by Kushal Poddar

Member since:
January 19, 2008

Mixed emotion

February 26, 2009 10:13 PM EST

views: 335 | comments: 64

Middle class dreams- II

(To the women, to Alison)

“How do you feel, having a job after all these years?”

She may have answered that it feels like facing a sea;

standing in front of tangy freedom and disquiet unknown.

She picks up a fistful of sand instead, “Mixed emotion!”

She loves the moments racing from the buzzing extreme

to the nook between two shifts, she appreciates silence

which then plays fiddles with expertise amid wild fields.

She looks at those unkempt grasses and the games they play.

Right now, she wants to chew a stem of nature and she won’t.

The bicycle brings her to work; waits outside patiently

while she takes sips of the salt of the sea, floats and drowns.

“Do not worry. Every moments gather experiences.”

Smiling to herself, she opens her senses. Let them pour.

“How do you feel, having a job after all these years?”

She looks at her husband. “It is different.” She says.

Tags: poem, women week, poetry, kushal poddar, xpression, gather, muse, writing, story

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Comments: 64

Nora Davenport Feb 26, 2009, 10:16pm EST

Beautiful poem!!!

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Alison H. Feb 26, 2009, 10:29pm EST

I love it.

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Kathryn E. Feb 26, 2009, 10:37pm EST

Featured in the Triple Name Club.

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David W. Feb 26, 2009, 10:38pm EST

Nice story, told in tight, well written verse.

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Jennifer Lee Feb 26, 2009, 10:42pm EST

Great imagery and metaphors, well done as usual. Thank you for posting to our group. Your work is always a pleasure to read.

reply to this comment

JOHN BECK Feb 26, 2009, 10:42pm EST

Beautiful and timely. Nice tribute to Alison.

reply to this comment

De (It takes a pillage to raze a village.) M. Feb 26, 2009, 10:46pm EST

I like the way you described the bicycle as if it were a faithful dog.

reply to this comment

Georgiana S. Feb 26, 2009, 10:49pm EST

oh to express one's feelings!

reply to this comment

Beth - Doing God's work Daily J. Feb 26, 2009, 10:50pm EST

Thanks for posting on Getting to 3000 Together

reply to this comment

Stirling D. Feb 26, 2009, 10:56pm EST

I like the metaphorical themes of sea and sand.

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Cheryl W. Feb 26, 2009, 11:04pm EST

Wonderful poem, Poddar!

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Renee (Pres of Baby James Foundation) ~. Feb 26, 2009, 11:11pm EST

Something so many woman are experiencing in this day and age.

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t b. Feb 26, 2009, 11:17pm EST

A beautiful piece.

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Sherrie H. Feb 26, 2009, 11:37pm EST

Simple and beautiful.

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Bard Constantine Feb 26, 2009, 11:47pm EST

Elegant and true.

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Vivian A. Feb 27, 2009, 12:18am EST

I like how you've captured the dichotomy of emotions. Excellent, again.

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Krissy spreading my wings hoping to soar W. Feb 27, 2009, 12:19am EST

This comment is to let you know that this content has reached at least ten comments, and as such has been removed from Comment Speedway! Congratulations!

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Elizabeth Madrigal Feb 27, 2009, 12:36am EST

Very perceptive in how a woman feels and thinks, amazing as I know you are not one. Vivid, great imagery.

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Debbie W. Feb 27, 2009, 12:37am EST

Very nice

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Shannon H. Feb 27, 2009, 1:26am EST

Well told, Kushal. I love the diplomacy in her words.

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Bhawana 'Gather Proud Mom' Feb 27, 2009, 1:35am EST

What can be the best gift to Alison.An awesome tribute, Poddar.Highlighting her virtues and her beautiful,kind heart...you penned it so neatly.

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Bhawana 'Gather Proud Mom' Feb 27, 2009, 1:36am EST

Thanks for posting this special poem to xpressions "Women week"

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Bhawana 'Gather Proud Mom' Feb 27, 2009, 1:36am EST

featured in

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Svetlana Goryacheva Feb 27, 2009, 8:03am EST

Exquisite, dear Poddar! :-)

Blessings and best wishes - S.

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Adrian Eve Revenaugh Feb 27, 2009, 8:39am EST

with his poet's eye
and heart, once again
he peeks in to 'other',
knows by feeling,
opens up
and...
beauty

reply to this comment

Ann M. (Site Scryer) Feb 27, 2009, 8:45am EST

It sounds as if your heroine's free spirit has been trapped!

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Ann M. (Site Scryer) Feb 27, 2009, 8:45am EST

Thank you for posting this to The Surreal Circus.

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Elise w. Feb 27, 2009, 8:55am EST

Hey, Poddar! This is really good and right on the money for a lot of women. Sounds like you may know someone in this situation. You may know lots of them. It is true that when someone is out of the working field for so long they tend to lose a little of their confidence.....(can I still do it? do I still have what it takes? should I try? what if I fail? what will I wear? what if I mess up?) The big what ifs of life become the main focus, sometimes clouding the mind. But, having positive influences in our lives will make all the difference. Someone who keeps saying and showing their confidence in them let them know - Hey! You can do this. I have confidence in you and it's gonna be ok.

This is one of your best, in my most humble opinion. :-)
Great job!

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Elise w. Feb 27, 2009, 8:59am EST

oh....and tell Alison that Fran Tastic says, "You can do this and it's gonna be ok."
:-)

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Michelle W. Feb 27, 2009, 9:39am EST

Very interesting look at life ...

Thanks for posting in Journey Into Poetry !

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Nancy Biri Feb 27, 2009, 10:13am EST

Nice

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Glenna J. Feb 27, 2009, 10:32am EST

you made me smile

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lynn a. Feb 27, 2009, 11:15am EST

This is very perceptive. Going back to work after having not worked for so long is fraught with anxieties and fears.

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Terry Collett Feb 27, 2009, 11:19am EST

Very perceptive, insightful. Excellent work.

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Haim Kadman Feb 27, 2009, 11:58am EST

Chew a stem of nature, I loved it and all the rest of your beautiful metaphors, Thanks Poddar an entertaining read and an excellent poem.

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Pam S. Feb 27, 2009, 12:10pm EST

lovely poem

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Candice Z Feb 27, 2009, 12:33pm EST

Stopping in from Comment Speedway

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KC Klein Feb 27, 2009, 1:54pm EST

a good portrait

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Elizabeth H. Feb 27, 2009, 3:29pm EST

Very nicely done.

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Deloris Wright Feb 27, 2009, 5:15pm EST

Very nice thank you for the poem Poddar

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brandi West Feb 27, 2009, 5:45pm EST

interesting

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Beth G. Feb 27, 2009, 8:59pm EST

I like how you take an ordinary moment and show how a person might really feel in it. Thanks for sharing Poddar!

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Linda T. Feb 27, 2009, 9:06pm EST

Lot of emotion packed into a few words.

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Angela A. Feb 27, 2009, 10:10pm EST

I'm sorry I can't give personal comments. I have over 60 posts in my group. Sorry!
Thanks for posting to Anythingwriting

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Shelbia C. Feb 28, 2009, 2:48pm EST

Wonderfully written.

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Shelbia C. Feb 28, 2009, 2:58pm EST

Thanks for posting to Writing Reservoir

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William Dotani Feb 28, 2009, 3:46pm EST

This is like a masterful interpretation of a daydream. It is a nice daydream with all description a sublime expression within the self.
I especially liked this line, 'Right now, she wants to chew a stem of nature and she won’t.'

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blaine d. Feb 28, 2009, 3:51pm EST

beautiful!

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denise e Feb 28, 2009, 8:12pm EST

very nice

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Eucliffe L. Mar 1, 2009, 3:38am EST

you are so perceptive in turning simple passing sensors into a wonderful mosaic....a simple flick of the wrist is captured by an off the cuff comment that conjures up worlds of microbes and antibiotics beneath an innocent looking band aid....masterful !!!

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Eucliffe L. Mar 1, 2009, 4:30am EST

I return because i never like floating a meaningless comment. the idea that got to me is that wife felt exhiarted from the relief from the drudgery of houseWORK...the 'sea' a changing world...thewind..the waves ..the sand...break!!break !break !..i wish that my tongue could.. [mixed emotion yes ]]....every moment out here a gathering of experiences....the bycycle my steed.. the rush from one extreme to... AAHH !! TO HELLWITH THE POTS AND PANS AND SOAP AND... you ask me how it feels HAVING A JOB AFTER ALL THESE YEARS ?.. tongue in cheek, i say 'as i float and drown' it is different.
Poddar you are a genius !!!!

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Sean Paul Kelley Mar 1, 2009, 10:07am EST

Kushal, fantastic poem! I'm curious about something. Do you write the poems in Bengali and then translate or do you write them in English? Or both? Because if you write them in Bengali you have an excellent command of the language, if you write them in Bengali then you have an amazing command of the language to be able to do both. Wow!

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