Friday, November 6, 2020

Clipped wings - a poem

 Clipped Wings……  By Srianee Dias

 

Winter approaches

Darkness encroaches

The last leafy holdouts glow against

A brilliant blue sky

 

Travels are curtailed

Due to the hassles entailed.

I must devise a serious strategy

To get by

 

There’s plenty I can do,

But do I feel I want to?

Staying in bed until nine-thirty

Feels just fine

 

My easel is set up,

But inspiration I have not.

I’m wishing for revelations

From the Divine

 

Word games from the New York Times,

Scrabble with a few friends sometimes.

I see one or two, and rarely

Maybe five

 

My living room is converted

To a gym with equipment

That sprawls in places which were

Earlier devoid

 

There’s a Zoom webinar tonight.

It is about the Covid blight.

Perhaps I should skip it and drink

A glass of wine!

 

Keeping body and mind

Stimulated, active and agile

Will surely make it possible

Somehow to survive

26 comments:

  1. Beautiful poem Srianee. Captures the times and the mood perfectly. Well done!

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  2. Thanks Mahen. We will survive, won't we? Perhaps people can add more stanzas to this in the comments. That will be interesting.

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  3. Srianee, your efforts at verse ,matches very well with that for prose!

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    1. Thanks Sanath! It is surprising what one can come up with when there are no distractions.

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  4. Srianee
    What a lovely precis of your life at present with the winter looming large, virtually confined to your own home with the news media full of political shenanigans. The beauty of your poetry is in its clarity and simplicity. Thank you.

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  5. Srianee, you wondered whether your piece could be called poetry and it certainly could, especially in a more modern form without the need for rhyming.

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    1. Nihal and Mahen, thank you both for your encouragement. Poetry is not my forte, as you know. The first two lines came to me "Winter approaches, darkness encroaches" out of nowhere and then I kept going. At first they were random thoughts, but then I discovered a theme! Mahen about the rhyming, if you noticed the last lines of each stanza, (sort of) rhyme with each other. It developed a rhythm that I liked, especially when I read it aloud. For the record, I don't resort to drinking wine when I am alone - just in case you guys are concerned!! But, I hear that the liquor stores are flourishing because of the lockdowns.

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    2. And the first two lines in many of the stanzas -approaches, encroaches- can do, want to - New york times , sometimes and so on

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  6. It is you again the Bunter, girl with a banter
    known to be a funster
    Never heard to be a hunter
    Have you won anything as a punter?
    Hope you are no longer a renter
    Not a believer in the Tempter
    You have excelled as a painter
    Hope! for a mild winter

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    1. wonderful Sumathi! How about writing a poem for the Blog?

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  7. Sumathi, I am glad you took up my challenge to respond in rhyme.
    Very clever! Thanks.

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  8. Thanks goes to Srianne & Speedy for your comments.See at Blog Zoom.

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  9. I just wrote a comment and trying to post it, lost it! What I said was, that it is so lovely to see a beautiful poem by you at this depressing time, voicing your frustrations but also giving us ideas how you would overcome it. And that's it! We must refuse to be beaten by this microscopic thing but make use of the time to keep our bodies and mind active. Thank you! From Zita

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    1. Thank you Zita. I think you will be able to add a few stanzas of your own to this poem. There are few other things that I do, like getting outside for a walk, even a short one, whenever the sun is shining. At the moment we are blessed with a few days of unusually lovely weather and I am taking advantage of it. My biggest heartbreak is not being able to see my family face to face. (Electronic connections don't cut it!) My friends keep me going, and I really appreciate their friendship.

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  10. Well said and documented,Zita.

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  11. Hi Srianee
    Beautifully written - perfectly echoes the way we feel and what we are going through at this time.The excitement of the US elections kept us alive and was well worth the sleepless nights!!

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  12. Thanks Bora. Yes, we were biting our nails and pulling our hair out last week! The anxiety level was high. (The liquor sales were peaking!) There is relief but I am a bit worried about what stunts the loser might pull. (We don't usually discuss politics on this blog so I will write a private email to you 😀) Awaiting the next episode of "Bora's Banter."

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  13. Dear Srianee,
    A wonderful poem with an unforgettable opening, that sets the tenor,spirit and humour for the whole.
    You have mirrored,what we all feel,certainly mine;it’s as if you have divined our minds.
    The last verse is excellent advice.I will try to wake myself from the stupor.
    More strength to your elbow.👍🙏💐

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  14. Hi1Kumar
    You left your homeland
    In search of a Promised land
    Which happened to be Queensland
    Lucky to be away from Never Never Land
    The Newfound land
    Has it been a Wonderland?

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  15. Thank you Sumathi.You too have a flair for poetry.
    You must keep writing.It’s good therapy in these troubled times.
    Good Luck.
    👍😁

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  16. This is poem is from one of my Polish friends which I thought is good.

    once I thought
    time passes quickly
    when one does something
    now I know it passes quicker
    when one does nothing

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  17. Sumathy
    I love your poetry. They bring together facts about life and humour. You should give us more. Thank you

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  18. Some "Bots" seem to think we need education! But, seriously, if you want to learn a new language (or improve what you already know) while you are hanging out at home check out the following online programs: FluentU, Duolingo or Babble. You have to pay for some of them, but Duolingo has a free program as well. I'm using FluentU to keep up with my German and I am enjoying it.

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  19. Thanks,Srianne about the channels of learning another language.I am learning French for sometime via YouTube.I have several free sources such as lean French with Alexa,Pascal,French Pod101.com,French with Elsa, Frencheeze.Unfortunately,I have no one have regular conversation in French.My grand children are leaning French in school,but they are far away.I am sure my brain is very active as a result of trying to learn a new language,in addition to activate exercises.Hope our friends too engage themselves,as well.

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  20. Srianee,

    Pardon me for my late and brief comment. Enjoyed reading your poem. Congratulations!

    Lucky

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