Jul 3, 2016 Free Verse, Original Poetry, The Daily Post

 

Archipelago
©July 3rd, 2016
By Vijaya Sundaram

See that child who stands there near traffic
Dressed in rags, his face a mute plea,
While people walk around him, parting
Like water around a small rock,
A rock that’s slowly being eroded,
By water which never stops or slows,
While traffic flows by him, oil-slicks
In a sluggish sea on a stuporous day;

And that woman, brown-skinned, bright
Smiling, but strained, in a sea of white
Indifferent to her impenetrable loneliness
As she learns the facial tones and gestures
While they don’t comprehend hers,
As she aches to explain, but they
Close their faces to hers, not interested,
As their ships sail by her waving flag;

And that man being handcuffed by police
For standing, not disturbing the peace,
Not resisting, not being violent,
Just standing and waiting, headphones on
On the sidewalk, enjoying a second of
Being free in a supposed democracy,
While fear handcuffs the shoals of passersby
Not wishing to cause ripples in that unsafe water;

See them, and stop everything, everything.
Let’s build a bridge out of Christo-cloth,
So that we may walk freely, buoyantly across
On a hot, hot summer’s day, and transform
From islands to travelers, when we so wish;
So that we may choose to visit, and choose
To be, or not be, an island, so that we shall
Not live handcuffed by fear and indifference.

And, just in case, let us build more boats.

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Island

Tags: #archipelago, #Christo, #Connection, #DailyPrompt, #humanity, #indifference, #Islands, #kindness, #Love, #Metaphorical poem, #OriginalPoetrybyVijayaSundaram, #Postaday, #TheDailyPost

Mar 6, 2016 The Daily Post

Connection

Geese, and Catamarans, Cowrie Shells and Smoke
(Daily Prompt:  Connections)
©March 6th, 2016
By Vijaya Sundaram

If I send you a string of thoughts
Winging across the air
In goose-formation,
Would you watch their flight?

And would you send back
A flight of thoughts
Winging as surely as geese
Returning in springtime?

Little archipelagos we are
Locked in by surging seas
Close, but not connected
Lonely, we send out catamarans

Carrying our conversations
In exchange for yours
It’s all bartering, this parley
Between us, yours for ours.

Cowrie shells of self in trade,
Cloth of heart and steel of soul,
Gold bangles of love,
And rings of friendship.

Mind you keep mine well,
Treasure them, shine them.
I shall do so, likewise.
For these are precious things.

And I thank you for yours.
Little islands we may be,
But I see smoke spire out from
Your chimneys, and am cheered.

I shall keep my hearth clean,
Dust the ashes, stock my fireplace
Use good kindling, light a fire.
I hope you’ll see the smoke rise.

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Tags: #Connection, #Original Poetry, #TheDailyPost