Poetry: Chayanika Saikia

Chayanika Saikia

Skyscraper’s Dream

I dream, sitting inside a dream

that wants you to dream high,

off the ground, closer to the

clouds than the grasses

 

The dream mirrors dream

reflects one into manifold,

projects me into multitude,

distorting at the end, leaving me

dreamless, groundless

 

I practice dreaming a dream

of walking in the rain that

touches ground with a ‘tappak’

sound making ripples of nostalgia

that overpowers petrichor

 

I dream the dream of the plants

inside the terrarium jar, thriving,

dreaming in own world, with roots

that would never know

the real taste of soil

 

I should learn to dream

the dreams waiting behind

the stacks of windows bottom

to top, curtained or kept open,

with light, in dark

 

-not of the things

down on the ground,

humanoids, dwarf trees

green appearing blues

 

beyond vision

beyond imagination

their thoughts

their dreams

all getting blurred

 

The acrophobic frangipani

in the sun-baked porch

tells me to dream blooming

albeit being out of the world.

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A sketch of evening rain

 

I saw gold tinted sky in west,

dark clouds setting up a

moody affair in south

A flock of bird was returning home,

in a perfect V with their evening song,

abruptly splitting, flew past my window

escaping lightening, thunder would follow

 

Dark clouds invaded west sky

wind took up the speed of storm

rain would come from south

rain should come from south

 

Trees in the woods have gone mad,

a bird from the flock lost it’s track

free-falling, wings flapping, falling

 

rain would come now

rain should come now

from south?

from west?

 

Humidity has possessed the head,

I’m sketching rain in my notebook,

the rain is not taking a shape

 

Wind screaming louder

thunder hammering hard

finally, the silence struck heart

and then the rain came,

 

from the west

from somewhere

words fell upon my page

 

Later, a raindrop landed

on my sketch of evening rain,

signed it with an amber stain.

**********************************

 

 

 

 

 

Shape of a home

 

I remember those halcyon days of

being at home, when it used to be

 

a place, an address, things used to be

so simple, when home was a

serene sense to breath in.

 

I don’t remember from when

that sense became a strain

that shape became amorphous

the home lost all it’s dimensions,

 

and I inherited it’s shapelessness

to dwell in an empty space,

without address

without belongingness

 

home became the pain to

breath in breath out

home became the voyage

 

into unsettled wharf

into home-shaped hearts

into a ponderous detachment

 

Now I roam from mountain

to plain, ocean to terrain,

gathering woods, stones, sand,

gathering love, warm attachment

for a firm basement

 

Now I roam in search of a home

in the shape of

my soul to fit in,

 

-till I sense that place,

nothing more, nothing less.

******************************

 

 

 

 

Summer senses

 

A day-long thought

is getting dilated

in the chimera eyes of mind

 

I was at ease taking siesta

inside my cocoon,

donating eyes to streaming screens,

body to the forbidden couch

 

Should I be concerned

with the sudden commotion?

 

Words bursting from

the cotton trees,

drifting humming

in the light breeze

 

The season is perfect for

plethora of sense and serendipity,

burgeoning feelings of fecundity

 

Evening sky is musing

dazzling with words,

should I be concerned

 

 

when stars are falling,

sunsets fading,

inside heart who’s calling?

 

Summers are perfect

for opulent thoughts,

chasing will-o’-the wisp

delirium of phantasy plots

 

What made me to choose

not-to-be-told saga to booze?

 

words are leaking

words are kicking

 

words

words

words

are seeking to burst

and come alive

 

Not at ease,

on words I’m high.

 

Words are my dopamine.

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Poet’s Biography

Dr. Chayanika Saikia is a geoscientist by profession working for a national oil company & lives in Noida. Her recent works are published in anthologies like ‘Poetry Unites’, 'The Kali Project', 'Antargatha', 'Ismat' etc. and journals like Hakara, New York Parrot, Indian Periodical etc. She is the founder & editor of Assamese e-magazine 'Katha-kanchan'.

E-Mail : chayanika_saikia08@gmail.com

Instagram handle: cherishables_by_chayanika

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Setu, August 2022