there were furrows
on her forehead,
disappearing like subway tracks,
lines that climbed out
from her weary dimple
like trains out of City Station;
she was softer
under the naked light bulb,
incandescent matter
poised mid-whirl,
a momentary flicker
in Rumi’s eyes,
an afterthought
caught in the maelstrom
of an incoming chant;
her face translucent,
the edges blurring
into the aura
weaving round her head;
inviting me to read
the empty pages,
words like thoughts
had pulled away
over the years;
i met her
on an empty platform,
a long way from today,
the me that i could be,
standing alone,
with a smile
and a purple umbrella;
in her bag-
the book I am writing,
weathered and lonesome;
she watched me run
towards the 09.55,
shaking off raindrops
from an imagined ache,
her wrinkled hands
held my arm
for just a moment,
not so fast,
her trembling voice said,
not so fast, my dear,
go craft me
in your own time,
one unsure step
trailing another,
just feel the lines
cross through your heart,
they will come,
for now
just slow down
and mind the gap.
Posted this poem way back on Jan 3rd, 2016. Seems like a perfect time to revisit it.
Water to Water, my first poetry collection, is now available on Amazon – US, UK and India
Rajani,
I must read it again-so many lines lift the veil of wonder and reminds us to mind the gap, to find and fill them~ A beautiful poem!! Congrats on your book! You have a mystical energy in your words-so, enchanting to read~
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Thanks so much, Ella.
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Wonderful writing … and what an intriguing and unique description.
‘furrows
on her forehead,
disappearing like subway tracks,”
Love the direction you went in … Love the layered close …
Love everything about this piece.
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Thanks so much, Wendy. Glad you liked it.
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“go craft me
in your own time,
one unsure step
trailing another”
I’ve missed the train I thought I should be on so many times. Here I feel the voice, the watcher and the person moving were all one, and I hear the many voices that bombard me at one time, pen in hand. Beautifully captured, in motion!
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Thanks so much, Susan.
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“her face translucent,
the edges blurring”
There is something powerfully ethereal about that image.
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Thanks so much, Magaly. It’s an old poem part-inspired by the london underground where I heard the “mind the gap” announcement for the first time! 🙂
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Minding the gap is everything, is it not? Especially if it’s the gap between fantasy and reality…
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You said it!
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This is absolutely gorgeous, Rajani ❤️ Congratulations on your book! 😀
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Thanks so much, Sanaa.
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I’m struck by the near feeling of holiness this piece has. I’m still not entirely sure holiness is the right word though…grace, serendipity? Either way, I like the interplay between the beatific older woman and the harried younger one. Some things are only achieved with the passage of time.
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So true.. can’t get there any sooner than we are meant to! Thank you, Rommy.
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For me, this piece has great poise and confidence – the last two stanzas especially very precise and effective. Bravo!
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Thank you, Scott.
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Beautiful reflection really. Meeting the person that one COULD be….’a long way from today’……what a beautiful possibility if it could be so! Gives me chills.
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Thanks so much, Mary. Glad you liked it.
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Terrifically told
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Thank you, Jae.
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So, evidently it still seems like the right advice! Perhaps you have arrived now at that future self.
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Or it is a moving target and what we can be keeps changing as we move forward… I wonder! Thanks so much, Rosemary.
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I’m reflecting on the mirror you’ve put in front of me with this poem. Life purpose? Sacred path? Thanks for the nudge.
Also, congrats on your poetry book! Poetry is your calling. Keep writing!
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Thanks so much, Tiostib. Appreciate your kind words.
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