Hoarders of memories
We start some festive cleaning
In the fall
Digging our memories
Deep into lofts and cabinets
Out tumble medical prescriptions
Of my father바카라s 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 바카라Best before바카라 dates
바카라As long as it바카라s the medicines, not us
That have expired바카라 I wryly nod
The grammar Nazi of a brother pipes up
바카라Products expire, people die바카라
We are products all
Aren바카라t we?
Of these strange times
The cleaning goes on
Spring cleaning brings its warmth
October cleaning
Brings its nip
____________________________________________________________
The safety net
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 바카라safe바카라
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 didn바카라t
바카라Š..all the babies we could have made,
But didn바카라t
All the misunderstandings we could have cleared,
But didn바카라t
We don바카라t let the small talk cease
The guard doesn바카라t 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 바카라Mad Swirl바카라, 바카라Scarlet Leaf Review바카라, 바카라North of Oxford바카라, 바카라Grey Sparrow Journal바카라, 바카라Lothlorien Poetry Journal바카라, 바카라The Piker Press바카라, 바카라The Writing Disorder바카라, 바카라The Drabble바카라, 바카라Bard & Prose바카라, 바카라Dissident Voice바카라, 바카라Halcyon Days바카라, 바카라Founder바카라s favourites바카라, 바카라W-Poesis바카라, 바카라Borderless journal바카라, 바카라Madras Courier바카라, A Turkish newspaper 바카라Sungurlu바카라, Glomag etc. She has featured in literary journals like 바카라Fine Lines바카라 and anthologies like 바카라Harbinger Asylum바카라, 바카라Kali Project바카라 (바카라Kali Project바카라 is now in the 바카라North Carolina Regional Library바카라), 바카라But 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 바카라Cocoon Stories: Imprints of Childhood바카라, published by Authorspress, India. Her cinema articles appear regularly in 바카라Just-cinema바카라 and Daily Eye. She was a jury member for the 바카라All India Poetry Competition바카라 organized by 바카라Cocoa-Butter바카라 and also co-edited their debut print anthology that resulted from this competition.)
