Sonali’s poem explores the ocean’s depths and mysteries, revealing a mysterious shore scene before returning to the sea, exclusively for Different Truths.
shifting banks stinging stones my feet are submerged I’ll walk on hands trees turn yellow as the sea turns green my hair floats free stings my skin like a dream, I begin to believe in mermaids. I go in further. dip my being in the womb of the ocean hands of time move somewhere, my teeth begin to chatter and there is an emptying out of people from the vast waters upon returning, a rebirth waves cradle my sunless, breathless feet deck them in officious pinstripes on a holiday evening I break out in laughter each limb now hungers to suckle the bleeding beast that sets into the brewing vat of purple dye like a stealthy fox from a story heard long before so, I don’t recognise it when night comes. words are interruptions– droppings of birds flying home. I may as well have swallowed the sun. I dare not speak only breathe, my heart is a bird aflutter my body ablaze at sea.
Picture design by Anumita Roy
Dr Sonali Pattnaik is an award-winning poet, academic, educator and visual artist from India.
who has a PhD in English and has taught for over twenty years at Delhi, Mumbai, and Gujarat University. Her debut book of poetry, ‘when the flowers begin to speak’, was published by Writers Workshop. Her art and poetry have appeared in journals including, Muse India, Café Disenssus, Setu, The Hong Kong Review and Fem Asia and several international print anthologies.
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