daffodils, image by Brigitte Werner, on Pixabay, modified
At Yumthang Meadow
It called me often. Oh, the grass—
How feather-like! Those pendent leaves
And branches form a fetching mass
Of verdure all around. Fine weaves
Of treetops etch the bluish dome.
Today, I visited the spot
After a year, prepared some rice;
Set up the table. Then, a thought
Bedewed the ovals of my eyes:
Those seasons when we used to roam
This meadow—Ramsen, Neel, and me—
Have gone away, and in their wake,
Dissevered our fraternity
And left my heart alone to break.
I vowed to not come here thereafter
But something changed my heart today.
I felt their presence on the chairs,
Their smiles appeared upon the gay
And guggling brooklet, while a pair
Of daffodils displayed their laughter.
(First published by Drip Literary, in May 2024.)
*
Sonnet
They came as light into my darkened world,
Rekindling everything that once stood grey—
The need to wield my pen when thoughts stay furled,
The will to be that man again who prayed.
Six years of oneness, then this sudden pause
That seems eternal; time's reversed its course.
The kibble bowl's exactly where it was
When Neeku left us. Life has lost its force.
Now there's no hopping on the étagère
Or pawprints on the matting, though their noise
From gambolling still echoes in the air.
Two mortal friends gave all the love and joys
No man can give but left this void within
And these enduring scratches on my skin.
(First published by Bellwether Review, spring, 2024.)
Shamik Banerjee is a poet from Assam, India, where he lives with his parents.
Some of his recent works will appear in The Pointed Circle, Bellwether Review,
York Literary Review, and Lighten Up Online.
February 2025 issue
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