"Colour palette" #NaPoWriMo2022 #day20

In the colour palette was some gold, silver, and copper. I squeezed and added a few more colours later.

I remember, I made a golden tree while sitting with my friend, in her garden, one summer evening, by twisting gold wires, with beads and golden leaves. It rusted with time, but it's still with me.

I remember, the flowers from our garden that completed the colour wheel with white border of tiny little blooms. I forgot its name.

I remember, the turquoise and pink saree  that I bought with my hard earned salary, soaked all the tears that welled up. I wore it on my engagement day.

I remember the rainbows that kept sparkling everywhere when I went deeper in my being. 

That maroon lipstick, I'll never forget, I applied on my mother's lips while performing her last rites, and sent it with her, along with her things, for they asked me to do so. She left us all behind.

I remember tearing off some yellowed pages, and let them flow in the river, that mingled with saline, seeking forgiveness. How do I tell, how sacred it was? I hope you understand how spaces are made.

Then, like a Sunflower, I turned to the Sun. It filled me with positivity. 

I remember that cold November morning when I went out wearing a white chicken kurti with light mehndi embroidery that he gifted me. I didn't need a sweater as it had the warmth of his love. My friends teased me.

Some colours never fade. 

Calm of blue that held my hand, peace of the white, reminds me of the fragrant days, elegance of black stays and guides, the soothing green, the earthy brown..

all these colours

fill my life..

-Payal Agarwal

"Untitled" #NaPoWriMo2022 #day19

 "Asleep, but not oblivious of the unslept, 

unsleeping.." -Adrienne Rich 

I fell

asleep,

but not oblivious 

of the unslept, 

unsleeping.

Of those who lost themselves many moons ago, and found themselves awake in the smile of the flowers.

Of those who are awake in the dark of the night carrying burden on their hearts, of miseries and curses, with noone to share. 

Of those who wish for a miracle to happen, and take away the pain that keeps them awake as they shed silent tears.

Of everyone who thinks that those who sleep are the ones who are oblivious of their surroundings. 

Yes, I fell

"asleep,

but not oblivious 

of the unslept, 

unsleeping"

-Payal Agarwal

Here I am... Tanka- Prose #NaPoWriMo2022 #day18

 

Here I am, sitting in comtemplative mood during this hour of the night, after finishing my artwork that needs to be sent early in the morning. 

I'm watching the moon play hide and seek. Almost half of the sky is covered with the clouds indicating that monsoon is near. When the monsoon arrives, it stays here for some months. 

It drizzled last Thursday. I saw the lightening, around 8 o' clock in the night. 

The ground was wet, the smell of petrichor, mingled with the breath, and soothed my senses. Rain became my muse.

Rain becomes my muse.

As the rain lilies blossom,

our hearts sing in tune.

Different facets of love.

in my textured expressions.

 I am sitting here, writing a prose, and counting syllables. Well, it feels good to take up a challenge and finish it. 

Music, art, poetry, prose..

I feel, it's all interconnected. Isn't it?

Today, I switched on the music channel on TV after a long time. A journey unfolded from one song to another. How beautifully relaxing it is when some good memories start surfacing while listening to the songs. 

Subconsciously,

Seeking intuitive guidance,

Two hearts beat as one. 

Beautifully unfolding,

A journey of I to We.

The moon and the stars, they are hiding, they are obscured by the clouds, or so I think, but I know, they never forget their purpose. They are quietly doing their work, and that reminds me, I still have some work to do, though I just finished a piece of art inspired by my muse. 

It's hot and humid,

Watching the night sky tonight,

purpose of life found.

When rain shower as blessings,

My heart fills with gratitude.

-Payal Agarwal

Albatross #NaPoWriMo2022 #day17

 A life of calm, 

a flight with huge wings, 

living in the world, 

with the birds eye view, 

with love in heart, 

fidelity in relations,

promises of togetherness,

Ah! What else one needs 

to live a good life?

Love, love like an Albatross!

Devoted! 

-Payal Agarwal

Limerick #NaPoWriMo #day16

 1.

With long braided hair and tattooed skin

He was the villain who wanted to win.

"The world is my territory," said the hero

Villain thought he was a zero.

Both of them were committing sin.

.

They all were fighting for the gold.

Chapter after chapter the story was told.

He promised his mother that he would reign

Was he a hero or a villain

Yet there is more of it to unfold.

.

2.

There was a detective from Bombay

He saw something fishy on the way

sound was coming from the closed shop

He saw the shadows on the top

He'll find out the mystery come what may

.

He banged and knocked at the door

Just then some metal dropped on the floor

He saw a tiny opening in the door main

a little boy was picking up a keychain

He wanted to know more.

.

Through the window he entered by luck

 the boy told him that he was stuck

He was hungry and ate the bread

The owner of the shop locked him and said,

"I'll make you work till you payback my buck.

.

The boy was alone

Locked in no humanity zone

This detective rescued the boy 

filed a complaint against the culprit with joy

The boy then asked for his phone.

3.

There were sound of gunshots in the air

People were frightened in the fair

They all looked around

But no-one was found

The goons were chasing a man in red hair.

-Payal Agarwal

Last day on earth #NaPoWriMo2022 #day15

It felt like the last day on earth,

when the spaces created within,

triggered the senses, 

and there was noise everywhere.

The ground 'neath the foot

 shook with its intensity, 

 The oceans spilt all over on the

 shadows of the eclipsed Sun,

 and evaporated in the heat of rage.

It definitely wasn't heaven.

Just then, an angel whispered, 

and the nightmare ceased.

Relieved, I offered a silent prayer,

May the days be spent in love's embrace,

May the last day on earth be filled with love.

May peace reign.

May we create heaven for us.

Always.

 -Payal Agarwal

"Chit chat" #NaPoWriMo2022 #day14

A is typing....

pause..

A is typing....

B: What are you typing? 

A: Hi..

B: Hmm.. Is this what you had been typing 

     since ages?                                               

A: No, I read something! 

 B: What?

A: ..It was a forwarded image.

      A newspaper cutting.

 B: Ok..What was that about?

 A:    Men whose names start with A have a big heart.

❤️

 B: Hmm.. interesting..ok..and..😀

A: They love their wife.😘 A lot!🌹

 B: 🤦🏻‍♀️😀Acchha..and.. 

A:  ..and they take care about their happiness.

 B: 💖 True..

A:    They have a happy married life. 💞.    

B: I know where this conversation                        is going🌷,     

 A: They take major decisions in life considering their wife's opinion, and care for her feelings. 😍💝

B: Let me do my work now. I can't go on typing. 💖

A:They don't give up easily. 😀💕

B: Hmmm..Leave the phone, do your work, or watch your movie.😀😀

A: Leave your work, come outside, let's watch it together. 🌹👩‍❤️‍👨

B: 🤦🏻‍♀️😀😍💖💖😘

-Payal Agarwal

                                    

"Arborglyphs" #NaPoWriMo2022 #Day13

 The travellers,

who stopped there for sometime,

left their imprints carved on the trees.

A few remained stories.

that neither came true, nor got erased.

.

Trees stood tall, they neither screamed, 

nor complained,

Giving what they had, to the travellers.

.

 The tattooed bark of the trees,

are the proofs of the era bygone.

Skin deep memories of

 the engraved moments,

linger in the air.

-PayalAgarwal

Sweet nothing.. Skinny poems #NaPoWriMo2022 #day12

There is something

one

thought

to

think

one

poem

to

write

one 

something is there.

.

It's a new beginning

that

keeps

me

grounded

that

makes 

me

wonder

that

it's a new beginning.

.

I have found,

warmth 

in 

cold 

winters,

warmth

in 

your 

embrace, 

warmth

I have found.

 .

I feel you

near

me

always

here

near

my 

heart

holding

near

I feel you.

-Payal Agarwal

 The Skinny poem form.

Here are the guidelines for the Skinny Poem 

11-line poem

First and 11th line have/use the same words (order can be changed)

Lines two through 10 contain only one word

Lines two, six, and 10 must use the same word

#tsl #napowrimo 

"Feathers of hope" Day 11

Tired, lost in some deep thought, 

she sat there on the kitchen floor, 

with her hands resting on her knee, 

the right hand on top of the left, 

gently pressing her ring finger.

.

With back support of the blue wall, 

on which the red showed up in lines, 

were the scribbled stories of her dreams. 

How she dreamt of freedom.....

.

Limited perception and norms of the society, 

had taken away her own ability of thinking.

 Whenever she tried to raise her voice, 

the only answer she got was, "Only this or nothing." 

.

She had forgotten 

that nothing could ever keep her caged.

Flapping her wings of imagination, 

she set her mind free.

.

Free of misconceptions, 

of conditioning, 

of bondage.

.

Lovingly, she looked at everything around. 

Opening the doors of the self imposed prison, 

she was ready to write 

a new age Cinderella tale.

-Payal Agarwal 

Sedoka #napowrimo2022 #day10

 1.

I am your lover,

I love you with all my heart.

Look into my eyes.

.

The hypnotic trance?

You make my heart smile.

 I love you much more.

2. 

In the Lotus pond,

Your fragrance shall linger on,

Shh..just hold my hand.

.

Lakes beneath my skin,

Let our hearts talk in silence.

Your eyes are sparkling.

-PayalAgarwal

A Sedoka poem is a call and response poem. These poems are made of two katauta verses where one verse is the question posed by one lover to another, and another verse is the reply by the partner.

A world without time #NaPoWriMo2022 #day9

It is what it is..

The poet's imagination

goes wild, while

writing and reading,

the messages

written in thin air,

in a world without time.

 The poet wonders,

in a world without time,

 without past, present, future,

 what importance would the

moments and memories hold?

Will the words flow in rhythm?

Will they ever rhyme?

.

Do you know

how moments cease,

while painting days

during nights,

and autumn during spring?

.

We are alive, 

in this world with time, 

with limited breaths,

with time ticking by,

finding the promises of eternity,

in the zone of timelessness.

.

It is what it is..

-Payal Agarwal

Goodbye #NaPoWriMo2022 #day8

In the folds of a paper,

were the unfulfilled promises,

that made me question 

the authenticity of everything 

around.

.

Trapped in the

heartbreaking situations,

at times,

there are no other ways, 

than to bid goodbye.

Goodbye to toxicity,

to unrealistic expectations,

to hatred,

to sorrows..

.

Clearing the cache of faded words

that occupied a large space 

in memory, I

welcomed a life 

full of possibilities,

of joy, of peace, of love. 

.

Goodbyes bring the lessons along.

Experiences carve the path,

and lead us to new beginnings.

-PayalAgarwal

Blasphemy #NaPoWriMo2022 #day6

 Do you know how it feels, 

when the waves kiss your feet,

or when the wind 

plays with your hair?

Ignoring these feelings,

Isn't it blasphemy?

.

Dwelling in the

subconscious mind, .

are the thoughts divine.

If a hymn remains

unfinished,

isn't it blasphemy?

.

Words are sacred

worshipped through 

pen's ink.

If the pen remains dry,

Isn't it blasphemy?

.

Sacred are the relations

that touch the heart's chord.

When they lack reverence,

Isn't it blasphemy?

.

Following the rat race, 

Ignoring the inner voice,

When we say, 

God lives within.

Isn't it blasphemy?

.

In the territory of

 man-made Gods.

 Sacred but scared, 

 humanity suffers.

 What do we call it?

 Isn't it blasphemy?

-PayalAgarwal

Spiral #NaPoWriMo #Day5

 

Things go round and round in circles. Break the patterns. I sit here on my window sil. From the comfort of my home, I observe the different shapes that I see outside my window. 

A row of Ashoka trees stand tall, conical in shape, an elongated triangle. I get a glimpse of an ancient tree, whose branches spread in all the directions. It looks like a green cloud. Some balconies could be seen from the spaces in between the trees. I bring my attention back to my home. The tiny white plastic vases with colourful plastic flowers reminds me of friendships. They stand near the bottle in which the moneyplant grows now. Buddha keeps watching. I see tokens and reminders of real relationships. My world lies here. True in its essence. Krishna smiles. 

-PayalAgarwal

Spices #day4

1.

Missed is the aroma of

Turnips wrapped in spices,

kept in an earthen pot,

and simmered in the Sun.

.

It wasn't the spices

that added flavours,

it was all mother's love,

that poured from her heart.

.

Since childhood, 

we saw the miraculous effects 

of the pure spices.

.

The golden milk served hot, 

took away the pain.

How I wish all the bruises heal

by applying turmeric,

and emotions inflicting 

 ache in stomach, find solace

with a pinch of asafoetida in the navel.

-payalagarwal

2.

With salt and pepper look,

 long lost smile,

and love in your eyes,

you sit in front of me.

Moments trapped in

cinnamon memory

lingers in a tea cup.

-payalagarwal

Poison #NaPoWriMo2022 #Day3

 

Ignorance- 

bliss or painful poison? 

Beware. Something dies within.

.

It's written all over,

poisonous tones

killed many relationships.

.

Misunderstandings-

Like slow poison, kills slowly.

Check the rapid heartbeats.

 .

Your smile- a sweet poison.

Looking in my eyes,

you take my breath away.

.

Love thy name.

You hurt, you cure.

Partly poisonous, partly pure.

.

The elixir of your words,

flow in my veins.

My writings become immortal.

-payalagarwal

Blue Rose #NaPoWriMo2022 #Day2

There, a blue rose blossomed,

unique in its essence,

in a garden full of red roses,

in a world of its own.

.

It painted

a flowering kaleidoscopic image,

in blue, green, yellow,

Some message it brought

from a distant world of

centered existence.

.

Pride of the gardener,

knows no bounds, 

as he nourishes and nurtures,

a blue rose,

with love and care.

.

Light it up blue today,

for a journey of challenges,

and victories.

Though the thorns

prick a little deep, 

remember that love overflows.

-payalagarwal

Perfection #NaPoWriMo

 

Perfectionist met imperfection 

at every bend.

Flowing freely,

the thoughts churned into words,

in absence of rhyme, and rhythm,

poet's block created 

a work of art.

-payalagarwal

Out of order..

 Out of order #NaPoWriMo #Day1

Such is life..

Often in the wake of morn,

when it all seems out of order,

a Sunbird sings,

as the prayer bell rings.

A gentle kiss planted on forehead,

holds a message with a silent say,

"Love is forever here to stay."

-payalagarwal