
drops, a photograph by Totomai Martinez
I left a losing thing in the shadow
of leaves of the lone standing teak,
it was a pond of reminiscence that
snatched it from me, that losing
thing, now submerged, lost from me.
an ant answered the call when I
arrived at the wooden frame prop-
-ed as an entryway to your soul, and
I knocked a repeated knock, but
there was no opening, no close.
will you return all that I left?
can you walk on the ice of my hand,
which pulsates like venom in cold?
I neither expect nor prod, I am
a hermit walking by and away from you.
I remind you all of me that still is
with you, to ask you to return
those drops I left, that smile I
left in the lightness of your arms,
return to me that tempest of my eyes.
return back to me all I left, or not,
I’ll be asleep in the end, and aware
of all that I have left in this valley
nuzzling the horizon, rearing the
river of a memory in its womb.
.
I began to write keeping some other image in mind, but my muse took me somewhere else. After scrutinizing carefully through the wondrous collection of Totomai Martinez, I came across this photograph.
Maybe, the muse responded to the song I was humming a few minutes back. It is one of my favorites; it is in Hindi but English subtitles are added in this video:
And I ended up watching the entire movie. 😉
For dverse Poetics.
wow amnol….quite evocative….so much lost in the losing of them…i like the humility of asking them to return it….especially the tempest of the eyes…that raging life…..
LikeLike
I hope what you left is returned, HA.
LikeLike
I love your opening lines, the lone standing teak…….and its close, “rearing the river of a memory in its womb.” Wow.
LikeLike
This is all so beautiful…the metaphor of a drop on a branch arriving at the entry of a soul..amazing.
LikeLike
A very wistful write, HA. I hope you can recover what is lost and feel more secure.
LikeLike
There is a sad, haunting quality to this poem that so perfectly re-creates the aching that comes with loss. The way you used the image of the ant was quite effective.
LikeLike
Very poignant ~ I have the impression of memories that are lost & the person beseeching of the return that tempest of the eyes ~
LikeLike
“can you walk on the ice of my hand,
which pulsates like venom in cold?”
Oh, wow! Can she? She must return what she cannot return …by poem’s end, the warmth must be found in the speaker’s self or he be left 8in the valley. I like that the video refers to the moon in the photo. I like the ant in your poem.
LikeLike
so much is lost… this write tugs on the heart…
LikeLike
one wonders, will she eventually return what she took?
LikeLike
So many wonderful lines and images…beautiful and evocative.
LikeLike
This was such nice writing. I am so glad to have connected with you. Looking forward to more such poetry. The song- Mera Kuchh Samaan… one word- Gulzar!
LikeLike
The way a drop will cling to a branch before they fall. There is a pain in the fall that you describe so well. Very good, very melancholic.
LikeLike
A very ardent kind of writing you produced here, HA… Every lines are felt deep down my skin & bones… you really conjured the right emotions needed to touch your audience beyond physical form… wonderful!
LikeLike
A haunting piece here Anmol. And I get it 🙂 The song is actually talking to me along with the poetry.
“nuzzling the horizon, rearing the
river of a memory(me) in its womb” – wonderful!
LikeLike
I cannot choose which line I like the best. I love all especially the 2nd last stanza. How much we give of ourselves. This is painful, yet so lovely. Beautifully penned Anmol.
LikeLike
I was first attracted to this same photograph. I am glad you wrote on it instead of me. A painful yet lovely poem, full of poignant images. I like muchly.
LikeLike
There is an aching in your words..a longing for reciprocation. The first stanza sets the mood and you did not disappoint the reader as your images are strong throughout each stanza. Beautifully painful..
LikeLike
i just love the ant answering the call… a felt write anmol… thick with emotions…
LikeLike
for me it was more than loss, yet the depth of that loss
LikeLike
just great!
LikeLike