A Town Center From A Dream

 I saw an unnamed small town center 

In my dream, from where I didn't want to return

The roads were having freshly laid bitumen 

The old iron lamps had a fresh black coat 

The medians had lush nicely cut grass 

The footpaths were having nice stone tiles 

The buildings were all red with white outlining 

The small park had plenty of flowering plants

A few old wooden benches for the visitors

A brick trail for the walkers and runners

A lush green lawn for those picnickers 

And a space for a traditional game 

The town had only a wholesale market 

A huge arched building with a big hall

There were big stalls for various items 

Vegetables were auctioned off daily 

If the buyer damages the vegetables

The person has to take them home 

But he will be banned from auction for a period  

The town had only a second-hand book shop

The books were stacked up like towers 

The best books were kept in cabinets 

There was a bargaining system for the books

After reading, people can resell it to the shop 

The townhall was small and resembled a theatre

It doubled up as the church, due to renovation 

There was a small police outpost in the town center

The crime rates were low and people were police friendly

There was a small hospital in the town with essential facilities

People rather took prescriptions from private doctors 

To buy medicines from the local pharmacies 

There was a women's shopping center 

Ran by women for all the needs of women 

I explored the streets while the bus was getting ready

They were neat and tidy and people kept flowering plants 

No walls were separating the houses 

Many of them had fruit-bearing trees in the front

I saw fewer cars on the streets and at homes 

I had to run to fetch the bus to go to my home somewhere 

This poem is based on what I saw in a dream today morning. The image is taken from Shutter Stock. Thank you :)

Glowworms Reunion

From the hills, moist plains, and riverside 

Glowworm beetles embarked on a journey

Towards a garden for their annual reunion 

To share their stories and enjoy the nectar

They left behind females as they can't fly 

It's like the bike riders' gangs on their trips 

They glowed intermittently in a  pattern

On that new moon night, they're the stars 

On land buried under the pitch darkness 

They reached the paddy fields and stuck 

To rice plants resembling firesticks glow

They rested in a big tree creating an aura 

Of Christmas lights during the spring night

They flew over the river creating art forms 

Of light patterns on the water with delight 

They reached the garden and selected

Flowers to enjoy the nectar they cherished 

They remembered their friends who lost

Their lives under the beaming streetlights 

Their mates who left life after delivering 

Larvae as per a strange tradition of theirs

While they returned through dark paths 

Towards the safety of their homelands 

Waving goodbyes until the next reunion

This poem is inspired by the glow worms I see during my late evening walk along riverside. Image taken from Bored Panda .Thank You :) 

A Vibrant Shebeen

They went to a she been

To drink some cheap liquor 

In company of town's rogues

Singing the Irish pub songs

Until they lose their senses

They wore the Irish pride with

Shamrock badges on the sleeves

A lady set the stage for tap dancing

The aim set was to dance after each drink, 

 To win a gift for St Patrick's day

But the cache was that they cannot fall

They were warned to forfeit if they can't

Else they've to pay more for every drink

The visage of that lady attracted one   

among them, He wanted to lose to the

magic of forever of her, He drank and 

danced and drank and danced and drank   

and danced and  passed out! The lady   

laughed and clapped! She had a bet on    

him falling after three drinks!

A poem based on word prompts from #BraveWrite #Flexvss #WIPWordSearch. 
#WordSoupDaily #CrowCalls #ProseInBloom#atreyasverse . Image taken  from Unsplash.

An Adventure In The Forest

 

Let’s go for an adventure

In the lush forest of pine trees

With bare essentials to survive

Walking along the ancient trails

Left behind by the local tribals

Let’s find a safe place to set up

A hut for shade from the rain

And barrier against the animals

With tree branches and mud

Thatched roof with the grass

A fireplace to remain warm

A rocket stove for cooking

Let’s sleep with the warmth

Of each other and fireplace

Let’s wake up to a new dawn

Amidst the tall trees of history

Let’s walk through the fog

Towards the wild vineyard

And taste the mist from the

Wild grapes before the sunrise

Let’s find the lake to swim

When the water is still cold

Collect pristine water from stream

For brewing wild berries for tea

Let’s forage in the wild for safe

Fruits, mushrooms, and roots

Hunt some small animals too

And cook them while sun sets

We can enjoy the dinner with

Fermented wild berries and grapes

We can enjoy a memorable spring

Amidst the nature, away from city

We could drench in the rain and

Play like kids, with nobody to bother

We could explore the hills and valleys

We could make love in the bed of

wild flowers, enjoying the wild fragrance

We could find wild honey to sweeten our

Brews and sparkle on our foggy mornings

Let’s build a tree shelter for safety

To escape from wild animal attacks

Let’s enjoy the wild life for somedays

A lonely world to keep falling in love

 

 This is the 400th post on this blog. This poem is inspired by the prompt from #MadVerse. 

Padmatheertham Pond

 A pond in the city center 

Having spiritual association with  

Sree Padmanabha Swamy Temple 

The richest temple in India

By the means of hidden treasures 

Built during the 13th or 14th century

From a small natural spring-fed pond 

It was expanded into a bigger pond 

By the King Anizham Thirunal Marthanda Varma

Pond received water from the Killi river for some years

Now it relies on its old aquifers 

It is spruced by the renovation

of walls and bathing ghats

New lamps and a tiled road on the left

Facing the Padmanabha Swamy Temple 

Changed the look of the pond itself 

The smaller temples in the perimeter 

Draw people for devotion

Evening fills the pondside with 

devotees, locals, and the city dwellers 

I used to meet my friends 

At one end of the pond

Facing the waters and shared 

happiness and sorrows over the years

Enjoying the light breeze from the pond

I remember a man being drowned 

In the pond by a man on live television

I remember a giant inflated sculpture of

Lord Vishnu laying over the serpent 

On the pond during a festival 

The visual of the old clock 

Getting wooden goats to bang heads 

When the time reaches the hour mark

It is still exciting during special occasions

We used to feed the big fishes in the pond 

During our evening hangouts 

It remains a dream to enter the bathing ghat

As it is restricted 

But big rats used to hang out there 

I've seen the pond fully drained once 

But didn't notice any treasure beneath the mud

A lot of devotees come during the Sabarimala season

And they hangout on the walls of the pond

A myth tells that there is an underground tunnel

That connects the pond with the sea 

When the temple is lit with a hundred thousand lamps

The reflection on the pond is mesmerizing 

This is an iconic temple pond in my city Thiruvananthapuram. The image is taken from the Stock.