Dr Molly’s poem, exclusively for Different Truths, explores her traumatic childhood fear of the ocean, which persists even in dreams.

Many a time
          tumultuous
oceans,
     giant waves
with dark
           interiors 
rising up
     to devour all
           come as 
as dreams 
           terrific
jolting me
             up from
sleep...
never, ever
           can I 
explore, 
         enjoy
    the undulating 
beauty of 
           the waves...
they stir up
         my fears
elemental.
 
may be the
       acqua phobia
I developed
        when 
            as a kid,
 of four years 
 I fell into
      the flood waters
that inundated
        my ancestral
home...
 
the suffocation,
              desperate
struggle for 
                breath 
verging on
       a coma between
 life and death...         
 
it still 
       reverberates...
yesternight 
             I dreamt 
stretching on
      the upper deck
of my ship
watching stars,
           starry treks
having soul talk, 
but shuddered
             while
looking down
         at giant, dark 
waves, rolling in 
        approaching 
with roars 
          to devour 
my ship...
 
I woke up.
            
       awake, 
ashamed
         am I...
 
can’t I ever
         float above
those waves
         with triumph 
smiling at 
            the tides,
 'hey! you can't
        out beat me'
 
sure, I need 
             learn
 swimming, with
          confidence,
self-assurance...

I need float 
       over the flux.

Picture design by Anumita Roy

Dr. Molly Joseph

Dr Molly Joseph, a bilingual professor and poet from Kerala, has published 26 books, including 18 poems, two novels, and two storybooks for children. She has edited "A Handbook of Contemporary Ethics" and works for values, global peace, and togetherness. Dr Joseph has won national and international accolades and represents India at SAARC and FOSWAL literature meets. She believes in the power of the word and writes boldly on contemporary matters.

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