Jun 21, 2016 Free Verse, Original Poetry, The Daily Post
Companion of Her Days
©June 21st, 2016
By Vijaya Sundaram
Alone she comes into life
And alone she goes out of it.
And yet, yet, here you are,
Beside her, holding her aloft
When she falls, gasping, ready to die,
You hold her, and she holds you, too.
Smiling, loving, encouraging,
Healing with song and laughter,
Yes, and also annoying, carping,
Cavilling, gently nudging,
Reminding her of what’s needed.
Sometimes, just sometimes,
She would rather be alone
And walk the edges of everything
And look down the other side.
The valley is purple and shadowed,
The sun sets quickly there,
But the lilies and poppies are so
Very languorous, so inviting,
And she would like to rest there
Forever, inhaling oblivion.
But she knows you, her companion
Will await her, and she gets up,
And returns, whispering to the valley,
That rolls beneath her feet, and
Tries to pull her down:
“Don’t wait for me. I’ll be back.”
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Tags: #Companion, #DailyPrompt, #OriginalPoetrybyVijayaSundaram, #TheDailyPost
Jun 21, 2016 Free Verse, Original Poetry, The Daily Post
Summertime
©June20th, 2016
By Vijaya Sundaram
Girls in cool tank tops
And short shorts, flashing leg,
Sipping iced mochas
And strolling through
Echo-y shopping malls,
Spending money and time
And tossing their hair
In pert insouciance,
Aware of their power.
Boys in packs, talking loudly
Swearing, chewing, drinking beer
Playing ball, throwing frisbees,
Going to movies, eyeing girls,
Spitting, shouting, laughing
Immoderately, punctuating
Everything with obscenities.
Air-conditioned cars and homes,
Smoothies, lemonade, beer
Ice-cream, lobster, tacos, pizza,
Burritos, salsa, chicken tikka masala,
Coffeehouses, bars, boats,
Martha’s Vineyard, Cape Cod,
New Hampshire, Vermont,
Ah, yes, Summertime is delicious!
Burning forests in Canada
Forty-nine killed in crazed nightclub massacre,
Syrian families drowned in raging seas,
Heat waves wash over suffering cities
Farmers die in despair
While crops fail again and again
And the Inferno marches in and
Burns everything in its wake.
Women cry over dying children,
Children cry over dying mothers,
Food dries up before it reaches mouths
And when the water burns all they touch,
They know it’s Summertime –
And the living ain’t easy.
Summertime
When the forests are burning
Fish are dying, and the methane is high
And the trees breathe fumes
And the lakes are all drying up
But, hush, my loving people,
Don’t you fear!
Don’t you fear that things will burn
Because you know they will
While you sit still.
So, surrender to despair:
Give in, hold your head in your hands,
And weep.
It’s okay.
Tags: #DailyPrompt, #OriginalPoetrybyVijayaSundaram, #Summertime, #TheDailyPost