PAPER BOATS

The vintage albums I flip through

Takes me back to halcyon days

On grandmother's lap I would laze

Under pristine skies azure blue

She stoked amber fire for cooking porridge,

Lovingly fed me, narrating stories all the while

In her sun-drenched garden, myriad blooms we gathered

Weaving wreaths and posies, playing fairies and queens

Monsoons saw our paper boats sail away into the unknown

"Send me a paper boat after I'm gone, I will reply", she'd once jokingly said.

Dark clouds shrouded the golden rays

Doom would descend I had no clue

Blow unkind was fated, who knew!

We hobbled through thick fog and haze

Conned and deceived by her trusting kin

Gardens, home dishonestly proved no longer hers.

Ruthlessly razed, dreams blurred, one against the world

Pined away treachery to severe wither and heartbreak extreme

Heavens embraced her inside their gates divine

Haunting echoes left behind; when our souls sang and laughed together

Even today, I set my paper boats sail in the rivulet of rain

Tears of ink run, smudging the lines---"Mamama, I miss you. When will we meet again?"

GLOSSARY:

Mamama: Maternal grandmother.

Comments

CHAPTER 19 BRIDGING MEMORIES:TERABITHIA RECLAIMED

This is a reimagined version of the classic tale--- The Bridge To Terabithia . This Fanfic is a part of my NaNoWriMo 2025 or Novel Writing November Exercise. THE THANKSGIVING DINNER The Aaron family was gathered in the kitchen, discussing their plans for Thanksgiving. Elaine was busy preparing the menu, while Jesse and May Belle sat at the table, arguing over whose turn it was to do the dishes. "We should invite Leonie over for the Thanksgiving dinner ," Elaine said, wiping her flour-covered hands on her apron. Jesse's face lit up. "That's a great idea, Mom. I'm sure she'd love to come." May Belle scowled. "Why do we have to invite her? Hasn't she already distanced herself from us? Just when I thought it was a good riddance, you have to let her into our lives all over again !" "May Belle, that's not very nice," Elaine said gently. "She's our neighbor, and she's new in town. All alone ...

🪔DIWALIs OF DECEMBER 🪔

There used to be a golden age of annual vacations once upon a long forgotten time. These school holidays would invariably arrive after the first mid-week of November until school reopened on the first Monday of January in the coming year. Diwali that would have just gone by would be only a cozy affair with family and a few good friends at whose homes invitations would be extended for lunch or dinner with potluck themes. But the real deal was the treat that was waiting for us back home. My parents, empty nesters would eagerly await the arrival of Babylou as soon as November arrived. “There's a surprise for you later,” my father would chime as soon as she crossed the threshold. He thoughtfully bought a packet each of the various firecrackers available during the festive season and kept those aside. These would be spread out in the morning sun until high noon everyday for a week before our arrival until they were fried to a crisp-- ready to crackle and spa...

CHAPTER 8 BRIDGING MEMORIES: TERABITHIA RECLAIMED

This is a reimagined version of the classic tale The Bridge To Terabithia . This is a part of my NaNoWriMo or the Novel Writing November Exercise . PATCHES AND PETALS Leonie walked up the path to the Aarons' house , a sense of trepidation mingling with her curiosity. She had met Jesse , and the encounter had left her feeling unsettled. His parents, on the other hand, had been warm and welcoming when they spoke to her over the common fence separating the houses. Mrs. Aaron –Elaine had offered Leonie to come by every afternoon for lunch before she left for work at Page & Paige. Leonie was so delighted at this offer that would save her the time to cook a meal and then rush to the bookshop. As she knocked on the door, it swung open to reveal Elaine, beaming with a warm smile. "Leonie, dear, come on in! We're so glad you could join us for lunch." Leonie stepped inside, her eyes adjusting to the bright interior. The h...

FIRSTS AND SECONDS

The day began like any other August morning in Singapore but the nip in the air embraced me a bit tenderly today and I just wanted that extra dose of coziness. August 21st ! Today marks a significant milestone in my life - the anniversary of my open heart surgery . It's a day I'll never forget, a day that gave me a second chance at life. As I look back on the past year, I'm filled with gratitude and awe at the journey I've been on. An Open Heart Surgery and a collateral damage of a minor stroke that had left my limbs immobilized on the left side whilst in the ICU right after shifting from the OT . A gruesome 7 hrs must have gone by before I regained consciousness and informed them about it. I was hurriedly wheeled in for an MRI which revealed a tiny clot which must have occurred when I was plugged into the heart-lung machine during the surgery. A 3% chance of freak accident I signed a disclaimer for. With swift action from the team of cardiologists and neurolo...

GUARDIAN OF THE WOODS

The mists rolled, blurring the peaks yonder until they were only a faded outline on the dusking horizon. The crisp autumn breeze rustled the leaves of the Sycamore and Birch trees, lulling me to sleep. I woke up with a start under twilight skies. The full moon was in all her glory bathing the woods in an ethereal silver shine. Fully alert, I listened hard to what seemed like muffled sounds of distress. Up on my feet in a jiffy, I raced along with lightning speed in the direction of the unusual sounds which weren't heard in these serene woods for ages. There he was, with a menacing look, pinning a hapless young girl on the ground, choking her to death. It was clearly a losing battle with her strength failing her. His eyes widened and he let go of her as he heard my sinister growls. My eyes glowed like embers in the darkness. On this night, I was sinewy and thrice my normal size, with jaws that could rip pounds of human flesh with one crunch. He met his end in this manne...

Sangeetha Kamath

Search This Blog