Apr 9, 2016 NaPoWriMo, Original Poetry, The Daily Post
In response to The Daily Post’s Daily Prompt: Green
Green to Grey, to Gold to Day
©April 9th, 2016
By Vijaya Sundaram
When I was young
And I was green
I wished to be
Both heard and seen
Now, I am older
Greyer, golder*
I’d rather see
And hear, and be.
When I was young
And I was green
I thought that life was
Not a dream.
Now I am old
And I am cold
For I’m just floating
Down a stream.
When I was young
And green of heart
I lived in songs
And books, apart.
Now, in my age
I wish to join
The wise, the sage
– I have my coin!
My coin in hand
I hold so tight
I’m full-prepared
To greet the night.
For when the night
I greet at last
Cold boatman, will you
Let me pass?
For I am old
And I am gold
My so-called green
Has never been.
When all is done,
Here comes the sun
And come the dawn,
I’ll be long gone.
______________________________________________
*Yes, yes, I know there’s no such word as golder, but I decided to bend the rules of the language.
Note: Also cross-posting this one to NaPoWriMo
Tags: #Aging, #OriginalPoetrybyVijayaSundaram, #The Daily Prompt, #TheDailyPost
Apr 9, 2016 NaPoWriMo, Original Poetry
In Confidence
©April 9th, 2016
By Vijaya Sundaram
If I say this, will you hate me?
Will you convert or berate me?
Can I trust you with this thought?
Will our friendship come to naught?
If you wish to know, come near
Let me whisper in your ear
While I love our human spirit
And the forms our worship takes,
I cannot love religion,
And the craziness it makes.
I cannot love this God you tout,
Whom everybody seems to know,
Whose ego says, Believe in me,
Or else to hell you’ll surely go.
I cannot trust a God who says
If you believe, you will be saved
And to heaven I will take you
Even if you are depraved.
And yet, I pray for all in need
And wish for hope for humankind
And love not boundaries, save those
That keep hate out, till love they find.
____________________________________________________
Today’s NaPoWriMo prompt:
And now, for our prompt (optional, as always). This one sounds simple, but it can be pretty difficult. Today, I challenge you to write a poem that includes a line that you’re afraid to write. This might be because it expresses something very personal that makes you uncomfortable – either because of its content (“I always hated grandma”), or because it seems too emotional or ugly or strange (“I love you so much I would eat a cockroach for you”). Or even because it sounds too boring or expected (“You know what? I like cooking noodles and going to bed at 7 p.m.”). But it should be something that you’re genuinely a little scared to say. Happy (or if not happy, brave) writing!
Tags: #Agnosticism, #Confession, #God-related, #InConfidence, #OriginalPoetrybyVijayaSundaram