WINNER
You taught me to tend for the wild,
in places where it had been quelled,
that the growth of stray wildflowers in gaps,
between the concrete of a postcard patio,
was better than a naked lawn.
As we globe-trotted amidst islands
of cigarette stubs and half-chewed gum,
making colonies on the ground,
tessellating into a synthetic Pangea,
you showed me burly roots of urban trees
breaking through uneven asphalt,
like a finger through an eggshell,
a snake of vascular tissue,
beneath a man-made facade.
That night you told me stories of Pan,
syrinx in palm, galloping through woodlands,
winking at wood nymphs.
But the only rustic music I could hear,
was of traffic and men, on too much drink.
The only woodlands I could see,
were found between plastic neon swings
in drooling play areas,
mimicking the idea of greenery.
And then, I understood why,
city trees grow fast, but die young.
One of the finest poems on today’s urban reality, with a sharp eye for detail and succinct choice of words, and with a fine balance between hope and despair!
Thank you so much Dada. Glad you liked it
Present urban ambience wonderfully painted
Thank you so much Tultul didi
Wonderful. I can see a great future. Keep it up. God bless