This is a translation of one of the Tamil haikus penned here.
Blooms ‘tween the pages
Bougainvillaea blooms 'tween the pages- love's wrap awakens beauty Your name engraved in my book
Suggested Read:
Blooms ‘tween the pages- A haiku
English
English Poems
The Tug of Nostalgia
A Haibun on the Struggle to Let Go of the Past
Haibun is a form of Japanese poetry that combines poetry and prose. It typically includes a prose section that provides context or elaboration, followed by a haiku poem. The haiku and prose sections are intended to complement and enhance each other. Haibun is often used to describe a personal experience or journey, and the style can be both contemplative and lyrical.
The Tug Of Nostalgia
There’s a giveaway pile in the corner of my living room —close to the door — ready yet hesitant to step out. A bunch of greeting cards that address no one in particular and are signed by no one yet the sameness and familiarity of the handwriting says it all. A handkerchief with stains let to stay. 7 handwritten letters in anonymity tucked inside the pages of the book “The Fault in Our Stars”. Handcrafted bookmarks made from the pressed flowers collected across the city and memories shared. A black V-neck t-shirt of size M with a print of a purple ribbon that still smells of her.
Delete her number- a strong instinct surfaces… Palindrome numbers
P.S: A palindrome number is a number that remains the same when digits are reversed. For example, the number 12321 is a palindrome number, but 1451 is not a palindrome number.
The Day The Music Stopped- A Found Poetry
Love Affair As Always
Found poetry is a form created by taking words, phrases, and sometimes whole passages from other sources and arranging them in a new way to form a poem. The sources can be anything from newspapers and magazines to letters and emails, to everyday conversations and advertisements.
The goal of found poetry is to take the words and language already present in the world and use them to transform them into something new and meaningful. Here’s a found poetry for you to interpret in your own way.
This found poetry is from the Times of India newspaper article dated 16/09/2022. The article was an evocative piece of writing that captured the emotions behind Roger Federer’s farewell. The words carried the enormity and profoundness of the love that Federer had for the game and the love his fans had for him. Some of the words stood out & when they were threaded together they stood out as poetry in itself. Here’s the poetry for you:
The Day The Music Stopped- Love Affair, As Always
maybe one last time
for us
the final memory of
the fairytale
ending.
last outing on grass.
cry
the comfort
saw probable greatness,
a wild
beating
crushing,
dealing
hoping
to win
we believed
the genius
of ethereal beauty,
soul-search
for the first time
P.S. This poem is better viewed on the desktop for the structure of the poem to reflect intact. For me, this found poetry evoked a sense of the mixture of melancholy and determination, capturing the bittersweet feeling of letting go and moving forward. Let me know what you felt.
Love’s Embrace
A poem on Overcoming Failure with the Comfort of Affection
Love’s Embrace
On a day so ordinary When the heart bore no story She hopped towards me With her usual contagious glee Our chit-chats about her day at school Suddenly took a turn, uncool Her bold expression turns hushed To whispers, whilst her agony gushed A 10-year-old shares her failure In a tone tainted with despair Like her skin’s acquired the colour of shame And every eye’s pointing her out to blame My heart sinks as her eyes bore into mine Hoping for hope through my words of shine I stand there as an adult holding of a promise In her expectant eyes, to make her feel at ease There are faces familiar Surrounding us, all so near Yet in a voice quite clear I go on to tell my stories of failure There are stares of shock & surprise At an adult’s success losing its disguise Yet, I know for sure this is what she needs to hear Of seeing failure equally as success, so dear Tomorrow when she sees me smile With my head held high in a confident style Her failures will no longer fail her As whispers would turn to hopeful chatter
UPDATE: Happy to share with you that this post was selected as a top blog by Blogchatter. Thank you for supporting my work 🙂
Happily flaunting the TOP BLOG BADGE!
Pondering on Love Sitting in a Dentist’s Chair
A poem in rhyme
Staring up at the bright light above Numb from the shot, I ponder on love I know the drill, that’s a numbed kill Yet in love for a smile, I keep still The hum of the drill, a familiar sound, Reminds me of feelings that swirl all around How willing was I to trust While baring myself was a must? Maybe the art of surrender Could take me in love’s yonder... Love can be sweet, like sugar on the tongue, But also sharp, like a dentist’s instrument young It can make your heart skip a beat, But also leave you feeling incomplete As I sit here, captive in this chair, I can’t help but think of the love I bear Is it a comfort, a gentle embrace Or a pain that leaves a permanent trace? Maybe the art of surrender Could take me in love’s yonder... Along with the drilling & tearing I find a part of me, cleaning & healing Discomfort disappears that was a while ago I wonder, is it because of a dissolving ego? I don’t know the answer, but I’ll keep searching, Pondering on love, while my teeth are lurching For love is a journey, with twists and turns And maybe one day, my heart will learn Until then, maybe the art of surrender Could take me in love’s yonder...
Caged Love
Story intertwined within haikus
a bright summer noon memories of you, shadows passing clouds in sky an eagle soars high beyond the dark clouds, a flight parrots seek shelter your voice speaks to me be mine, 'forever sunshine' cage bird never sings
‘Tis is the season of love, my dear
An epistolary poem
Oh Dear, ‘Tis is the season of love, my dear! Do you feel it in the fragrance of flowers or when dainty butterfly dances or hovers? Magic is abound, I truly believe. Why not step outside into an open space where the sun-kissed sky wraps you in its warm embrace, so you know—even from miles apart—I stand beneath the same sky—thinking of you, whispering wishes into the echoing world letting you know we are wrapped in a blanket of love, threaded with energies of endless affection, where you & I bear witness to its abundance. Did you know, love doesn’t need a rhyme? ‘Tis is the season of love, my dear, it’s truly sublime!
How to thrift like a boss
A poem on thrifting
By definition, thrifting is the careful use of money, especially by avoiding waste and thrift stores are the ones that sell used things like clothes, books, and furniture at throwaway prices. Being born in a typical middle-class, Indian family, thrifting had always been a part of our life. Just that, we didn’t know it was called so. Also, growing up we (my sibling and I) didn’t have any regrets. We eagerly fought for the hand-me-downs and also shared things happily. It has now become part of our fond memories and we have passed on the tradition to our kids.
Thrifting is not just about cost cutting but it’s about valuing what we receive and the emotions behind it. Thrifting has been cool since ages. Here’s a poetic rendition for the Blogchatter campaign #ThriftingIsCool. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Time to get nostalgic with this sweet dedication to my sista!
How to thrift like a boss
1. Start early. Learn the art
early on. Steal
from your sibling’s closet
and call it thrifting-
even better- call it savings!
Your parents will be proud
whilst your sibling may frown.
2. I bet, your sibling’s stares help
you grow a thick skin, over the years
prepping to perfect the art
of thrifting. Cajole them.
Pay them in praise. Tell them
their taste is better
than yours. I do. It works.
Soften their frowns with flattery. Earn
the key to their heart closet.
3. Now that your foundations
are laid strong, get out
of your comfort zone. Go
thrifting in your local shops.
(Mind you, no stealing;
shop owners are no siblings!)
Wear something between cheap
and chic. Don’t let your class seep
through your clothes; it helps
to sieve through all price ranges.
4. Walk in like the owner but befriend
the staff with a fond grin. Take your
sibling along if need be to remind
yourself of your confidence. Patience
is a virtue- practise it!
5. Scan through the shelves as if
they were your lover’s heart. Seek
their secrets. Do they speak to you
in silence, profound? Seek! Know!
6. Pick the piece that speaks from
its seams. Feel it. Do they invoke
the tenderness of your lover’s foreplay
or prick like their pretentious phiz?
Rub it gently across your soulful skin.
Does it smell of an exotic fragrance
foreign to you or a rustic smell, familiar?
Does it make you feel alien or give you
the comfort of home?
7. Forget there’s anyone around. Forget
the tags of trends or class upon you
or the clothes. Forget you are you.
Listen to your soul’s singing. Has it made
friends with the seams or its seamless fabric?
Make your choice.
If confusion prevails, eye on
the piece that your sibling might have
picked without much thought. After all,
you know what makes you feel at home!
How To Dissolve Yourself as a Poet- A Poem
A poem on how to be the voice of others by dissolving yourself
Note: This poem was first published here: <link rel=“canonical” href=“https://medium.com/gentleness-ambassadors/how-to-dissolve-yourself-as-a-poet-50c017d30bfc” />
How to dissolve yourself as a poet
Do not think. Do not write. Not even attempt. Just be unarmed. Your naked self-open to stories and scars alike but remember not to use them as protective clothing. Stay naked. Your vulnerability is the fabric. ~ Breathe through the fabric. It’s hard. Yet doable. Breathe. Even as you be and breathe- jump, sway, dance cry, punch, or itch as the scar or story may want you to. Blend with the story. Bleed with the scar. Be. ~ Let it all soak up through the fabric. Your vulnerability. Let it suck it up till saturated. Stretch it not. Shrink it not. Carefully lift the fabric. Spread it away from your naked self. ~ The scars that you allowed to seep into your skin can wait. Attend to the fabric first. Remember you are a poet. That fabric- your canvas and composition. ~ Now like the lover’s caressing let your soul gently tend to the fabric. Lift it up letting light find its way highlighting parts of it naturally. In the clothesline of creative force pin it carefully with pegs of purpose so life breathes through its pores. Let it be. Let it dry. Let it dance. Let it drench. Let it delve. Let it dry. Let it be. ~ Remember you are a poet. That fabric- your canvas and composition It’s not you. Gently move away. It’s now for the world to witness. You may now tend to the scars or stories that you let seep through your skin. You can be you.
How I Fell in Love With Her
Love: as I oft reminisce Of our primordial tryst Ecstatic words gush out In this form that it flows... There at the threshold Serenity in thy soul, Warmth in thy heart, Had me to stand astound... Flashes when drops of tears Rolled through my cheeks, Thou dews of transparency- shared, Kept me light at heart... Even through euphoric days, Joys of mine doubled, With thine rustle, in harmony With my whistle... As we wander side by side, With surety, I closed my eyes, Perceiving thy glimmer, To guide me through life... Bliss is thou idyllic presence, Whilst others leave me alone, Thee Nature! Your eternal love- Shall flow through my life... Seeping through my soul: Gushing through words of cheer, Spreading thine exuberance, MCC, you become my lone solace!
PS: Written in the year 2010, this poem is a dedication to my alma mater, the prestigious Madras Christian College(MCC).