Ms. Satbir Chadha, India (Winging through Gloom: Poetry of Hope and Recovery)

Satbir Chadha
Satbir Chadha is a recipient of the Reuel International prize for her book “For God Loves Foolish People”. Her second novel is “Betrayed, tale of a rogue surgeon”, a medical thriller. Her poems and short stories have been published in over twenty national and international anthologies. She has three poetry collections to her credit, “Breeze”, “Glass Doors”, and the recent “The Last Lamp”. She was awarded the Litpreneur Award by Authorspress for her contribution to literature. She is the founder of the NISSIM International Prize for Literature, awarded every year to upcoming writers of English prose and poetry. 

IN THE PARK

The day is brighter today
But the paved walking tracks have not been swept
So, they’re littered with carcasses of crushed centipedes
The ants and moths they fed upon when alive
Are now feeding on their mutilated remains
As I take each step gingerly so as to not step on one crawling
To wherever it needs to go
I wonder how long they’d lived
Seven hours probably, to my seventy years.

I wonder too, if this is how humans must have lain dead
In Afghanistan or Syria or Kashmir or Punjab once
Or even in Europe and Delhi in the pandemic.

My eyes are on the ground but I hear scores of birds
Some twittering, some chanting,
Some chuckling, some beseeching, in so many languages
Some sound like lawyers arguing, some like lovers quarrelling,
Some monosyllabic, some letting out a trail of musical notes.
A sudden scream of the peacock from the woods behind
So comforting, to see all nature is alive.

Before I turn back home I look around and yes,
Flowers are swinging and swaying and nodding their heads
Bringing cheer and hope in the feeble breeze
There’s a song in the air and a poem flutters
On the wings of a butterfly.

The scene I fold in my heart
And come back pleased.


No comments :

Post a Comment

We welcome your comments related to the article and the topic being discussed. We expect the comments to be courteous, and respectful of the author and other commenters. Setu reserves the right to moderate, remove or reject comments that contain foul language, insult, hatred, personal information or indicate bad intention. The views expressed in comments reflect those of the commenter, not the official views of the Setu editorial board. рдк्рд░рдХाрд╢िрдд рд░рдЪрдиा рд╕े рд╕рдо्рдмंрдзिрдд рд╢ाрд▓ीрди рд╕рдо्рд╡ाрдж рдХा рд╕्рд╡ाрдЧрдд рд╣ै।