Skip to main content

The Tree Says 'Hi'

 


The tree says Hi!

My balcony was briefly an arboretum.
Windswept leaves splayed over the floor 
Like champion specimens -parts of a fine species-
Careening into a welcoming sanctum
That is otherwise empty- save for clothes on stands
Or people on feet. When this tree paid its timely visit
Luckily, there was nothing, no-one. It probably seized
A rare chance- when it was out of anchor, fit and fine,
In form- and the tiled floor bare. No sign of occupation.
It bore its way past the metal rails that serve to
Prevent our falls, but here cushioned the tree's.
It rested its somber branches easily on the rail,
Which is mighty strong and sturdy, as I can now discern.
It snooped its slender branches threateningly over
A cauldron of leaves. Green cauldron, green sorcerer.
When I woke, there it was, unshakeable, unmovable.
Oh, it was mobile alright. It'd have moved of its own will.
It was merely enjoying its soiree in a forbidden land,
Like we all do. But it just stared at me, with composure
Unexpected of a transgressor. It was defying my gaze.
I felt challenged. Yet, I knew that maybe, something,
Somewhere, today, was special, for the stars to have aligned
Such that our aloof long-time neighbor had paid us a visit, long overdue.
In eighteen years, it grew, shot up, and today, was ready to molt,
And break free. Same story as me? Maybe.
What shade it offered, what verdant sights
At close-hand. It painted green onto our window,
So to speak. It ushered in the freshness of green,
That we had so long been ignoring, setting aside-
The tree walked right inside my home,
Without as much a rap on the door as a jerk and a thud,
And it leaned in, arm jauntily on the balcony railing,
As it said 'Hi.'

An Aside: I realized while writing this poem that it resembles a famous poem by Adrienne Rich- 'The Trees', in which the forest walks into the poetess' house! That is literally what happened, in a sense! I strongly recommend that you read the poem, 'The Trees' if you haven't read it before, and regard it in its literal sense if it has been taught to you metaphorically. It's the best imagery that could be lent to what I experienced on the 10th of July, 2022!

Also do note: The picture above was shot by my camera at the site of the tree's arrival, which is my balcony. 

Comments

  1. Aparna Iyer11 July 2022 at 21:40

    This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  2. ASHA GOPAL13 July 2022 at 08:47

    Poetic eloquence at its best. I love the way you have depicted the tree's emotions. Keep the poetic spirit going!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Raji Satyamurthy15 July 2022 at 05:56

    While I thought this was the end of the tree's life, you looked at it so differently and in a positive light . The use of language and words is mesmerizing as usual.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

What the New Year Means to Me

 What does the new year mean to me? I don't know.  I think it just means that I can give myself another chance to try, fail, succeed.   I think it means that I can spend time with family, differently this time. I think it means that I can connect with people and with myself, in new ways.  I also think that it gives me a chance to see things with a different lens. The kaleidoscope becomes a periscope. I don't know what else. Every year, I put on a new pair of goggles. Every year, I grow, whether I try, or not. Some things may work as I had expected them to, some may not. But who knows?  I will allow myself to be Novak Djokovic in my arena, who hears his name when the crowd cheers for Nadal or Federer. I will allow myself to be Rafael Nadal, who always has a plan, no matter how bleak or bright things may seem, and sticks to it. I will allow myself to be Roger Federer, who glides in, serves, plays and walks out, all in grace and style. I will allow myself to b...
1 comment
Read more

Fact and Fantasy

How much is fact, and how much is fantasy? Winter mornings are dewdrops. They settle like the treble in a song, only to fade away like echoes.  I can hold them on my fingertips, but the next instant they are gone. Elusive. Just like peace. Just like people you don't really know. Come to think of it, I realize that everything in this world is transient. The barking of the dogs in the neighborhood. The incessant crying of a baby. The footsteps of the milkman. The steady, tremulous tone of someone making a point over the phone. The chatter of neighbors. Yet, only a few moments have passed before I can remind myself that transience is, after all, a tricky business. Everything appears temporary because it is warped by time and spaced into a fragment of its entirety. What appears to be a puzzle, is actually just one piece.  I am wearing the most concrete example of this irony of interconnectedness. Of permanence. Of durability. It wraps your hands and skin in the warmth of several i...
Post a Comment
Read more

Nut and Shell

 Coconut Tender as a coconut. Hard as a coconut. Light as a coconut. Heavy as a coconut. I wish I was a coconut Today... A double-shelled, strange coconut. They call those people coconuts Whom they cannot understand, Like tapping on hard rock but not getting hurt- Like knocking against the hollow And shaking a bowl of jingling water That is cushioned by tender walls. Well, maybe people could be coconuts They could have hard shells and tender interiors, A hard crunch but a sweet essence- I would like to believe so. I want to know why I'm fascinated by the coconut. It can't be solely because of its duality. It can't be its beguiling double facedness. What is it, then? I feel like maybe a shaft of light A hollow for each hard tap- Tears through the hard door. An intriguing belt of  adventurous light Wriggles out from apparent darkness. Mystery, mystery. That's what it is. The mysterious coconut.  It has a shell But it has a soul- Shell protects soul, Soul preserves shell I...
Post a Comment
Read more