VIDYA SHANKAR

VIDYA

SHANKAR

TURN AWAY NOT

Turn away not, O ye Traveller Partha, in quest of Gold,

Turn away not just now.

Is this what you have struggled for so long?

Traversed unknown paths, marked your way across

Oceanic routes,

Trudged along, a step at a time, even when

your tired feet refused to move any further,

Groped your way, feeling and fumbling

along the darkness for a gateway out into the light,

And once into the light, carried on through a rambling trail

To be cast once more into a maze

Till, at last you finally came upon

a course, though uneven,

seemed like it would eventually lead you on

to the treasure you so sought after?

Turn away not, O ye Traveller Partha, in quest of Gold,

Turn away not just now.

You are almost upon the land

where you would strike Gold.

And you want to turn away just because

a little stone in your track tripped you up?

Regard, a while, the road that has brought you here.

Is it to turn back now that you strove your way

through the rugged path of time?

You cannot slink away now, not just when you are

about to strike Gold,

You cannot sneak away into the wilderness

and live the life of a retreat,

Not just when you have spotted

specks of Gold in the sands along your approach.

Turn away not, O ye Traveller Partha, in quest of Gold,

Turn away never.

Tell yourself you are here to stay.

The little stone that tripped you over could well be

The tip to the mountain of Gold that you seek.

Your truly sincere quest deserves a reward,

Lose not your faith and patience.

The night is over, the golden morning light

is breaking the worrying darkness astray...

Turn away not, O ye Traveller Partha, in quest of Gold,

Turn away never.

HOPE

Hope—

A needle with a vibrant

colourful thread

that yesterday’s fear

tries to hammer down;

but work on it

with focussed fingers

of Presence

and be amazed

at how the limitedness

transforms

into abundance!

TASTELESS MEALS

His wife died.

His wife of thirty years died.

His wife of thirty years

Who would cook his meals,

Make his bed,

Wash his clothes,

Keep his house clean—

His wife of thirty years, she died.

His wife of thirty years, she died,

Leaving him alone

To cook his meals,

Make his bed,

Wash his clothes,

Keep his house clean—

And society wrote songs in praise of him.

His wife of thirty years, she died,

Leaving him alone

To cook his meals,

And though society wrote songs in praise of him,

Every morning, afternoon and evening,

As he sat at his dining,

He ate through his meals mechanically

Not because they lacked in taste

But because every morsel he ate

Made him feel he could have

Brought more taste to his married life

If only he had cooked a meal for her

At least once!

VIDYA SHANKAR

VIDYA SHANKAR is a poet, writer, blogger, motivational speaker, English language teacher, instructional designer, content developer, and yoga enthusiast. An active member of poetry circles, her work has appeared in national and international literary magazines, literary platforms and anthologies. Her first book of poems 'The Flautist of Brindaranyam', is a collaborative effort with her photographer husband, Shankar Ramakrishnan. Herself a ‘book’ at the Human Library, Vidya Shankar lives a life of purpose by using the power of words, both written and spoken, to create awareness about environmental issues, mental health and the need to break the shackles of an outdated society.