Rainy world by -Minu Jasdanwala

 Rainy world.

-Minu Jasdanwala 

My patch of land does not have

tall oaks or yew trees around me.

It has a little swing for two

and a blank wall like slate across it. 

I have tall Mast trees

on which I conduct 

gentle nail scratching like squirrels :

a failed attempt to enter the tree bark.  

There is no battle of music 

between rain beats on the roof

and a cow bell jingling in the breeze.

Beautifully they compliment. 

My swing is controlled 

up and down I go.

Up and down again. 

I have mastered this meditation. 

The rain and tea excite my godown of memories,

the pen inks them

and the obedient blank paper

welcomes everything.

I have swing,

I have music.

I have memories,

I have words.

I have imagination, 

I have rain.

I am not generous 

to give away any. 

Lines composed in a confused state.

Lines composed in a confused state.

By - Minu Jasdanwala

The heavy load is in my head

undesirous to leave.

My eyes wish to remain closed,

fearing to open, to find more numerous 

ghastly apparitions of the night.

Many exciting things happen.

They wish to remain in my head.

They snatch the making of word pictures 

but I will - I am a poet.

I can anyhow document anything

but here I fail to communicate-

My fight with night.

This is my testing time,

my little head spins 360*

like an uncontrolled satellite in space. 

I question it and then 

leave it on the experts for care.

Nights are mostly dangerously beautiful

for the weaklings like me. 

Last night I got up

with a handkerchief tightly coiled 

around my splitting head.

The scene was like the 1960s Hippy movement

or similar to Axl Rose.

I once desired inevitably to bang my hand on the wall

but now I am a coward for such exercise. 

Pain persuades to execute without much thought.

I went to sleep again.

I saw known-unknown occurrences conjure up:

The sword slicing the thoughts

leaving its edgy sharpness,

the blood splashing up

blotting the side walls and so on…

The day’s conflicts leave me alone 

with darkness and its allies. 

(The poem was composed in 2017)