A room of my own
Once, I had a room
With glass walls.
Sitting there
I painted my life
Dreaming
About oceans.
For those who saw me
I was a fish in an aquarium
Swimming in the blue waves
Like goldfish I kissed the walls
I heard the whales sing too.
Now, my room is blind
Without any windows
The drab walls
Uncolored
Smell like the skies
Rumble like the oceans.
Sitting here
I draw butterflies
They fly out
Through the windows
Of my eyes
They do not know light.
Here sunflower petals
Bloom in my memories
On the dark curtains
Distant galaxies twinkle
I hear the songs
Of unfamiliar lands.
It’s so easy for the rooms
Without windows
To dream about meadows
Streams, fjords and waves.
Year of words
In my year of silence
I took my words, mashed up
Added your name, a rainbow
And brewer’s yeast.
Sealed and stored in a vat
Of fine wood engraved,
Dark and deep, laced
With the sorrows of past years
If it were my year of sunshine,
I would have sown them
In hearts that burnt
Earthly brown in sunlight.
I save them for the ones
Whose eyelids droop
Heavy in autumn, fiery
Golden maple leaves.
Until the winter is over I wait,
For my words to mature
Oaky, rounded and red
Fine full bodied.
Women in the windows **
Women in the windows,
Search for their gods
Up the heavens
To turn their water into wine.
Women in the windows,
Hold their arms up
To hold the skies together
Raining the sorrows of mankind.
Women in the windows,
They speak different tongues
Laugh the same laugh
They mother the same love.
Women in the windows,
Their omniscient twinkle
Throw the stars up the skies
O,who would catch them.
Women in the windows,
Watch the long evening shadows
Fall across the streets
And mumble, ‘C’mon, let us go.’
(** Inspired by Ormond Gigli’s photograph Women in the Windows)
About the Author
Jaya Abraham teaches economics and statistics in Abu Dhabi University. Her interests include writing poems and literary translation. She writes poetry as an expression of her response to the world around her. Her work has been published in major online portals such as Literary Hatchet, Poetria, Mad Swirl etc. In addition to writing poetry, she is also interested in green and mindful living.
