifts to a sleepless verandah, further emphasizing the speaker’s restlessness.

“Million questions awake in”

The speaker is plagued by a multitude of questions, indicating a state of inner turmoil and uncertainty.

“Me, and all about him, and”

The questions revolve around the speaker, the lover, and their relationship, suggesting a profound internal conflict.

“This skin-communicated Thing that I dare not yet in”

The nature of their connection is described as a “skin-communicated Thing,” hinting at the physicality of their relationship.

“His presence call our love.”

The speaker hesitates to label their connection as “love” in the lover’s presence, indicating a reluctance to acknowledge a deeper emotional bond.