Special Section: Ambika Talwar

Ambika Talwar

Gazing at the Horizon

Wild the sea had been that day – then

a sudden quiet spread over deep blue waters.

Had its heart given up turmoil? Was it so easy?

I'd watched mauve, white and golden clouds spread

their fluff across textured sky – my eyes. Nothing

could hide my longing for my true home: one    

where sky sand mountain trees birds meet.                                                

I'd stood pensive gazing at the horizon

wavy line between world's edge and dreams;

seagulls' wild cacophony teased the lifting waves

but not my feet – sandy surface shiftings made shapes 

under my feet much comfort. I smiled. Then all 

of a sudden, I'd shrieked – three boatmen far 

in the distance were swallowed invisible

by sudden huge wave down down – my

breath caught in my throat; my voice stuck.

I cannot forget how they had all disappeared under

thrashing the water stronger and slipped away for all time.

Wildest wind crushed the water scudding madly on

this once mellow evening's strange phenomena,

a waterspout had risen and rolled o'er

the layered ocean – a rich alive tempest.

My heart sank, I was eleven – drenched, scared

it would throw me down. I gathered held pretty shells 

and plants to my heart as my tears fell on my yellow dress 

now stained with sand's ochre – sloven sad crumpled.

Beauty insists courage rise from deep inside us;

Nature breathes a mysterious power.

Silence hummed at this acheful tragedy;

I remember how my breath slowly expanded

as huddled and mesmerized, I gazed at the horizon.

In a trice waves gentled; my bare feet in wet sand felt calm

again. Yes, I have the yellow dress. Some moments.

never disappear; longing wishes to never be lost.

How strange you asked me if I like yellow.  

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Bio: India-born healer-artist, author-poet AMBIKA TALWAR bridges worlds with ecstatic verse. Repeat winner of Rabindranath Tagore Int'l Poetry Contest, she has authored My Greece: Mirrors & Metamorphoses, a poetic-spiritual travelogue. Her poems appear in Winterful-Whispers, Crystal-Fire, Timeless Inspirations, Grateful Conversations, Kyoto-Journal, On Divine Names, Roseate-Anthology, Yugen-Review, Quill&Parchment, Glo-Mag, and various print/online collections. Bharat Award for Literature awardee, Pushcart nominee, Nissim-Int’l-2021 & Aatish 2 awardee, she won Best Original Story award for her film, “Androgyne”. Holistic healing practitioner, she affirms “the intricate power of language stirs our visionary creativity and wellbeing.” Current board member of CSPS, she lives in Los Angeles/New Delhi..

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Setu, November 2025