This is for Us. Relatable Words #11

this is for us.
This is for us who sing, write, dance, act, study, run and love
and this is for doing it even if no one will ever know
because the beauty is in the act of doing it.
Not in what it can lead to.
This is for the times I lose myself while writing, singing, playing
and no one is around and they will never know
but I will forever remember
and that shines brighter than any praise or fame or glory I will ever have,
and this is for you who write or play or read or sing
by yourself with the light off and door closed
when the world is asleep and the stars are aligned
and maybe no one will ever hear it
or read your words
or know your thoughts
but it doesn’t make it less noble.
It makes it ethereal. Mysterious.
Infinite.
For it belongs to you and whatever God or spirit you believe in
and only you can decide how much it meant
and means
and will forever mean
and other people will experience it too
through you.
Through your spirit. Through the way you talk.
Through the way you walk and love and laugh and care
and I never meant to write this long
but what I want to say is:
Don’t try to present your art by making other people read or hear or see or touch it: make them feel it. Wear your art like your heart on your sleeve and keep it alive by making people feel a little better. Feel a little lighter. Create art in order for yourself to become yourself
and let your very existence be your song, your poem, your story.
Let your very identity be your book.
Let the way people say your name sound like the sweetest melody.

So go create. Take photographs in the woods, run alone in the rain and sing your heart out high up on a mountain
where no one will ever hear
and your very existence will be the most hypnotising scar.
Make your life be your art
and you will never be forgotten.

– CHARLOTTE ERIKSSON

Beautifully expressed by Charlotte Eriksson in her book, Another Vagabond Lost To Love. Thank you my friend, Abhishek Labhe for sharing this poem with me!

The Sparrow

It perched on my windowsill
Looking for a tidbit;
A place to rest its weary self,
Eyeing the view.

I drew close, in awe of its silhouette
Deep, black lined eyes,
Rotund, fragile, and beautiful.

But the sight of me made it retreat
Farther and farther on the tiny rim.
Until it could no longer stand
And away it flew;
So quick, so sudden, so soon.

– Madhumita Paul

A lovely poem contributed by my dearest friend Madhumita Paul. Thank you for sharing this with me and the community. If you enjoyed reading this, then don’t forget to show your love and support by liking or commenting below. Looking forward to more of your writings! ❤

Dear readers, if feel you have a story/poem/idea to share, then please give me an opportunity to put you under the spotlight.
Email me at: nuraine.sadaf@gmail.com

Gorgeous Quote #6

To bake a cake in the eye of a storm; to feed yourself sugar on the cusp of danger.

By Ocean Vuong

This quote is from the book, On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong. Every line in this book is like poetry, beautiful, graceful and so impactful. The title of the book itself was amazing enough for me to pick it up and start reading. This literary fiction discusses some serious elements like trauma, violence, race, war, and survival.

To explain the above quote, the author says, “In the story, when a girl and her grandmother spot a storm brewing on the green horizon, instead of shuttering the windows or nailing boards on the doors, they set out to bake a cake. I was unmoored by this act, its precarious yet bold refusal of common sense.”

Sunny days in June

It was noon, sometime in June, when the wildflowers had started to bloom.
A straw hat on the head for the groom and a dusty pink gown for the bridegroom.
In the golden light of the summer sun, people glittered like shiny pearls.
Glasses clinked, lovers winked, kids frolicked holding orange ice cream.
Eyes sparkled with merriment, there was a magical happiness in the air.
Celebrations, weddings, garden parties, on sunny days are always the best.

Photo by Hassan OUAJBIR on Pexels.com

Soon

Dreaming of low tides,
Long nights under the moonlight
Sitting around logs set on fire
Upon white sand and
Mountains looming under dark skies.

Sea breeze muffles our voices
As we share stories
Holding mugs of warmth
In our mitten covered hands
There’s always so much to say,
To listen,
To laugh,
With friends around
There’s no track of time.
Soon.
Those days will come soon.

Photo by Vlad Bagacian on Pexels.com

Smoky Chimneys

The monochromatic room
Speaks in a whispered volume
Through the window by the bed
I look outside at the pouring rain
Holding a cigarette.
Hazy smoke fills the air
Blurring the 70-square foot room
I close my eyes
Listen to the sound of the pouring rain
Holding a cigarette.

In some kind of a dreamy state
Feeling some kind of euphoric sense of freedom
Smoke rises from the chimneys of old roofs
The world has turned grey
From the streets and the skies to the walls of the room
Like the falling ash
Like this metallic chair
On which I sit in my white underwear
Taking in a deep drag
Feeling the sharpness of the smoke
Buzzing through my mind
Through my bare naked feet
It feels right
I wonder why?
Why does everything bad have to feel so good?
The heaviness
The carelessness
The messy sheets
The art on the walls –
The only thing worth holding on to.
This greyness in the air
Is like a song that plays
In some corner of the mind
This greyness in the air
Brings out the freak inside
Looking up at the sky
With one foot on the chair
and one hand resting on the knee
Holding on to this burning desire
A grey wisp of smoke curls in the air.

Holding on to all that’s present in this
Dull artistic greyness
Writing away all that I want
All that I feel,
Old memories come back to life.
Where has that girl gone?
Disappeared like thin air
Into the mist
Reckless and bold,
Sassy and cold.
Hidden somewhere deep inside
Safe in a grey corner of my mind.

Photo by Valeriia Miller on Pexels.com

A Daydream

It’s so peaceful.
Another world,
Another universe.
The sound of waves gently lashing on the beach.
Each one with its own song to sing.
If only you could hear,
At a far distance – a bird
No, lots of birds – their sweet calls
Then someone calls me ..
Breaks my reverie,
And I’m back on this beach,
On earth.
I look around.
I can no longer hear the music of the waves,
Lost are the songs of the birds.
I am in this world
Trapped!
I want to be free …..

– By Abizer Lokhandwala

Spotlight is a new category on Into Words. Here, I will be posting poems from people who have shied away from sharing their work/don’t have a platform to publish their work/never considered putting their work on a public platform.

Sometimes we don’t realise how good our stories, poems, and thoughts can be and like the saying goes, “This world needs more art.” and art in any form is always appreciated. This section is all about sharing and appreciating ideas. It doesn’t have to follow any rules of perfection. If you feel you have a story/poem/idea to share, then please give me an opportunity to put you under the spotlight.

Email me at: nuraine.sadaf@gmail.com

Shout-out to Abizer Lokhandwala, thank you for sharing this beautiful poem with me and the community. If you enjoyed reading this, then don’t forget to show your love and support by liking or commenting below. Looking forward to reading your writings. ❤