Image kindness of artist
Sunita Khedekar. Used with permission.
transparency
i.
from the tops of roofs
birds chortle their delight,
weave mournful melodies
for all to hear,
while behind facades of homes
clothed in riotous colors
dark secrets may linger.
ii.
close as we may be—
neighbor-to-neighbor,
spouse-to-spouse,
does anyone really know us?
do we even know ourselves?
iii.
we are so different from one another—
colors, shapes, where we live.
yet our lives slip by,
(perhaps unnoticed,)
beneath the same sky,
warmed by the same sun,
nourished by the same earth.
let us open our arms
like the branches of a tree.
let us open our hearts
like waters of a cool stream
to welcome,
to accept,
to refresh.
iv.
when we listen deeply
we taste our alikeness.
our paths may differ
but if we look inside the core,
like the center of each flower,
(pink or orange or gold)
we are the same.
v.
small windows
limit our view of the world.
let us knock down walls
to what is beyond our limited perspective
to embrace the beauty
that surrounds us.
vi.
if we allow another
to join us in our little dinghy
both of us can take up the oars.
we will glide with greater ease,
arrive more quickly,
and still have time
to enjoy the view.
I’m so grateful to Grace for introducing us to the talented artist Sunita Khedekar who graciously opens up her art portfolio to us as an inspiration for this week’s Poetic’s prompt. Thank you for sharing your gifts with us, Sunita. Give yourself the treat of stopping by her Blog to enjoy her work, then come on by dVerse to see how other have responded in poetry.
The doors open Tuesday at 3:00 PM EDT.
Victoria C. Slotto, Author 