A Walk in Paradise
II: Au Revoir
Once there was a flower.
Among many of his kind
Neither fragrant nor beautiful
But life blossomed in his spirit.
Morning, noon and night
He waited with undying hope.
For a companion to feel for
As time ticked in loneliness
She came from the sky above.
Like a moving rainbow of colours
Weary and broken, the butterfly was
She fell straight into his arms.
He brought her back to health.
With the warmth of a mother
He brought her back the smile.
With the camaraderie of a friend
He listened to her, enchanted.
As she told stories of the world
He felt happiness like never before
As he came alive in her presence
With the wind back in her wings
She soared up into the sunlight.
Happy and dancing, the butterfly was
She charmed her way into his heart.
The winds have changed course.
Time rolled on with the clouds.
She disappeared into the twilight.
Leaving a trail of darkness behind
He looked on with a foolish hope.
With every breath, longing for her
All colour drained out of the world.
As he sank to the depths of despair
The first rays of dawn roused him.
He mustered all the spirit left.
And broke away from his abode.
To be blown into the wilderness
He looked for her everywhere.
On earth, water and sky
He braved the sun and the rain.
And slept under the stars.
His search passed in vain.
His strength and will are failing.
He drifted along with the wind.
Only with blind hope by his side
Death was within reach.
When he saw a silhouette
She rushed to his side.
He felt warm in her lap.
There was one thing left to say
For which he came all the way
He spoke, smiled and went quiet.
“Au revoir, my love”
IV: Journey to Freedom
What have we become?
Cogs in the machinations of life
Puppets in controlling hands
Prisoners of our aspirations
Patients of order and restraint
Come fly with me, my friend.
On this journey to freedom.
When was the last time?
You had time for yourself.
When you stood at the brink of dawn
Against a dazzling sky and a warm sea
With the waves lapping against your feet
When you sipped a coffee
Losing yourself in the fumes of ecstasy
When you looked beyond your window
To feel the wind caressing your face
When you sang aloud, uninhibited
When you danced in the rain
Splashing the water with your feet
When you followed a rainbow
When you had a date with the full moon
When you unleashed your senses
When you had all the time in the world
To walk alongside yourself
When was the last time?
When you expressed how much
You love your loved ones.
When you gave a warm hug
When your hand found a friend’s shoulder
When you kissed passionately
When you apologise wholeheartedly
When you confessed your deepest secrets
When you cried your heart out
Leaning over a caring shoulder
When you experienced the feeling
Of sleeping in your mother’s lap
Of holding your father’s hand
When you lose yourself in the moment
Relishing a blissful happiness
Because life is shorter than it seems.
When was the last time you felt it, my friend?
That you were just yourself
When you shed those false pretences
When you didn’t give a damn
When you never cared about how you looked
Or how you dressed and talked
When you became a child again
Following your instincts without regrets
When you took failures in stride
When you laughed at your foolishness
When you took pride in your weaknesses
When you broke a rule just for the fun of it
When you actually enjoyed being idle
When you screamed out your resentment,
Shattering the barriers of silence.
When you last looked in the mirror,
And wondered how beautiful you are,
What an awesome creation you are!
When was the last time?
You woke up on a new morning and felt excited.
About what the new day brings
About those new people you meet
About the new things you experience
When was the last time?
You fully lived your life in the present.
Come reflect with me, my friend.
On what we miss in life
Come fly with me, my friend.
On this journey to freedom!
VI: Road Less Traveled
It all begins with a question.
“Who am I?”
Am I just a bundle of flesh and bones?
No. I’m something more than that,
Am I just a mind which thinks?
Or am I just a heart that feels,
Deep inside, am I something more?
What is it that makes me?
People talk about a soul,
But have I ever really felt it?
So who am I? I have gotten past.
Am I a collection of memories?
I look hopefully towards the future.
Am I defined by my emotions and feelings?
Or by my character, my personality, my traits,
Which I have built all over the years!
But am I really living the way I want?
I have been influenced by people.
In that case, I am just one in a billion.
People wear masks, they pretend, they act,
So am I acting too?
Am I living the life I really wanted?
And what is that life which I really wanted?
Will I ever know it?
And even if I know, wouldn’t it be influenced
By my upbringing and society!
So what defines me?
The way I look at this world!
But isn’t it a myopic vision,
Narrowed by knowledge and education,
I look only through a keyhole,
And pretend that I see the world.
What if I am alone in this world?
I am born alone, and I grow on my own,
With all my impulses and instincts,
Will I be myself then?
Will I be able to discover the real me?
So what makes me?
Am I defined by my dreams?
We are so obsessed with our dreams.
That we wish for reality to be the same.
We see the world with these dreamy eyes,
Which blurs the line between reality.
And the question lingers,
“Who am I?”
Deep down, a voice echoes.
That I am just a traveller,
On the road to self-discovery.
Credits
This collection was written by Santhosh Annabattula and photographed by Pankaj Tottada.
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Reading this poem, I see myself in it. I also fill my poems with questions. For the longest time I worried that too many questions made a poem messy or bad. But this one feels so genuine and relatable. It’s changed how I see my own work. Simple yet impactful.
I always have trouble understanding Poetry, I feel its too complicated for me. However, Santhosh always writes things that hits the spot and leaves you question yourself in the not-so-complicated way. This poem did exactly that. Loved it!
This anthology is just love! One of the best collaborations I have seen in the community. Nothing beats Santhosh's poem with a cover from Pankaj. Kudos to both of you for creating such a memorable & worth-reading works! Keep going!