VIDYA SHANKAR

VIDYA SHANKAR

To My Coffee

On hesitant mornings

When my pillow cajoles me into temptation,

There is but one potion,

A swirl of which conjures up

The magic of wide wakefulness.

Oh coffee! You, the simple elixir

Guaranteed to breathe

Sweet aromatic freshness into my every cell,

Your brownie frothiness

Sending out bubbly invitations

That stimulates my dazed sleepy eyes

To alertness,

And with the first sip taken,

Your warm rounded flavour

Inducing heights of shameful indulgence,

My eyelids fall upon my irises

Not in petty sleepfulness

But in invocation of intense gratification

For you, the blessing that is mine

And none else!

Blue Baby's Special Mother

Baby Blue, darling of the Universe,

A heavenly kingdom of true spirits and divine emotions,

Was all set to be born upon earth,

The realm of the mundane and the logic,

False speech and fake relations.

Baby Blue of the spectrum condition,

Of restricted social interactions

and repetitive behaviour,

Baby Blue understood this birth was inevitable,

The Universe had a purpose for it —

To show those of the logical thought,

How small their world was.

Blue Baby of different thinking and extraordinary abilities,

Knew that only a mother,

Genuine in love, fierce in caring,

Deep in compassion, ardent in patience,

Only such a mother of special strength

was adequate to foster Baby Blue

in its soul-jour upon this earth.

And thus it was, O ye beautiful woman,

Thus it was that you were chosen

to be the blessed mother of Baby Blue,

True of expression and unfeigned in love.

A Summer's Journey

Come April, and my trunks were packed, all set to go

on the most exciting journey ever taken by mankind.

It was to King’s Cross Station Platform 9 and ¾ I headed first,

Where through the barrier I ran, oh so carefully,

To avoid suspecting Muggle eyes.

Of course, once past it, waiting there, the Hogwarts Express

With its red steam engine, all ready and hooting,

To take me to a wizarding world.

A week I spent there, and wished it could be forever,

But my journey was just begun and I had other stops to make.

So up the towers went I and like the Mother of Dragons,

Summoned Drogon.

Perched I upon its scaly back, directed the course

To Westeros, the Khaleesi that I was, to claim to the Iron Throne.

‘Twas at Paris I stopped next, and along with Professor Langdon,

Followed I the trail to crack the code.

Now exhausted, I proceeded to pleasurable Italy

Wherein I could eat, pray and love

Before joining the Andalusain shepherd Santiago,

And with him embark upon a search for treasure

Across the deserts of Egypt, all the way to the Pyramids.

A sea voyage beckoned me and with Pi

I rode high tide and low, upon a raft

With the mystical Richard Parker.

A stopover at a Georgia plantation was next

Where, with the charming Scarlett and Rhett

Struggled for love and life.

But soon I had to fly, for I heard the thorn bird calling,

From down under, a song of such epic passion

And heart-wrenching romance.

Unable to take the pain, I found

A passage back to India, and soon was upon

All the roads that lead to the Ganga.

I lost and found myself in Bombay, the maximum city,

Till my friend Swami came a calling,

And with him came I to Malgudi

To go on bullock cart rides, play cricket and chase paper boats.

But soon ‘twas time for me to return home,

Where friends who heard my travel narratives

Said, with some jealousy, I know,

That travels I had none, only a deep dreamy sleep.

I don’t counter them, but smile instead

For, when the travel images flash upon my mind’s eye,

I know for sure were not illusions, but real.

VIDYA SHANKAR

VIDYA SHANKAR is a poet, writer, motivational speaker, yoga enthusiast, English language teacher. An active member of poetry circles, her works have appeared in national and international literary platforms and anthologies. She is the recipient of literary awards and recognitions.  Vidya Shankar’s first book of poems, The Flautist of Brindaranyam is a collaborative effort with her photographer husband, Shankar Ramakrishnan. Her second book of poems The Rise of Yogamaya is an effort to create awareness about mental health. She has also been on the editorial of three anthologies.  A “book” with the Human Library, Chennai Chapter, Vidya Shankar uses the power of her words, both written and spoken, to create awareness about environmental issues, mental health, and the need to break the shackles of an outdated society.