MAHUA SEN

 

MAHUA SEN

 

Spring

 

The sky weaves a gossamer of Chantilly ecstasy,

The flaxen sun peeks from the cleavage of azure

The pandiculating flowers smile

warding off months of drowsy winter morning -

Spring is here! 

 

Spring is an angel,

flaunting her pintucked gown.

Exhaling iridescent hues!

Spraying morning mist,

planting scarlet kiss on Palash buds -

Tracing patterns in the

lamina of petals with her fingertips.

 

Spring is a motherly - mother,

With a subtle serene disposition.

She gives injunction to the wind to be kind,

whipping curls of puerile air.

She stands on the parapet of

mind’s eave

flaunting her ethereal features

that captivates all.

 

Spring is abundance!

Her bosom permeates emotions.

Her skin, a sunset glow-

a smell of rebirth.

Flora and Fauna, bounty displays-

the azure dome pronounces

chronicles like the espers.

 

Would anyone judge it

if I indulge in the violets?

and the greens and the yellows-

listening to the pitter - patter of my heartbeats?

For the rustling leaves cover my

midnight blue of ageing scars.

I find my peace

in the syllogism of a delightful spring!

 

I Melt In You

 

I drink life

savouring each sip.

You caress

Your pink thoughts

on the back of my bare nape,

licking mottled bruise!

 

Your Hope hugs,

endearment nudges.

You circle

reverie

on my quivering bare back.

Your warm breath soothes me.

 

The crimson

of your Love melts me.

Warms my soul,

swaddles me,

tracing Hope on my bosom,

wraps me in the Now!

 

We make love

in the scent of words

that you carve

in my ear

with cursive calligraphy

of rushing heartbeats.

 

I sigh peace

in cyan lilac

of your arms.

For you lick

the ‘What ifs’ from my tired brow.

And I melt in you!

 

Nostalgia

 

Sometimes, dysphoria engulfs me;

as I dawdle through the sepulchral debris of my mundane.

I find myself catapulting back in time

to the days of pastoral peace!

When the sky was Phthalo blue with a sheen.

When we were obsessed with Polaris, Betelgeuse,

Alpha Centauri;

all of the bright points in our constellation’s estuary!

 

The days when clouds were not netted,

and internet was a fairy tale hyperbole!

When metaphorical angels and the unicorns

decorated our world.

When conversations were cheerful babble

and smiles were a lamina of truth’s

marble!

 

Days of Ikri mikri chaam chikri **

Kola beni ** was granny’s decree!

We twinned Lal jhuti**with the metaphorical “kakatua**

And Thakumar jhuli* was our kahlua!*

Those days of kerosene lamp -

resources were less, eyes seldom damp!

When tire-swings gifted us wings -

cornucopia of bliss, the memory still dings!

When afternoon meant granny’s stories...

of Eklavya, Surdas, Abhimanyu, Prahlad... good and the gory!

Thousands of stories

in the crease of her white cotton sarees!

The aroma of

Shor bhaja**and lobongo Lotika**

Bhapa Ilish***and shukto ***

In open hearth -

tantalises my nostrils

even today!

 

Misty milieu of memories settle

on my external extremities

as much as on internal.

I suffer Phantosmia **

as the aroma of parijaat mingles

with the pronounced nonenal smell

of my grandparents.

I try to efface the odour from my kohl smeared

fuliginous memory -

days now lost somewhere -

in the filigree of my every day!

 

These days, I see my five-year-old

engrossed with her toy angels and unicorns.

I pine to conjure up the forgotten angels

that populated my childhood world -

breaking the patterns of being lost

in the adulthood crevasse!

 

My little girl gives me the tightest hug -

out of nowhere!

A reminder of angels dancing around me even today –

and every day!

In the form of a warm kiss!

A kind word!

An affectionate gesture!

A loving touch!

A friendly smile!

 

Note:

Ikri mikri chaam chikri –  A popular game amongst Bengali toddlers

Kola beni –  French Braid

Lal jhuti kakatua – A famous Bengali song meant for children

Thakumar jhuli – Bengali Moral stories for kids

Kahlua – coffee liquer

Shor bhaja, lobongo Lotika – Bengali sweets

Bhapa Ilish- A preparation of Hilsa fish

and shukto - mix-veg

Phantosmia – a condition when a person smells something that is not there.

 

MAHUA SEN

 

MAHUA SEN is a poet based out of Hyderabad. She has published a poetry anthology named ‘Insights’ under the flagship of Authorspress. Mahua has also edited and compiled a book named ‘Flock, the Journey’, published by Raindrops, which found place in Amazon best-seller list. Her poems and stories find place in many national and international anthologies, journals and newspapers. Mahua is a recipient of Grand Queen’s Leadership Award 2021, recipient of Distinguished Poet Award in the 10th Rabindranath Tagore International Poetry Award-2021. She is a recipient of Poesis Award for Excellence in Literature in 7th Bharat Award-2021. Mahua is the winner of Asian Literary Society’s wordsmith award-2020 and recipient of many other awards and accolades. She is presently working with Bull’s Eye Outsourcing as the Regional Director, South.