Never once
Did I perceive
That behind every pretty
Monsoon drop
There’s a raging fury
Towards earth.
Never once
Did I perceive
That behind the thin
Cobweb of silence
There’s a dried up
River of words.
Never once
Did I perceive
That behind each of your
Deliberate action
There’s a hidden tinge
Of cruel sarcasm.
Never once
Did I perceive
That too near to your
Saffron rays of smile
There’s a pitch black horizon
Waiting for a gulp.
Never once
Did I perceive
That the shrill cry
Arising from inside
On lonely moonless nights
Is the ache for love.
Excellent metaphors and the refrain makes it powerfully rendered…
Thank you Sana..:)
Elegantly realised piece of work that deals with deeper and darker matters hidden in the psyche. Just a minor post-script , why not title the poem , ” never once ” ?
Thank you Louis. Yeah, I think your title sounds better. Thanks a lot. 🙂
As i started with the first few lines,my eyebrows tightened.the very first idea clothed in beautifully knit words told me that this is not the poet to be read while keeping cushion against the head.when i had finished the poem,i became your fan. The transition from the world of innocence to experience has given a shock to the narrator. The comparative study between the two has been revealed through telling metaphors.the narrator used to believe in the face value of things.recent experiences have taught him about the deception in believing in the first impression and the human pretensions to judgement! The refrain heightens the pathos. The narrator seems to be regretting over the loss of edenic innocence. Many more meanings are possible like your ‘saffron rays’.the more i read the poem,the more meanings are generated.and everytime,my passions are moved by the command of your words.
Thank you Ashraf ji. I never thought there would be such a comment when I told you to read. Overwhelmed by your comment. Thanks a lot…And yeah, I think this is one of my best poems..