I remember reading somewhere...How children were taught young...At the dining table, to be precise...That conversation must never be inane.
We start some festive cleaning
In the fall
Digging our memories
Deep into lofts and cabinets
Out tumble medical prescriptions
Of my father바카라™s congestions
The out of range
Blood reports
The escalated bills
Remembrances are better of
With his music and books
I think aloud
A sibling cleans our first aid kid
Lamenting that so many are way past 바카라˜Best before바카라™ dates
바카라œAs long as it바카라™s the medicines, not us
That have expired바카라 I wryly nod
The grammar Nazi of a brother pipes up
바카라˜Products expire, people die바카라™
We are products all
Aren바카라™t we?
Of these strange times
The cleaning goes on
Spring cleaning brings its warmth
October cleaning
Brings its nip
____________________________________________________________
I remember reading somewhere
How children were taught young
At the dining table, to be precise
That conversation must never be inane
I remember my grandfather mentioning
How some families fined their members
For small talk
My grandma qualified
That it applied only to the rich
Those who have to toil all day
Could ill afford time
To cultivate such skills
Discuss weather
They said
Only to help a fellowman
In the midst of flood
Or drought
I think of man today
In his island
Marking himself 바카라˜safe바카라™
All the time
I bump into an ex
Awkwardly
At the market place
We speak of the missing November chill
About disturbances
From god forsaken directions
That bring unseasonal rains
Better such talk
Than all the kissing we could have done,
But didn바카라™t
바카라¦..all the babies we could have made,
But didn바카라™t
All the misunderstandings we could have cleared,
But didn바카라™t
We don바카라™t let the small talk cease
The guard doesn바카라™t slip
It starts to rain
Taking our cues
We fumble for our umbrellas
(Vandana Kumar is a French teacher, recruitment consultant and poet in New Delhi, India. Her poems have been published in national and international websites like 바카라˜Mad Swirl바카라™, 바카라˜Scarlet Leaf Review바카라™, 바카라˜North of Oxford바카라™, 바카라˜Grey Sparrow Journal바카라™, 바카라˜Lothlorien Poetry Journal바카라™, 바카라˜The Piker Press바카라™, 바카라˜The Writing Disorder바카라™, 바카라˜The Drabble바카라™, 바카라˜Bard & Prose바카라™, 바카라˜Dissident Voice바카라™, 바카라˜Halcyon Days바카라™, 바카라˜Founder바카라™s favourites바카라™, 바카라˜W-Poesis바카라™, 바카라˜Borderless journal바카라™, 바카라˜Madras Courier바카라™, A Turkish newspaper 바카라˜Sungurlu바카라™, Glomag etc. She has featured in literary journals like 바카라˜Fine Lines바카라™ and anthologies like 바카라˜Harbinger Asylum바카라™, 바카라˜Kali Project바카라™ (바카라˜Kali Project바카라™ is now in the 바카라˜North Carolina Regional Library바카라™), 바카라˜But You Don't Look Sick바카라™ etc. Indie Blu(e) Publishing featured her as one of their authors on their website. She is also a contributing author in the short stories anthology 바카라˜Cocoon Stories: Imprints of Childhood바카라™, published by Authorspress, India. Her cinema articles appear regularly in 바카라˜Just-cinema바카라™ and Daily Eye. She was a jury member for the 바카라˜All India Poetry Competition바카라™ organized by 바카라˜Cocoa-Butter바카라™ and also co-edited their debut print anthology that resulted from this competition.)