The clouds wander on the placid water plain,
Fallen dark angels, trapped in cold, flat surface
Surreal, above the slow swimming fish in the depth.
My urge to wade in and stand knee deep
Will now smash the water's fragile memory
Of sun-blazed cold clouds into smithereens.
The fish unaware of all this
And in an intimacy that goes beyond
Many incarnations, would tickle
Me from toe to knees, and nibble till it bleeds.
Water is a memory beyond birth,
My momentary refuge, sin and redemption,
Pain that binds me with life's incessant
Yearning to go back to the elements.
It's in blue water, watching her in full bloom
Swim in exuberance, I spilled my wild seeds.
And once, the ashes of my father's remains
Went gently into water to be one with mother earth.
Water is beginning and the end, my forgiving
Mother, waiting with stretched hands at both ends.
K. BALACHANDRAN is a writer, translator, and journalist based in the quaint coastal city of Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of the 'spice country' Kerala in South India. He writes poetry and short fiction in English, Malayalam and Tamil and translates between these languages. He has held various positions in reputable news organizations including Malayala Manorama and written features, essays, and articles extensively on art, culture, and literature for more than two decades. Currently, he is engaged in a project to bring out his 'experiential poems' for children in four volumes.
Fallen dark angels, trapped in cold, flat surface
Surreal, above the slow swimming fish in the depth.
My urge to wade in and stand knee deep
Will now smash the water's fragile memory
Of sun-blazed cold clouds into smithereens.
The fish unaware of all this
And in an intimacy that goes beyond
Many incarnations, would tickle
Me from toe to knees, and nibble till it bleeds.
Water is a memory beyond birth,
My momentary refuge, sin and redemption,
Pain that binds me with life's incessant
Yearning to go back to the elements.
It's in blue water, watching her in full bloom
Swim in exuberance, I spilled my wild seeds.
And once, the ashes of my father's remains
Went gently into water to be one with mother earth.
Water is beginning and the end, my forgiving
Mother, waiting with stretched hands at both ends.
K. BALACHANDRAN is a writer, translator, and journalist based in the quaint coastal city of Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of the 'spice country' Kerala in South India. He writes poetry and short fiction in English, Malayalam and Tamil and translates between these languages. He has held various positions in reputable news organizations including Malayala Manorama and written features, essays, and articles extensively on art, culture, and literature for more than two decades. Currently, he is engaged in a project to bring out his 'experiential poems' for children in four volumes.
