Thursday 2 May 2013

On and off the DGP Expressway






Some random snatch of talk, a stranger’s ring
flashes sporadic at rest on his steering
three-faced signals, shamelessly red-eyed
shove me roughly back behind the hopscotch wide
zebra stripes, sunlight drizzles through the trapeze
of cables and dazzling green leaf canopies.

 

A black-crow feather sails down the oceans
of blue skies and frozen peace, broken
strokes of cirrus clouds; so easy to confuse
for migratory bird-wings, and/or the ooze
of peppery smoke from faraway brick kilns
clay on fiery tongues, sky furred with smoke-films.



The strict culverts, the narrowing and  the strips
of sudden widths forge their own narratives
knead their own songs into soft mud, hard clay,
dark tarmac, rear wheel sand and gravel spray
the percussion of pebbles on membranes
thinned with the sounds of distant urban

 

The sky draws its pink fleece, a faded
blanket in one swift move from toes to top of head
the smoke plumes still keep up their dark contrast
till the sunset routine is flushed and done at last
the road now held tender in the palms
of darkness, cradled lullaby-soft in its arms.




 

10 comments:

  1. Hi Nilanjana, I'm sure this is more than a 'nature' poem, but I loved it on that level. The ending was especially brilliant - 'the road now held tender in the palms
    of darkness, cradled lullaby-soft in its arms.'

    Lovely.

    Denise

    PS Did you see RFW has the LETTERS challenge up? Hope you can make it!!

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    1. Hi Denise,

      Welcome back! Good to see you. Making my way to RFW just after. Letters too delicious to pass up :)

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  2. To my mind it invokes a drive through the tarmac and across uncharted routes. There is something pent up just under the surface that I can't quite place, symbolised by the speck in the sky.

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  3. The sky draws its pink fleece...Nicely penned! :)

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  4. I was on Ecstasy !!! Real Life fantasy .. the number i recall after reading these lines !! :)

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  5. Lovely, I saw it as the recognition of nature amidst the life and stress of city life.

    Can't wait to see your RFW 'Letter' challenge!

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  6. really evocative of place...i love the sky pulling its blanket across in the end as well...wonderful imagery...smiles...we have to find the beauty in the world...smiles.

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  7. Thanks all for stopping here and reading. Can't begin to say how much I value the feedback!

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  8. Very vibrant imagery I must say and what expressions!!! It reminded me of a loooong drive and seeing the sky through the windscreen of a car racing ahead of time

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