RIVULETS OF THOUGHTS - Cascading emotions

How To Treat Poetry

Dig around it, loosen the soil carefully.

Make sure you don't nip at its edge.

No you don't want to use a heavy sledge.

Instead, with delicate fingers, unearth the poem skilfully.

Like holding an injured fledgling, brought down by hawks.

Like how you diligently lift a sapling, from a makeshift pot,

Before you transfer it to your favourite garden spot.

Handle with care, each root hair is vital,

The roots influence how deep the poetry grows,

Into your receptive mind.

How much are your senses ready to toil?

Underneath that fertile soil,

You never know what treasure you may find.

Once the poem is lodged,

Snug and safe in the chalice of your palms.

Examine, to admire, to drink from the fountain of knowledge.

You can do a lot more; revel in its beauty, explore.

Like the song, seamen sing, while pulling hard on the oars.

Within the folds of your consciousness, the revelation will roar.

Close your eyes and run your fingertips along its surface,

Let your touch be your mind's vision, Imitate a blind woman.

Like how she runs her fingers when she feels her lovers face.

Let the poem reveal to you, undulating , riveting patterns,

And feel the converging universes at the tip of your fingers.

At the tip of your fingers let it unravel and explode.

Like a conch shell that carries a thousand songs of the sea

Hold the poem up and softly press it against your ear.

Silence your mind, keep your auditory senses prepared to hear.

And the poem will thunder at you like a million waves,

Will sing like a giant whale, a song that it sings for its mate.

Let the poem enter through your ears and unshackle your mind.

Hold the poem up against the sun,

Like how a diamond is held up against bright light.

Let the poem refract through the edges of the crystal,

Like gems spilling out, from a mythical treasure chest.

Let the poem's light illuminate your discernment,

In the darkest hour, its light shall banish all things repugnant.

On a beautiful day, set out to sail, anchor your boat,

In the deep waters, push the poem overboard.

Test it's buoyancy.

That would show if it's hollow.

See if the poem is good at swimming. Can it stay afloat?

Keep the life jacket ready, you know, just in case.

Lean over the boat's railing and discuss it with bottle-nosed dolphins.

Let the poem do back flips and slap the water surface,

Let the poem play with the dolphins and splash water on your face.

Tie a rolled up note to the poem's leg, and a red ribbon.

Take it half way across the world and set it free.

See if it can find its way back home like a homing pigeon.

Untie the note and ensure that the same poem has returned.

And read the poem out aloud,

Along with the tales it picked up on its flight back home.

Grab your trekking gear, your supplies and some food.

Climb up the hills, one cliff at a time, set up a tent in the woods.

Recite the poem into the Mountain rabbit's ears.

Let the Mountain goat give its comments on the metaphors.

Walk to the edge of the mountain peak,

Breathe in the crisp air, and pray for your stars.

Before you take a leap of faith and jump off the edge.

And let the poem be your chute and save you from the fall.

In the final moments of your descent, call out the Poet's name.

And that's how you treat poetry...

Do not tie the poem to a lamp post, hands behind its back.

Do not torture the poem into giving out its purpose and meaning.

Do not force a confession out of it at gunpoint.

Instead make the poem your friend, it won't disappoint.

Sit on a terrace with some drinks and sunset as the backdrop.

And the poem will tell you tales from faraway provinces,

Finally get drunk, staying intoxicated will be justified.

-Harish Vaid

I have come across many people who say, "I am not into Poetry", "Poetry is really not my thing". Well it's their choice I really do not hold anything against them, but what I cannot digest is when they say things like, "Poems are dumb", "Poems are complicated", "The poet is probably on drugs going in circles about his lost girlfriend".

Hmmm so I thought I would write this one for all those ignorant people and for those who understand the beauty of true poetry :)