Truth

Truth is
the unfathomable song
of the unrelenting Magpie
punctuated heavily by
the commentator
sitting in
the ever-chattering mind
and listening
to its own radio

Truth is
the salty ocean breeze
which stings
open wounds
But relieves you
of the suffocating humidity
and dampness
of foggy lies.

Truth is
the airborne oil
of petrichor
yearning to
permeate the soul
but masked by
the synthetic musk
and sweet-smelling ester
of bottled lies.

Truth is
they say,
bitter…
bitter like medicine
a rebel against
sugarcoated lies
wrapped inside,
an enticing destruction

Truth is
the sunset…
grotesque silhouettes
blending slowly
with the
darkness of dusk
left behind
a spark of light
cause’ now
you’re the candle
you’re the vision…

© 2020 | Prerna |

Ballerina

White lights pouring
the tulle does gleam
sweaty toes and
glossy shoes,
wooden floor beneath

Hands rising,
up in the air
as graceful as they could be
and swirling the air above;
blending in
the scent of,
the sweetest of roses

And oh,
my legs do slip
like butter
on the floor
spanning like compass,
sketching a circle
on the floor
which envies my grace

Jaws drop
eyes pop
audience amazed
a maneuver
interlaced with perfection
a manifestation
of how flaws
embellish grace

© 2020 | Prerna |

Freedom

I stare at the key;
key to the caged me,
which yearns to explore
the blue yonder
where it is meant to be
Magnificent it is;
a constant reminder
of my triviality,
passes down a look of pity
with its nuances of artistry
An easily forgivable treachery.

But oh the key lies there,
far away from my reach
and I’ll have to break free
For how can something
which is not a part of me;
which is foreign to me
have the power to stop me?

The cage
now a battlefield
tests the capacity
of a soul
fueled with perseverance
and quest for knowledge
Alas! it could not hold in
my shooting aspirations
anymore.

And thus, I broke free
of the coldness
in the confinement
A warm flurry of wind
beneath my wings
to revive the curiosity
to revive those dreams…

Off I reached
straight for the sky
Yes! this is what
freedom feels like.
When I can explore;
When I can experience;
When I can interact
to discover myself
and correct my course
I am free…

© 2020 | Prerna |

Rain

Barren land,
Deserted soul,
Thirsty mind,
and the first drop of rain
as if dissolves
the emptiness; the loss;
the dryness of a soul
which knows no affection
as subtle as that of a raindrop.

And the greens that rejoice
at the announcement of nature
marking the descent
of the heavenly elixir
that oh, the Gods have sent
to quench the thirst
of the earthly wonders.

Behold, for when the raindrop falls
and kisses gently
the outstretched palms
of the leaves
longing for love;
they gleam with glee.

Such is the magic of rain
that even light splits
in sheer ecstasy
into seven colors
to bring delight
to the child
searching in the sky
for hues of inspiration.

© 2020 | Prerna |

The Soul of Flame

Photo clicked by © Prerna

O dear, be like the flame

one with inner peace and tranquility

that those who try to shatter

will get shattered themselves

in the radiance of your eternal soul…

Grow more every moment

more than before

don’t forget your roots

you will flicker at times

you will lose your sanity;

lose the permanence

but don’t lose hope…

Let your aura announce

the presence of a dazzling soul

with an inevitable influence

of warmth and compassion

for all those who are, and are not

familiar with your true self…

After adjusting the brightness and contrast of the image, you can see the beautiful aura around the flame. Certainly, a lot of things go unnoticed!

© 2020 | Prerna |

Inspiration

The sun is the body
which sustains the life and existence.
Before this humongous sphere of raging fire,
you learn the value of love and sacrifice
and the power of forgiving and forgetting;
to let go of the negativity which pulls you back,
and rise again to your true spirit!

The moon is the soul
of the night sky;
spreading the message of sobriety and humility;
not blinding you with its brightness,
but adding luster to the plain and lifeless,
with its subtle and soothing glow.
Yes! clouds do come often to overshadow,
but nothing can dim the light that shines from within…

The stars reflect your attitude
to shine amidst the darkness and ambiguity.
It ain’t no matter how small or big you seem to be;
face the challenges and
just keep twinkling…

~Prerna (meaning: inspiration😊) @besondersite

Quarantine

~Prerna @besondersite

Imperfect? Nah, I’m perfect!

When we learn to accept ourselves the way we are,
Half of our battles,
Yes! half of them,
have we already won…

~Prerna @besondersite

Embrace the change, take the chance…

I am perched upon a brittle branch
holding on to it, as long as I can
waiting for a brisk autumnal breeze
to pluck and carry me away,
away from my little abode…

And I’m afraid of this wave of change
Of what it will bring, to a delicate thing like me
Ambiguity surrounds me
as I twist and twirl
and make several turns,
cross endless boundaries
and swing to and fro
to finally rest on the ground…

And there I found
many more like me
lying there lifeless
wanting to explore
but waiting for a push…

But then, I was airlifted
the sun glowing through my translucence
not blinding me with its brightness
but adding to my undiscovered glimmer
I found myself at a height,
I doubted I could ever reach
that those who dare to fly
can only achieve…

Alas! the moment didn’t last long
as I glided off towards the world beneath,
twisting and twirling again
falling again…

But now I wasn’t afraid
Cause’ I have seen the ‘lift’
and I have seen the ‘glide’
And I have seen the spiritless
I dare to take a chance
I dare to be different…

© 2020 | Prerna |

The star that will shine to infinity and beyond…

I looked out of the window
The sky always made me smile
I grew up admiring the luminescence of the stars; the sobriety of the moon
The gravity of the moon attracted me; and the twinkling of the stars…
As if called me to a new and curious realm
Still undiscovered, still unexplored
My life was up there
As I wanted to touch the glittering sky…

It was not that easy
The workout was herculean
100 push-ups; 100 crunches; 100 sit-ups
And a 100 degree-s of qualification
is not enough
It requires confidence, courage and self-motivation
Of which all I was still lacking
So I closed my eyes;
Searched my heart
And finally found the brighter side…

I remember the pats on my back
when I completed my first task at NASA
And of course, the conventional remarks of society
which tried to pull back a star
rising and shooting with aspirations.
So, I pulled forward, pulled and pulled
And broke myself of the chains
that held me in bondage.

Now, here I am
Standing at the base of a space shuttle
Which reads, “COLUMBIA”
Wearing a bulky and bright orange space suit
Smiling at the cameras
And making headlines before I
finally touch the sky…
First woman of Indian origin,
Kalpana Chawla, I am
to live my dreams
and
finally touch the sky…

People who ask me, why I shine
To them I answer
That, I glow because the desire to achieve kindles determination in me…
Yes! It’s the desire and potential that we, hold within us
That can make us reach tremendous heights
It requires a little spark of empowerment
And you will be left wondering
about what we can achieve.

Clouds came in my life
with rain and thunder then;
now they add hues to my sky
of hope and happiness…

I stepped into the metal container
And saw a dream come true
Of a million small girls
Who dreamt like me

I realized I was a star.
And with my own light
I was illuminating the path
Of a million small girls
Who dreamt like me…

~Prerna @besondersite

The poem is written in first person to make women realize that they could be the protagonist. Every woman can be Kalpana Chawla; successful, independent and the idol of remembrance and inspiration till posterity.