Every year, I see summer way ahead
in Chennai —
pushed to the pillow with giddiness,
slipping into half slumber
in the AC bedroom at my corner workspace
with my desktop.
Every day, I used to plunge in lethargy —
a listless lifestyle even with coriander ‘Kashayams’
in small quantities for three days only;
nothing to do with my ears problems
and loss of balance in the head.
Allopathy failed, all else failed.
For twenty years I suffered, every summer.
We voluntarily accepted the lockdown,
pushed the lock up on our front door
and stayed indoors,
worked in the kitchen, cleaned vessels, read poetry,
took stock of our stores, vegetables, medicines,
and had our purchases dropped at the gate
by our non-working maids.
Summer has come to Chennai, we are shut in,
we see the sun shine on the eastern corner;
it shifts at noon to the western verandah,
where we pull in our laundry to hang them.
Outside my daughter’s window, a Shikra lights up
eating a reptile; my daughter snaps it on her mobile.
Nearby, a magpie perches, singing the neem trees’ song.
I tell her, shoot its picture for the balcony-birding challenge,
but she says:
‘‘No ma, the magpie is a shy bird.’’
Summer Unnoticed
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- Posts: 2692
- Joined: 03 Jun 2016, 21:03
Re: Summer Unnoticed
A good depiction of life in the pandemic. I liked the details. Enjoyed.
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- Posts: 127
- Joined: 28 Aug 2020, 23:11
Re: Summer Unnoticed
Any edits, Bob? It has been selected for the Indian Year Book of Poetry 2021.
Thanks
Thanks
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- Posts: 2692
- Joined: 03 Jun 2016, 21:03
Re: Summer Unnoticed
My only small suggestion... remove “ for three days only”. It isn’t crucial and trimming it improves the poem’s flow a bit. Good work. And congrats!
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- Posts: 127
- Joined: 28 Aug 2020, 23:11
Re: Summer Unnoticed
Thank you, Bob. I will do the necessary.