From this height, the city has the ugly visage of failed
possibilities, scraps of dystopia sequinned on her
colourless blouse, an aging matron who still walks the
streets in her high heels, her lips the desperate pink
of what might have been. I stand at the edge, counting
all the reasons to live. Below, the city murmurs even in
her sleep. Trying to fit her frame to the warm undulations
of the morning sky. Somewhere in her breath is the
poetry of those nights. Somewhere in her embrace is
the smell of heated passion, the taste of your skin on her
tongue, the beat of your heart in her urgent rhythm, the
shadow of your gaze in her underbelly. Somewhere in the
line of her upturned chin is the path we never dared to
take. Somewhere in her soft lap is everything we were.
Everything we lost. Have you watched this city disrobe
at sunrise? Today, her hand feels deathly cold in mine.
Absolutely beautiful, Rajani!
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Thank you Sarah… I wrote it for the Visual Verse prompt and they wanted submissions in just a few hours with the time difference and everything… of course the poem didn’t make it to the short list, but was fun to write!!! To me it looked like the dystopia one would see, trying to jump off a tall building… 😀
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Reblogged this on Sarah Russell Poetry and commented:
In this beautiful poem by Rajani Radhakrishnan, she uses the extended metaphor of a city personified as a woman.
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Reblogged this, Rajani. It’s perfect!
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Too kind.. thanks so much for sharing with your readers.
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this is a beautiful metaphor
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Thanks so much 🙂
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Lovely.
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thanks so much…
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Beautiful. I specially love the image of the aged matron. She so resembles Kolkata too even in that deathly cold touch at sunrise.
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Thanks Sumana.. so great you could relate it to your own city!
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Wonderful evolution of the personification of city night as dead-ending courtesan. Some magnificent details — the opening lines are breathtaking (not, I’m sure, why she’s breathless) and the trope of fallen city night has heart and heft here. Time for a holiday in the country, hmm?
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Thanks Brendan… holiday in the country sounds fabulous.. but I ended up in yet another teeming metropolis last week 🙂
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I love “the path we never dared to take” and her soft lap, holding “everything we were”. The image of standing on the edge counting the reasons to live is arresting. A fantastic write!
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Thank you Sherry.
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So many gorgeous and quotable lines in this one, Rajani! ❤️ I love: “her lips the desperate pink of what might have been.” Wow! 😍😍
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Thanks so much Sanaa!
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I love the title line so much. And all what unfolds after it, the way the poem seems to start taking off its clothes… until we see what it’s made of.
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Thanks so much Magaly!
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This to me is a story where I feel you see your own past future mirrored in another human being… somehow dreams are hard to make fulfilled (and I think it’s really a good thing)
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Yes that’s what makes them sweeter I think! Thanks Bjorn.
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Really beautiful piece.
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Thank you Vicki.
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I thoroughly loved this…..
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Thank you Donna!
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I remember reading this poem in Visual Verse and thinking that you’d aced this one, Rajani! I love the personification, the matron with the desperate pink lips. I especially love the lines:
‘…Somewhere in her breath is the
poetry of those nights. Somewhere in her embrace is
the smell of heated passion, the taste of your skin on her
tongue, the beat of your heart in her urgent rhythm’
and
‘…Have you watched this city disrobe
at sunrise? Today, her hand feels deathly cold in mine.’
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Thanks so much Kim. Their prompts are so unusual…that it takes one in totally unexpected directions!
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This is by far my favourite poem. Your metaphors are just wow!
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Thanks so much Vivian. Glad you liked it.
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👍🏽😊
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Lovely personification.
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Thank you Rosemary.
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Beautiful! The ending is chillingingly poetic!
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Thank you Mary.
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A stunning extended metaphor – powerfully rendered.
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Thanks so much Wendy.
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What a stunning response… And thank you for dropping by my sumie Sunday
much love…
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Thank you Gillena.
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What a wonderful creation using the image. Each line has a deep meaning.. Read it twice to grasp its depth! Kudos
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Thanks so much!
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