The Poetry Marathon

In anticipation, I wait…
to welcome you with open arms
Words that otherwise whisper
in my ears
And slip away before I can savour them

In the poetry marathon,
we each have a role to play
Words, you don’t elude me
And I promise
to nurture and cherish you

It is 5.30 pm on a breezy Sunday evening
with the branches and leaves of tall trees
dancing outside my window. The air has
a fragrance of moist Earth, lingering
from recent rain shower

People are walking, couples side by side
Children are accompanying their parents,
as they go out. Some elderly people are
sitting on the benches, enjoying the wind
and conversing about life

Many children have gathered in the park and
their shouts can be heard, as they play.
A few on the slides, some on the see-saw,
some playing catch-catch, some playing
badminton and some exchanging Pokemon cards

The sun is obscured by the clouds, given
the rainy season. Daylight will turn to
dusk within an hour. The atmosphere is
relaxed, before the start of work week
tomorrow. And I sit by the window, writing…

(c) Vijaya Gowrisankar

Today technology has advanced with
social media ensuring various platforms
are available for interactions, for
reducing the distance that time and
boundaries of countries have created

We have Whatsapp, Facebook, Instagram,
Twitter and yet we are not connected
Two decades ago, we had none of these
We had innocence, we had friendship,
we had time and we had intent

Our friendship knew no boundaries
It was pure, filled with support,
trust, laughter, joy at small things,
encouragement when we faltered,
and being there for each other

When, how, and why did we drift apart?
Today, we have our own lives, I
know we have our own joys and sorrows
But, we don’t have each other
I no longer have the right to call

you by the nick name, like I did
when we were children. When we shared
our dreams, somehow we did not realize
that fulfilling those dreams would
be at the cost of our friendship

(c) Vijaya Gowrisankar

She stood, poised,
ready to take on the world
The ballroom was waiting,
and people were whispering
“Would she falter?”

She stood, poised,
ready to leave the past behind
She had emerged from the cocoon
of her parents sudden death
Her grief was not for display

She stood, poised,
her dress, a conscious choice
Her shoulders bare, free of burdens
The colour black, emphasizing
strength, fearlessness, and elegance

She stood, poised,
ready for the future
The ring on her finger, the
unconditional support of her fiancee
helped her shed her shyness and emerge

She stood, poised,
ready to sit on the empty throne
A queen in the making, her
kingdom, her people were her focus
She had left her insecurities behind

(c) Vijaya Gowrisankar

Exaggeration poetry

The teacher asked her student
“How was your birthday celebration?”

John’s excited voice was loud and he said
“Miss, it was great. The cake was
as huge as a whale. The balloons
hung from the ceiling to the floor.”

For someone who was yet to learn
counting, he held his hands apart
and said, “A hundred friends came
over and they all fit into my home.”

“We drank ten gallons of orange juice
We ate a large pizza each. Our tummies
were swimming in the chocolate sauce,
that melted the vanilla ice creams

The music was so loud, that entire
area danced to the tune. We enjoyed
my birthday with fireworks, till
the rays of dawn told us to stop”

His expressions were full of awe
He captured the attention of all
his friends. His teacher smiled
encouragingly and thought, “Here
is a great story teller in the making”

(c) Vijaya Gowrisankar

My first trip to Kolkata, after a decade,
with my family, meant visiting all the
important tourist spots. One such activity

was the ferry ride on river Hoogly, against
the backdrop of Howrah Bridge. As we waited
for our ferry, enjoying the river’s flow,

and the cool, gentle breeze against our skin,
my son tugged on my arms and drew my attention
towards a gigantic eagle perched on the plank,

a few feet away from where we stood. With fierce,
glittering eyes, the brown wings merging with
the color of floorboard leading to the ferry

point, the eagle was a sight to behold. We took
a few steps back and slowly opened our phones,
watching out for the eagle’s discomfort. We clicked

a few pictures as it stared at us, unblinking.
The ferry honked as it came closer. We kept looking
at the eagle and it continued to watch us, as we stepped

into the ferry. It spread its magnificent wings, shook
its head and soared into the sky. We continued watching
it, till we could see it no more and then enjoyed the ride

(c) Vijaya Gowrisankar

I may be content within the boundaries
of responsibilities I have taken upon me
But my words, they have their own dreams
and I find myself nurturing and encouraging

them — I give them wings to fly, fly
first to conquer the sky, then rain down
as droplets that enter each home and
heart. Now, they are all set to venture

into space. Beyond the realms of imagination,
they seek to discover the unknown. Will they
find the souls that are wandering — trying
to find their identity? Will they understand

why climate control and heat radiation is
fast becoming an issue? Will they stumble upon
negative forces that seek to destroy mankind?
Will they unearth the secret to step into Mars

and conquer the other planetary elements?
Just like future remains a mystery and life
is all about fitting pieces of the puzzle
Let my words find their own space, in their own time

(c) Vijaya Gowrisankar

I am set as a Table for Two
Everyday, I am decorated with flair
to look my best as I welcome my guests

I have seen first love bloom
I have seen strangers click in conversations
I have seen proposals with promises of a lifetime

I have felt the presence of an invisible third
I have felt the strain of relationships breaking
I have felt the attempts at reconciliation

I have enjoyed the celebrations of a lifetime
I have experienced the anticipation of waiting
I have exulted in the joys of welcoming a child

The people I entertain changes everyday
The emotions vary within a given spectrum

I am set as a Table for Two
I have been decorated with flair
I am ready to welcome my guests today

(c) Vijaya Gowrisankar

I was excited about my first stage
performance. I looked pretty in the
pink dress. My mother got me matching

pink, heart-shaped ear rings. I touched
them often, feeling their softness,
and unable to contain my excitement

I was a princess in the play, and I felt
like one that day. With butterflies in
my stomach, I stepped onto the stage

I stammered a bit, and then said my lines
with flourish. I heard the claps and then
the praise backstage on how well I did my part

My head was in the clouds and I came hopping
and skipping to meet my mother. The bubble
lasted till I came home and took out the dress

My mother came to remove my ear rings and what
did she see! There was only one ear ring and the
other ear was empty. I frantically searched

everywhere the next day, and shed many a tears.
But the ear ring remained lost. One is carefully
stuck in my scrap book, the other one gone forever

(c) Vijaya Gowrisankar

Persona Poem

I remember my mother’s kind eyes, her voice
And that keeps me going, when my bones hurt
after a day’s work. I am up when the sun peeks
out and I work till the darkness covers the Earth

My step-sisters are off to the lovely ball,
dressed in their best. Tears slip down my cheek,
as I look at my worn-out, shabby dress

And then, I hear a call. A fairy Godmother,
she works her magic, and transforms me into
a princess. I enjoy myself in the ball, an eye

at the clock. I rush home, to the life I know,
with dreams in my eyes, that include the Prince
and a life together. This repeats for a few more

balls till I lose my glass slipper. When the prince
comes looking, my sisters try the slipper, I await
my chance. The slippers fit. My hands slip into the
hands of the Prince, and I realize that, dreams come true