Two Ekphrastic Poems By Meenakshi Mohan

Meenakshi Mohan

A Witness to the Parables of my Life

Your silvery hues sneaked through my windows,

illuminating the dark of my room.

And the ocean below embraced you in its folds.

You, my eternal companion, was always there since the time

I opened my eyes to the world.

You were there

when my mother lulled me to sleep

with your song “Chanda Mama.”

In my dreams, you ate my kheer in chandi ki thali.

I fought with you; you gave me a mischievous smile.

You were there 

when my family was in my grandfather’s house

and we slept under the azure awning

of the star-studded sky on our terrace.

You watched us playing who could count the most stars.

Ah, yes, you were there

when I traveled thousands of miles

away from my parents,

you took my messages to them,

traveling from the West to the East.

You were there 

in my Karva Chauth when I offered you kheer and Puri, your favorite.

And when I asked you why you took so long to come,

you smiled your naughty smile.

You were there 

when the love of my life traveled to another world.

I was left alone in the vast emptiness. You wiped my tears

and soothed my weary eyes.

You are here today in a different attire -- a rare Blue Moon

playing with the piquant swells of the ocean.

I watch you through my window and admire how you paint 

the webbed branches of a tree forlorn with your lustrous sheen.

The world is drowned in your silver glory

while a gentle stellar breeze knocks at my window 

as if playing a hymn.

Mesmerized and intoxicated, my words form a song –

melody of a cherished memory.

Notes:  

Chanda Mama -- according to Hindu mythology, the earth is considered mother, as the moon is nearest to earth like a brother to a sister – a maternal uncle. Mothers usually sing this lyrical song to lull their babies to sleep off to sweet dreams.

chandi ki thali – silver plate

kheer – a sweet dish made of rice and milk

poori – Indian Bread

Karva Chauth – a Hindu religious festival where women (now men observe too) fast all day for the welfare of their partner and break their fast only after seeing the moon. 

Blue Moon: A Witness to the Parables of my Life.

(Oil On Canvas by Meenakshi Mohan)

***

If Only I Could Be a Child Again

If only I could be a child again,

I would unlock all the doors of fantasy, dreams, and magic.

I would sing in tune with the stellar wind,

and dance with the rhythmic cadence of the trees.

I would go to the seashore,

and chase the waves in their frolicking.

I would collect shells and all shapes of stones,

and paint them in different colors.

I would touch the brightest star in the sky

by climbing the tallest ladder.

I would make friends with birds, butterflies, and squirrels,

and invite them to my castle of sand.

I would build my house up in the clouds,

and travel the whole world in my paper boat.

I would speak in every language,

and everyone in the world would be my friend.

If only I could be a child again,

I would capture my world – pure and white 

full of dreams and fantasy in a time capsule.

If only I could be a child again,

the miseries, woes, worries, and hatred of the world

would not cross my path.

If only I could be a child again –

All the children of the world would be my friends –

all our dreams would be the same

wrapped in beautiful colors of the rainbow.

If only I could be a child again.

If Only I Could be a Child Again

(Pen-and-Ink with Mixed Media by Meenakshi Mohan)

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Setu, January 2023