The Poetry Marathon

holding my hand
he asked me to go
how shall I tell him
a piece of my heart lives in you

I still remember
the day we met for the first time
in this cloudless sky
you appeared as the full moon

I might leave you
but my soul will follow your soul
like a candle fly
it will always fly towards you

once I leave you
where shall I go
maybe amidst my ashes
you will know my love for you

in the delivery room,
my heartbeat goes up, and then down,
in pain, yet I smile,
in few seconds, blossoms a new life.
I hold you in my arms,
and embrace you tightly to my heart,
sometimes, I see you in the moonlight,
at times – in the sunlight.
I kiss your little feet,
rub my cheek against your cheek,
I ask myself, endless times,
whether you really look like me?
you keeping looking at me,
hold my finger in your fist,
and lick my lips – now and then,
maybe that’s the birth of new life!

PS: Life or human body’s existence is due these four elements – earth, water, fire and wind. Birth defines the existence and significance of these elements. My poem aims to highlight the birth of a new life!!

Hi

I am Archana. I believe that poetry is the best friend as it helps a poet to express his thoughts and imagination in words.

I wish all the participants – Good Luck!

I was fondly remembering…

When I was sixteen

The mango trees in my backyard

And the wonderful countryside was so lush and green;

The untouched beauty of nature,

The chorus of birds at dawn,

Beside a beautiful rocky waterfall

And a million shades of sky,

From spring to autumn – life was living all four seasons.

Low-growing wild flowers of spring

Provided a soothing visual aid,

The scorching hot sun in the month of May,

The birds sitting on my porch to quench their thirst,

The rainy weather and the cold winds,

And I still remember my slow walk in the snow,

Autumn leaves scattered all around…

I always enjoyed writing my name on them.

Look around now,

There are hardly any trees,

I listen to the slogan and I read it quite often,

Let us ‘Go Green’…

Trees are replaced by sky touching condominiums,

Kind gestures are acquired by spacious houses,

Then we wonder why climate is changing,

And we term it as ‘global warming’.

The tragedy of the farmer,

As it hardly ever rains,

Human innovations or technology advancements

Have conquered the beauty of nature.

We will never be able to tell our children

The excitement of climbing a banyan tree,

Or the divine ecstasy of a peacock dancing in the rain,

And the benefits of herbs to cure serious ailments,

Yesterday to today – gone are those days.

She got into her wedding gown,

She wore beautiful flowers in her hair,

She carried magical secrets in her eyes,

Together they walked down the aisle,

She received a warm welcome,

As they entered a new life,

She was now someone’s wife.

She left behind all the wonderful memories,

There were no more fears, no more worries,

Her new home was lit with candles,

And her room was decorated with white orchids,

She held his hand and gazed at the full moon,

She felt his true love for her

She felt like a queen.

Her life took a drastic change,

When she found herself sitting in a wheelchair,

Her hope turned into despair,

It was then that she realised,

Her friends had left her all alone,

But he still held her hand,

He was the only one.

His love has not changed for her – all these years,

Time might have stopped for him,

But his love for her keeps them moving,

She holds his hand and gazes at the full moon,

She looks in his eyes,

She can see his hidden tears,

She understands that he unconditionally loves her.

Referring to first image in the given prompt.

I am a bird in a gilded cage,

I look astonishingly at the sky,

I try to understand deep within me,

How does it feel to fly?

The chirping of the birds flying over the lake,

High in the sky,

Makes me feel sad,

And I almost cry.

I want to open the cage,

And experience ecstasy and freedom,

I want to touch the seven colours of the rainbow,

Or on the oldest tree in the backyard

I want to make my little nest of life;

Someday I want to get drenched in the rain,

Someday I want to struggle

To just quench my thirst in the summer sun.

I want to live the cycle of life,

From spring to autumn, how does it feel to fly?

This is not my home,

It makes me feel claustrophobic all the time,

My dreams are locked in this cage,

I can only notice the changing colours and lights in the sky, 

They always fascinate me

And make me dream of flying high.

I hope my misery comes to an end,

And I am soon set free to fly high,

More of us birds will flock together,

We will migrate from one place to another,

Some will die of hunger,

Though living a life of freedom.

I die daily,

Caged in a place where I can only cry.

Did I ever tell you, my mother?

Your heart is an ocean of love,

You fill my life with all the rainbow colours,

You always protect me against life’s blowing winds,

You are my blanket of warmth.

Did I ever tell you, my mother?

Your smile is my inspiration to live,

I always admire your patience in tough times,

You are a pole star in my universe,

A guide, a light…when most needed.

Did I ever tell you, my mother?

I can see the tears in your eyes when I am unwell,

Such times bring me even closer to you,

Your indomitable will surprises me,

Your tender care always makes me feel better.

Did I ever tell you, my mother?

Every time when I fall at life’s unexpected hurdles,

I am not ashamed of myself,

As I know you will never judge me,

You make me feel that I am a winner.

Did I ever tell you, my mother?

I can never repay you for all your efforts,

The way you take care of your children,

From breakfast to our late night dinner,

I can now understand why God created a mother.

I will tell you now, my mother

After all these years,

Before it gets too late,

A few words to express my gratitude,

I am proud to be your daughter.

A day when you relax,
You just sit next to a window,
And maybe chase a passing cloud,
You don’t think about the next hour,
Or an hour that just passed.

You hold a good book,
Read page after page for hours,
Live a character of your choice,
Sip by sip conquer your sleep,
And feel the warmth of your arms.

You cherish the peace that surrounds,
Ecstasy of doing nothing in a day,
Just being in your own skin,
And just unthinking and thinking,
Thinking about doing nothing!

I relocated to a new city for work. It was my first day at work, and I was so nervous seeing the list of things to be completed. I was feeling unwell due to the tremendous change in the climatic conditions; I had a high fever and a sore throat. I decided to leave early. I took a cab from office, and asked the driver to stop by at the nearest pharmacy. When we
reached there, I felt I had no energy to even get out of the car.

When he returned, I was surprised that he had got me a buttered toast and a cup of hot tea. I offered to pay him, but he refused to take the money.

new home …

list of things

to complete