The Poetry Marathon

Goddess Kali, her name itself evokes fear
She is the epitome of time and change

She challenges every line defined
She wears her dark color as her pride

Her anger unleashed, she annihilates the demons
She is covered in skulls and justice is her jewel

She is a mother, protecting her children
In today’s world, with violence gaining hold

Will she emerge as a vanquisher to reinforce faith
in the good? Will She return? Only time will tell…

(c) Vijaya Gowrisankar

I was looking forward to the weekend
after a hectic week, juggling work
and traffic due to torrential rains
The forecast predicted a breather

Nature enjoys throwing in a mystery
The day had been relatively clear
We ventured out in the evening, to play
in the park and visit a nearby mall

And then it poured – with umbrellas
flying off under the force of wind
The raincoats were tested by the storm
The children huddled together under shade of shops

We got down from the auto rickshaw and raced
the last few steps, when I slipped and fell
On instinct, I put the weight of my body
on my elbow. And ouch! that really hurt

A few frogs jumped in front of us, and we
stared in awe. Back home, we raided the jars
for a few biscuits. I boiled the tomatoes
and we drank the steaming pepper-garnished tomato soup

(c) Vijaya Gowrisankar

Yesterday, we were on the Earth
Juggling with heat from the sultry sun
And voila! today, we are in the sky
Looking through the thick of the clouds
To find the route to our house

We need to relearn everything
From how we walk, talk, and breathe
It feels like we are floating in the air
We need to talk softer, to manage the noise
We need to inhale deeper, to fill our lungs

The colors are different in the sky
Predominantly white, gray, blue, and
influenced by rays of the sun

We need to understand the distance between the clouds
Some days, it is so clear, it hurts our eyes
Some days, it is so cloudy, that our vision is blurred

On the Earth, we used cars, buses, and trains to travel
On the Sky, we are yet to figure that out

From the Earth, the sky looked so soothing
From within the plane, the clouds felt so relaxing
Now the Earth seems refreshing and lively
And life on Sky, with its mysteries, seems very lonely

(c) Vijaya Gowrisankar

A full-day picnic on the beach
Watching tides weave their magic
Tireless, they hit the shore
Each wave feels like homecoming

For a few seconds, sand and sea meet
Each give a piece of themselves
Take something of the other
As they recede

They welcome all with open arms
Irrespective of the time of day
Across all seasons, through the year
Without looking at age, race, or color

They accept the giggles of children
They absorb the confusion of teens
They answer the queries at crossroads
They wash away the loneliness of old age

Their action remains the same each day
Only the intensity of their union changes
They teach life’s lessons to those willing to learn
They explain how each relationship works

People and seasons – come and go
Give them love or throw dirt into them
They focus only on their identity – to come and go

(c) Vijaya Gowrisankar

At the darkest hour, when light seemed far away
I sat alone, unable to understand the next step
Listening to some soulful song, that matched my mood

Till there was change to the next piece of music
Yes, music and notes created on violin alone
The tone was upbeat with the highs and lows

There were so many transitions in just eighty seconds
The notes smoothly flowed from high to low and reverse
The overall effect was stunning and positive

It lifted my mood with its upbeat flow
It was so fast-paced, it allowed for no breath
Life was fast, and music could keep pace

The music infused energy into my veins
Darkness no longer seemed so daunting
I felt lighter as I walked towards the dawn

(c) Vijaya Gowrisankar

Two children, neighbours,
went to the same school
and had the same set of friends

Over time, one child withdrew into himself
Quiet, shy, reserved, eyes downcast
His parents struggled to understand this change

Till one day, they realized the cause
The children and a few elders teased
their son regularly and called him “Dark”

They wounded the innocent mind with harsh words
They isolated him from activities
They bruised the tender mind repeatedly

When did the color of skin start to matter?
When the color of blood in our veins is the same
When we all fade into ashes, after our last breath

When the Sun, Earth, Wind, Rain don’t discriminate
Why does man then get tangled in the maze of colours?
Isn’t life about living, our actions, beyond the color of skin?

(c) Vijaya Gowrisankar

You appear out of nowhere
and you grow up so fast
You are here one moment
and disappear in the next

Your ability to thrive under
all conditions is amazing
You make your presence
felt, in every home

You may be small, but
you spit venom and are dangerous
Creepy, crawly, and feared by most
Spiders, that is your identity

(c) Vijaya Gowrisankar

Attempt at golden shovel
Inspirational lines – “The music in my heart I bore,
long after it was heard no more”
from The Solitary Reaper by William Wordsworth

Could I trust the
words of the music
that weaved magic in
the glorious picture it painted, in my
imagination, that my heart
desired to believe? I
chose the risk, instead of broken dreams I bore

It took a long
time to overcome the vicious circle of self-pity, after
I decided that it
was time to move on. It was
hard to leave the echoes of past, that I heard
in my heart, to ensure that the voices had no
control on my actions any more

(c) Vijaya Gowrisankar

Was it the sound of drums
that tuned my heartbeat
to the music of the song?

Was it the sound of drums
that caused my feet to move
and follow the magic of flow?

Was it the sound of drums
that drowned the grief
that threatened to swallow me whole?

Was it the sound of drums
that suppressed my voice
and challenged me to be strong?

Was it the sound of drums
that distracted me from my goals
and dissuaded me from hearing my inner voice?

I am stuck, and the shackles held tight
Disbelief followed by worry at the situation
With self-pity closing its deadly claws

I am stuck, and the shackles held tight
I looked around, taking a deep breath
Acknowledging the beauty of my surroundings

I am stuck, and the shackles held tight
Acceptance is one factor, yet dreams don’t die
I plan and start working towards freeing myself

I am stuck, and the shackles don’t seem so tight
As I inch towards my goals, with belief as my anchor
Life loves to create knots, and I learn to work with them

(c) Vijaya Gowrisankar