LOVE REFLUX

 

You say that my love is toxic

A poison

tucked deep within my liver

Flowing like molten lava

Ready to erupt

with every tick of the clock

And at the very mention of your name

it gives in

to cause a you reflux

Pain burning all the sugar from the tongue

And leaving a vinegar sourness

from the singe of its open surgery

A burning sensation spreading fast in my chest

Setting me up for a blaze

Ready to inflame

Every bit of my soul

 

You say my love is tragic

A cancer spreading through my esophagus

of emotions

parts of my body shedding like autumn leaves

I can no longer swallow the thought of you

without vomiting blood

We’ve been here for too long

You and me

Exhausted from all the aches

Weary of all that’s to come

 

You say my love is fatal

Green and yellow venom

nauseating your very existence

My name is but an epigastric pain

A tribulation

injecting misery

into your blood vessels

But can’t you see?

I want an out too

Cough out the reality of you

into nothingness

Cut out the part of me

that still stomachs you

So here I am

Under palliative care

Portioning my love in bits of five

Taking it with every call of prayer

Hoping that this time

It will be enough

Not too much

Not too little

Just a memory of you

enough

to keep me

alive.

THE ORCHESTRA OF JOY

 

Image Courtesy: http://animalia.bio/nightingale

Have you ever seen a nightingale sing?

When the clouds are white

and gray

and orangish blue

When the sun is still peeping shyly

through the sky

like a child who’s still learning

to carry

the weight of her mother tongue

There are some things you notice

only when you’re in glee

When the heart is at rest

with its existence in the world

Like the first touch of fresh, cool air

when it reaches your lungs

Cleansing you of all dust

and ashes

Blowing your noodle-like hair around

Strands of it lingering on your radiant face

The gentle swishing of leaves

dance to the reviving melody of the nightingale

The sun rays,

a strong energy of red

and the happiness of yellow,

piercing through your ebony eyes

glittering

like they were dipped in perfect shades of olive

and brown

Your mother’s honey voice

hums silkily

in the vastness of her love

She sings a song of enchantment

A tune already engraved on your soul

Her maroon white hair rests weakly on her shoulders

You stand side by side

Fingers interlocked delicately

as you watch the tan beauty

perching on one of the branches

in the lush green forest

It serenades your souls

with the procession of rippling whistles,

and trills,

and gurgles

that makes the entire universe stand still

Listening to the powerful performance

of an exquisite bird

A gentle trickling sound

of a river

meanders by

Possessing your entire being

with a solace

unknown

A poet stands to watch

and a writer

and an artist

The muse is in front of them

unraveling

all the magic of dawn

And you stand there too

You glance at your frail mother

as she raises her head from

the wheelchair

to look at you

Her eyes twinkling

as she beams with bliss

And it just seems like God

has pinned you as a favourite today

Because suddenly,

everything has a tune of joy

to it.

On this day,

It feels like the universe

is shining

on you.

***

If you want to witness this breath-taking experience, kindly click on the following loooong video. You can use it to relax or meditate or even create some art!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NK2_bcQcoD4&t=547s You’re welcome! 🙂

NOBODY TEACHES YOU

 

Nobody teaches you

how to love

a narcissistic son

How to wrap your arms

around the grand ego

engulfing his tiny body

Willing to snatch the pride

off the tip of his tongue,

to swallow it on his behalf.

And in the rushing cold that fills his soul,

show him how to

empathize

with the agony

of the world

To bow

low enough

so he can see through

the lenses of humility.

Nobody teaches you

how to strip off

the clothes of vanity

that he adorns himself with,

burning away

any remnants

of decency in himself

for the world to applaud

Flaunting

like a sun

with whole worlds revolving

around him.

Nobody teaches you

how to embrace him

when his hugs bear

the softness of cactus thorns

tearing your heart apart.

A bitter lump

rising in your throat

when his venom words are spat out

to humiliate

and intimidate

and demean.

Nobody teaches you

how to mould a son

that stands tall

to compete with the might of mountains

Stamping his feet

on every living creature

like a dirty rug

Worthless.

Invaluable.

Defective.

Nobody teaches you

how to love a son

who believes

in the godliness of his self.

***

This poem reached the semi-finals (top 8% among the over 3,500 poems submitted) in the 2020 Jack Grapes Poetry Prize alhamdulilah!! Immense gratitude to my poetry teacher and inspiration, Finch (Ahmed Shayo) for constantly pushing me to improve my art. Been staring at my name y’all, still can’t believe it 😀 Anyway, here’s the link to the semi-finalists so you can enjoy the moment with me 🙂 : https://www.culturalweekly.com/2020-jack-grapes-poetry-prize-the-semifinalists/ (Winners have already been announced by the way 🙂 ) Thank you for your constant support!