THE FOLLOWING POEM WAS SELECTED IN WINGWORD POETRY PRIZE 2023 LONGLIST.
Upon the onset of spring
And the spring of my childhood ,
Tons of vibrant leaves you’d diligently bring,
Resting on your earthly wood,
Chimneys and cuckoos would divinely sing.
My enchanting Gulmohar tree
Made a perennial promise to me -
“When times are tough,
Morale is low,
My branches who materialised rough
Shall embellish sanguine and mellow”.
Your primordial existence in the universe
Once commanded unparalleled might,
But now as I jot down this verse
Tears of sorrow hinder my sight.
“Oh what good are humans’ eyes for
Which lay devoid of your motherly light !”
My Gulmohar tree
Made a promise to me-
Even when the devilish autumn rolls by
And her yellow-red leaves flee,
She would grow and harbour myriad of fruits,
Forever beaming her bountiful glee.
Its been plenty years
Since you heard my long talks.
Never batting scornful eyes,
Never judging,
Always listening while I listened to those rustling leaves
That blew from hot summer streams.
Gulmohar tree
The one who broke their promise, is me.
I'd vowed to not let anyone cut
Your presence away,
Day and night will your best bud
fight for your roots to stay.
As a friend , I’m heartbroken
As a living being, I’ve failed .
I ought to clench the childhood tokens
That you had saved.
Gulmohar
I remember the promise you made to me-
“When I die and fall,
You mustn’t sprout a hopeless pall.
For death is inevitable, but the spirit continues to sprawl.
From the heavens I’ll watch you grow strong and tall.”