Monday, February 26, 2024

Shivcharan : our gardener

 


He just didn’t have 

green fingers

but those of a 

thousand colours

as he commanded 

coral ixoras to grow 

in enviable clusters, 

coaxed the voluminous

Purple Wreath to cling

to the arched trellis 

which in full bloom 

appeared nothing less

than a portal to the 

floral fairyland. 

He demonstrated magic

as Nasturtium leaves

turned water droplets 

Into crystal beads 

and bent the mulberry

laden trees at his will. 

As the pomegranate tree 

presented him with 

the reddest ruby like arils, 

he cajoled the headiest 

redolence out of 

the orange-hearted Parijat. 

The Gulmohur whispered 

coquettishly under his gaze 

while Amaltas showered 

the golden flowers on 

the very path he tread. 

The garden hailed 

him as the king and 

yet this widowed 

childless man 

slept in our garage. 

And as his hands diligently 

polished the terracotta pots, 

he found time to fashion 

the flat stones for our 

game of hopscotch.

1 comment:

  1. Very evocative. Loved the compassion disguised subtly.

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