The Poetry Marathon

I think I got too ambitious with this one in the time frame, to the point of it reading pretty badly. Note to self- political commentary in a short time frame is a bad idea. But rules are rules, so here goes! Sincere apologies if any of this comes across as ignorant or offensive.

I think of Aristotle as I pass through the Cotswolds

High up somewhere in these rolling hills

Oliver Cromwell fought the royalists to establish the English Commonwealth

More recently, a little further down

A bunch of “travellers” raided the local corn farms

Establishing trailers and declaring it their property

Two events separated in time and stature

Yet also similar

Both revolutions against establishment

Led by people firm in their beliefs

But I think of how they end[ed]

And my mind goes back to Aristotle

Politics, revolution, democracy or mobocracy?

Which one are they?

Who is right?

And who is wrong?

Alas

I guess it is not as black and white as the Tudor townhouses

Just got back to internet connectivity, but I have been writing constantly for the last six hours. Here is the first one, penned down as I wandered in Anne Hathaway’s cottage in Stratford upon Avon. The words in brackets are things I accidentally missed out in my haste to write, but I did not want to cheat either.

The bus halts and I wake up to see

The last surviving Tudor cottages

Dark wood on white stone

With thatched roofs and no chimneys

In one of these, there stayed a young shepherdess

Beautiful no doubt, with a modest upbringing

In a thatched roof [topped] black and white house

With two rooms, a garden ad a brick lane path

Where her poet lover trekked up everyday

Undoubtedly, in anticipation of a warm kitchen with a candlelit supper and what naturally ensued thereafter

Standing in that kitchen, I see a grandfather clock

Frozen in time.

I rub my eyes

Did I wake up or am I in a rustic dream?

Then I walk into a garden and see a Pokemon Hunt sign

And I know I am far from the love of times past

I grew up in New Delhi and am now studying Economics and Poltiical Science in the US. I used to write a lot in high school, and published three short stories and a novel by the time I was 17. After high school, I got into my dream college, and while it has been a great journey so far, I do regret not having the time to read and write. I have tried many times to start writing something, but have not had the time or the motivation to carry it through.

Poetry was always my first love. My first pieces were simple poems, and I subsequently moved to prose. So taking part in this challenge is like coming full circle and starting from scratch, and hopefully I should get enough momentum to carry through the challenge.

The context could not be better. I am in London this summer for an academic exchange program and happen to be in Stratford upon Avon for a good part of the challenge. Unfortunately I love my sleep too much, so I will be participating in the half marathon. Cannot wait to write and read everyone else’s work!