Friday, September 20, 2024

EVENING OF LIFE

Three steps walked with bent back, then straight with a sigh

fourth visit to the loo, the clock's eyes meet mine

only two hours since he woke up
frequency taught in physics lessons
now in practice, husband's ramp walks back to the sofa.

Frantic search for eyeglasses of mine
spouse's hearty laugh greets my smirk
his fingers touch perched eyeglasses on my head.

Each day a new theatrical performance,
actors and audience one and the same
opening morning shot
act of balance without rainbow bruised knees and elbows

Memory games tried with personalised variations
of, if pills were eaten or the same pill eaten twice
of anniversary messages with muddled names of spouses

Mathematics a weekly affair to round dwindling savings
or to count the scarce ring of doorbell or phone
each intrusion heartily awaited amidst
catnaps and melody of open mouth snores

The bathroom mirror does its daily homework
numbering hairs left on scalp
kids of the block do Maths practice
of our residual teeth
Indoor game of hide and seek for keys, mobile and pen
tireless activities for the timeless

Visit to doctor, a frequent outing
walking stick, dentures and hearing device
the new besties in tow
old outings preserved in mobile galleries
a finger count of number of faces alive

Silence and ennui, the permanent roomies
share the opera of groans and grunts
each time one sits or stands
physical exercise of a cracked dimension

Both on couches, pleated skins
sixty-five years of glued life
a marriage anniversary, a marvel in itself
each feed the other bit of the sweet
the bespectacled pair stares fondly

She serves his favourite potato fry
he orders her apple pie a shared ritual
the room full of chuckles, table laid with dishes
thirty-two years over, her eyes moist

shrivelled anniversaries of times ahead.













Sunday, September 8, 2024

DOMAIN

This is how the painter's strokes of each flower and bud
tempt my attempt to coat her vision
Nature's umpteen riot of buds and bulbs
crawl across the man-made wall.

The towering barrier braced to bifurcate nature
spectacle armoured to blanket the cooped side
Both sides of greenery refreshing as morning coffee
manufactured bricks pile to leave their hardened print 
caress of enchanting flora on the tender Earth obscured.

A battle for one scarce resource 
mankind teased to enjoy the palette of nature
apprehensive crevices or fences may swallow the rush of beauty.
  


PERCEPTION

To the staring sky. few sets of scraped fingers protrude

a barren sight of sun-tanned figurines

erect and tall as human egos

some sided coarse as jilted anger

 others smooth as politician's lies

layers of rocks solidified for support.

Man made Legos in competition


Discarded pebbles and stones on the floor

whimper, the lonely plant offering sympathy

A landscape stripped of moisture

war torn eyes bereft of tears

nations supplying weapons to wipe.


The brick orange matching cloud patches

chin up endorsed reaching for 

orange streaks amidst

sprinkled blobs of white on sachets of blue.


Each spec narrating their own story

with no one to listen