Roots of the vale
The vast valley drops into the canyon;
surrenders its green jewels, like topazes;
set alight by afternoon of a late Spring.
The slow train halts; guards come down; signal turns red.
Sometimes, travel ends at a place, not in programs.
The traveler descends, looks at the terrain,
so barren, it becomes red, with shyness,
seeing stranger. The stranger wants to chat, know,
closely follow the valley; coax it to talk.
The dead animal’s whitened skull silently stares.
The walls of the canyon unveils petroglyph,
ancient men, their deeds. A cockatoo
flies overhead. High-pitched cry of the bird rings.
The traveler can see that the train has left.
There’s no regret. He tells the vale, “I can’t leave.”
The roots of trees, embrace him; he likes to believe
these are his roots.
© 2009 - All Rights Reserved Kushal Poddar
River
Can this liquid, this wetness, this aqua
wash me away, my sadness, my hidden sins?
The river of the new world flows midst the heat;
the smoldering villages attempts to gain
fading sense of sacredness, which is in truth,
the innocence.
I rise from stream.
Sun soaks water from my skin in a second.
The ancient monument, which belongs to
a society, died away; stands like a cairn
of my own death. I smile, grin. It is rebirth.
Reborn, I am. My ashes have already
transformed to mud.
© 2009 - All Rights Reserved Kushal Poddar
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Comments: 39
Very nice
across the valleys to the river, what a journey of mind!
While reading this I was curious to know the destination of it and really you made it worth journey.Through season to sad hues, the landmark was brilliant. Well done!
The First one was concieved by a memory of last years travel through Madhya Pradesh and the last one on a small West Bengal village.
Bhawana, thank you.
Great writing!
These are both so powerful, poddar, but I love the River best. Rebirth, ashes to mud, it sings to me :)
green jewels, like topazes...i actually could see that. very visual, very lovely read :)
thanks for sharing your writing
Poddar .Both were beautiful. I too like the river best. I have been washed clean in the river. It seems a weight lifted .Thanks for sharing both.
Both poems are very nice but the first one really "sings" to me! Great job.
Soothing Kush and rhythmatic. Just like the breeze wafting over tree tops beckoning us all to go and dance to its rhythm.
Hello,
I'm not sure which was/is my favorite, as both are different and tell me and have me feeling different emotions - but that's the important thing, they both (through your telling and writing...) let me feel,
Marilyn
lovely, both poems, Poddar, do you write every minute of the day, you do so much wonderful work.
Beautifully penned poetry. I especially liked the second one because we wrote about the same subject today and you are my brother. Thank you for posting to our group.
Very impressive, Kushal. Your poems always bring so much to feel to the reader. I especially liked the second poem. Something about it felt uplifting.
Great poems of the son of Adam that left paradise behind him. I loved in particular this ending line:
'My ashes have already
transformed to mud.'
Very beautifully written. Thank you for sharing this and for your friend request. :)
Thanks for posting on Getting to 3000 Together
You capture a combined rythym: Norman Rockwell, Zane Grey and Kushal Poddar.
:+)
You are doing great! Keep writing.
The valley and river are where civilizations settled. Adam Smith says prosperity and innovation began there. We are living in a great valley beyond Sahyas! Living here and just seeing the Lord is earning purushartha!
beautiful :)
I love both.
I enjoyed the valley and canyon welcoming your traveler, who finds himself there to stay. An inviting sense of the exotic. Water and solitude as the medium for renewal touches most everyone.
Thanks for posting to The Surreal Circus, Kushal.
In the first one, I imagined the Grand Canyon, and in the second one, River, I envision a lot of sadness but channeled into rebirth through water, an ancient and timeless symbol.
Exquisite.
Featured in the The Triple Name Club
Wonderful journey of beauty!
I loved both of these pieces, Poddar. The second one moved me in very deep rooted places.
I loved both but the first one spoke to me as I remembered places that captured me like that, making me want to never leave.
beautifully done!
Wow! Just wow!
Thanks for posting to my group, Anythingwriting
Happy Fourth!
the river cleanses to the bones~
Thank you for posting to GutterGirls~
thanks for sharing..
We can all relate to "Mother Earth", huh? from the deserts to the mountians, from the snow to the rivers these things speak to us in a language of creation..and we understand and call it home...for now. You have once again formed a beautiful essence with your words. thanks for the journey...Richard Lynn
The riches of travel and nature, bringing us to a deep part of our nature, are felt and expressed. Beautifully written.
these are both wonderful
Powerful metaphors. A blend of choices and destiny.
You write with such vivid descriptions and pictures. Your writing is always beautifully crafted. No word is ever wasted.