Poetry: Ranjana Sharan Sinha

Ranjana Sharan Sinha

1. Roses Left Behind 

Displaced by a war,

Maher is sitting quietly alone

not knowing he would

never return to his old town

where he left his friends, relatives,

books, toys and roses behind.

He is like a baby Robin

fallen out of the nest!

He remembers how bombardments

targeted the people from every corner,

the skies were on fire

and the town seemed 

on the brink of annihilation.

Amid the horror and chaos

they evacuated their home.

In the horizon of his mind

so many silhouettes appear

and beckon to him!

The bewildered boy tries

to recognise the hazy shadows.

The deep emotional scars are the

devastating consequences of displacement.

Maybe he doesn't know that

there are still more miseries to come!

What next?

***

2. The Silk Road

  

In the dim candlelight some pages of history

flutter and open recreating things,

resurrecting bygone images:

I visualise Marco Polo on horseback

and try to get familiar

with the fascinating account

of his travels and migration 

from Venice to China!

Traversing thousands of miles

through uncharted deserts,

over steep mountain passes

and on the Silk Road,

he made an incredible voyage

and brought a wealth of knowledge,

Stimulated people and fired imaginations.

The landscapes, climate, customs,

flora, fauna, ways of life

and the festivities in the court

of Emperor Kublai Khan and

his opulent palace at Shangdo--

Have enthralled millions and millions.

Marco's records inspired Columbus

to begin his own adventure.

Coleridge, after waking from

an opium- induced nap,

wrote his poem ' Kubla Khan' about

the miraculous 'stately- pleasure dome',

but Polo's enchanting tale was somewhere

behind the poet's hypnotic creation!

Over millennia, epistemic curiosity 

and the human desire to explore

have led to a limitless expansion --

New lands have been discovered,

cultural boundaries have been pushed

and new frontiers have been sought!

True, the legacy of the voyages

is enriching and captivating!

***

3. Tanka

leaves fall from the tree

displaced they touch the terrain

a happening sad

or a recycling for growth

and a new start in the spring

***

---

Setu, July 2024