Tag: Hope

Posted in Poetry, Random Thoughts

The Shine

Posted on by Shaily Agrawal
Daily writing prompt
Do you think we’re shaped more by our experiences or by who we are?
View all responses

I was a leaf;

A new one;

Soft and small;

Nobody, I believed, could

Take away my shine.

.

The Draught did it though.

I tried hard to fight back;

Clinging to the Tree

As it tried to shake me off;

Fighting to nurture myself;

Trying to the keep the shine.

.

I survived.

When it rained finally,

I was still clinging to the Tree;

Still somewhat green.

I couldn’t wait for the shine to return.

.

It didn’t.

.

But I was

Harder, thicker, sturdier;

I survived.

In the end,

It is all that matters.

Posted in Random Thoughts

Khushboo

Posted on by Shaily Agrawal

Tapti mitti khwabo me soundhi khushboo deti h.

Teri rehmat shayad khidhkiyo se dil tak aayi h.

Translation:

I dream of fragrant first rains

in hot and fiery lands–

Through the windows your blessings

sneak into my weary heart.

Author’s note: In Urdu, rains are considered a blessing since they are the harbinger of relief, growth, prosperity and plenty. When the first rain of rainy season touches dry land, the land becomes fragrant and touches the very soul of Indians. It beckons children and adults alike to rush out and feel the raindrops on their faces.

Posted in Poetry

Lantern: Hope

Posted on by Shaily Agrawal

Storm

rocks my

paper ship–

drenched, not drowned–

ever.

Author’s note: Lantern is a type of descriptive poetry from Japan that follows the syllable structure of one, two, three, four and one syllables per line to shape a lantern when the words are centered to middle.

Posted in Poetry

Pretty Woman

Posted on by Shaily Agrawal

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There she was,

looking fresh out of the bath,

dressed in her red

that quickened

the pace of my heart,

sitting at her favourite spot.

I wondered

whether

she’ll notice me today,

sitting next to her

for the nth time this year.

She winked

at the passing Porsche,

crushing my hopes.

Well, perhaps tomorrow…

Photo by Hrayr Movsisyan on Unsplash

Posted in Nature stories

At Dusk

Posted on by Shaily Agrawal

After a long day of chores

and heartbreaks,

I look out of the window for solace.

Dusk.

The Sun, now red

like ambers close to an end,

is washed by the ocean waves

of the thin wisps of clouds.

Kissed by the sleepy Sun,

the clouds blush.

The orange Moon,

hiding all day

from the burning anger

of her father,

now comes to face.

She sings quiet songs

made of silver beams

drowning away his rage.

He sleeps at the horizon,

in the arms of dark Night

to wake the next day.

With a quietened heart,

I now seek Hope—

tomorrow

will be a new day.

Posted in Nature stories

The Mettle

Posted on by Shaily Agrawal

I walk around the city

without purpose

drowning in gloom.

Long unemployment

Often does that to you.

Yellow flashes

in the corner of my vision

in a crack of the pavement

pulling me forward,

a marionette on strings.

A cluster of flowers,

smaller than my nail,

stand tall, smiling,

in a place

where stomping feet

can wipe them out

instantly.

They care not,

smiling

in the face of adversity,

unlike me.

Posted in My life

Hope

Posted on by Shaily Agrawal

 

As my two-hour-old roommate called one friend after the other trying to find a suitable accommodation for me, I smiled. She barely knew me, yet she had fought our landlord against evicting me because of my religion (often labelled as ‘terrorist’) and lost.

She complained about the unfairness of it all to her friends and they were outraged as well. I smiled… because for every one person who hated me, there were 20 who sided by me.

This world still had hope!

–Dedicated to Manisha and her friends for standing up against religion-based discrimination