....and all that jazZ

Monday, July 29, 2019

Chapter 27 - The Boy who is .. Enough

He is nothing
like I am
But somewhat like I
thought he would be
Rebellious,
Infuriating,
in equal parts
and he is an
extension of me -

My being, my
skin and in his
own words - my eyes.
The meaning to life,
the roof over my head
my very own piece of the sky.

Could he be more "this"
and less "that" -
a diamond in the rough ?
What he is - is a boy of nine,
all of mine, he is love,
he is here, he is now,
and he is enough.








Thursday, July 18, 2019

Chapter 26 - The Tree

I walked past a tree today
With branches wide
Strong and tall

Just enough knots to scrape
up into its dense
shade,

It seemed like a cozy
spot to hide
my childhood plans -

The tree would keep it
with its own
secrets and stories

to be whispered only
to the caressing wind
and perhaps

an occasional child
trying to escape
the pull of time.

It seems to me like
it is reason enough
to plant more trees

If only as a refuge for
children and stories
that obstinately refuse to grow up.


An ode to big trees that fascinate me. There was a tree in the Thiruvanmayur house, where Mama hung a tire for me to swing around from its massive branches. In those trees I sat with the children of the lady who was my grandmother's maid and help. The tree was the great leveler. We sat there as children and we judged each other solely on our bravado - who could climb higher and jump from its branches - unafraid, reckless shoe-less. It is an ode to simpler times and memories that wont fade into sepia tones. Not just yet.