The heart full, and the words came paper-thin,
the sky outside was a stretched night’s parchment
skin -
a tent over the earth and a silver gap
through which a pale moon poked a finger in.
She came by in that moonlight and her anklet
made no music, it gave away no secret;
that curve of heel and that flash of movement
once seen quite impossible to forget.
One heartbeat on the path, and then no more;
no trace was left on paved road or floor.
He ran out in the moonlight but no signs,
no footprints showed the way to her door.
Pale silver lay the path, beyond nothing,
the moon fluttered like a broken bird wing.
He walked home slowly. There beside his threshold,
a red tassel had fallen from her earring.
Continuing with the theme of love and the Eastern
fixed form rubai, this poem goes out today for Gagan Preet Singh who is 21, a young
graduate from Delhi University, a professional photographer and an
entrepreneur, wow! Quite a few feathers in his cap at such a young age.
Gagan Preet won himself a blog post here in a
contest, the second winner to do so, and he wanted this prize dedicated to his
new start-up ‘Kagaz’. Kagaz is a brand of lovingly crafted
hand-made jewellery. And jewellery and
Gagan Preet’s name (Gagan means ‘sky’, and Preet is ‘love’ – a love for the
sky) are the prompts for this poem. I
Know! Too much to be a coincidence, right? Both the winners connected to ‘love’
and coming at a time and season when love is in the air and on my mind more
than usual! :)
I hope Gagan Preet enjoys reading the poem as much
as I have enjoyed writing it. Wishing
him and Kagaz every
success! May what you are looking for be found right beside your threshold :) It’s
been absolutely amazing writing for both the winners (read the other poem here).
This unique contest was part of a pay-it-forward
initiative at Buzzaria, my heartfelt
thanks to the team there for this opportunity to participate.
~~~
A word here also about the A-Z Blogging Challenge which
starts tomorrow and runs throughout April. All month long I will be posting the
works of great poets and my own poems in response to them, every day except for
Sundays. There will be giveaways for the
top commenters after the month is over, so do check back and make your opinions
heard.
Beautiful Nilanjana!!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Pooja! Glad you enjoyed it.
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