Shush please On a cold winter night I lay in the comfort of soft blankets and cushy pillows The non-stop titter-tatter against all tangibles mercilessly broke my hard-earned slumber Sliding and slithering over and over Crystalline droplets raced on the glassy tracks without much caution or trepidation. The uncoiled skeins of climatic emotions were desperate to bring glee into doldrums. I woke up, sat up and stayed up leaning towards the window pane, listening to their tantrums All night in silence, eyes closed, ears open It was a performance that clamoured for attention from lonely souls and midnight owls. I wish it came with a volume control The loud clatter and yellow lights, were acting like partners in crime brutally stirring up memories of good times Days that could not be reclaimed Nights and people that were taken for granted The happy chemicals I managed to create were rashly getting washed down the creeks. I sat there shiftless watching it happen as the raging tears trickled down. No amount of righteous downpour Would ever cleanse my soul or grant an absolution So I beg for some silence, a little peace Whispering through the damp chamber, "Shush please, shush please."
PROMISE Arghh! the sudden sight of spooky shadows! They're gone, I've dropped them window curtains The PSAT scores are out next week It's just a test, don't rack your brains Morning showers stiff my bones I'll repair the geyser first thing tomorrow Oh, those shooting pricks of vaccine syringes! You can hold me tight, my pretty Avocado About the dreary dawdling barefooted hikes? We'll stop if you wheeze, I dearly promise And those dark skies and pitch black clouds? Darling, the rains and rainbows would never hurt us Are those cobwebs spun by hairy spiders? Just a humble abode of daddy long-legs Ah! fierce flashes of thunderclaps! They'll never reach you, now come to bed. And those swarm of bees and stinging wasps? Only if you trespass their tranquil tracks Why do they have beastly rules at the office?! To avert a revolt against the top dogs Imagine stepping on a live wire in streets The probability of that is one in lots I got pulled into a perilous quicksand Yes, you told me about that dream last night I am scared of ambulances, speeding with sirens You'll calm down once I begin playing my Guzheng Bulky bombs dropped on innocent children Just close your eyes and picture a star I always do, it gives me peace What a cute bundle of nerves you are! There's one last fear I've always had Talk to me frankly, you have my heed Will you ever let me go? Not in this lifetime, no, no no And forget our love without a hitch? Never will do, hey my heart's with you! You'll stay with me forever then, promise? Err....busy day tomorrow, now close your eyes. Is that a promise? Good night, good night, kisses and hugs. You promise? Zzzzz.... Promise? .......
***
Tamizh Ponni worked as Design Facilitator in an International School, Bengaluru, India. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering, an MBA in Human Resources and a Masters in English Literature. She is currently pursuing her M.Tech, PhD integrated course in Data Science. She has worked as a Professional Development Coach and as a Tech Integrationist. Tamizh believes that the best thing in being an IB educator is that beyond teaching there’s a lot of deep learning involved in the process. Tamizh sees learning as a never-ending process and with technology integration, it gives her an interesting dimension to knowledge acquisition and skill-building. Tamizh spends most of her free time painting, reading, writing articles, stories and poems, playing keyboard and watching documentaries/movies.
Thank you everyone, for your kind words and comments! 🙂
A debut of many delights, both visual and written. Charmed by “Promise,” esp. the kind we cannot keep:
Will you ever let me go?
Not in this lifetime, no, no no
And forget our love without a hitch?
Felt the rain against the window. And mystified by the woman on the swing. Excellent.
The woman on the swing stood out to me too. Such a simple idea but so much to infer. Thanks for reading, Stephen! Looking forward to featuring your work again at the Café soon.