An evocative verse about an inner journey and love through nature, by Ketaki, exclusively for Different Truths.

You reside deep in my soul.
In the dark forest paths, I visit, 
Where you hid behind the glow of sunbeams.
Where your shy smile was painted,
On the wild violets beauty.
It took me a while to figure you out….
But the connection was made.

I found you, smiling shyly,
From behind gigantic old trees gnarled with age,
Roots hanging like an aged, unkempt beard,
Amid the whispering leaves and bunches of flowers.

I usually walked alone,
Wrapped in deep thoughts,
Down the green paths of silence and peace,
I trod lightly on the springy wild grass…
Picked the daisies.
That's where I found you,
In a sudden spark of discovery…
In the dark of an approaching dusk.

You led me to where the fireballs danced,
Secretly floating, eerily dancing their mating dance, 
Glowing incandescently, oh so beautifully.
You revealed their magic,
Of living, each moment so joyfully.
We lay close.
You had stepped in quietude,
Amidst the forest solitude
I realised then…
You were already deep, deep in my soul.

Photo design by Anumita Roy, Different Truths

Ketaki Mazumdar

Ketaki Mazumdar is an educationist and received the National Award for Excellence in Teaching from the then President, Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam. Passionate about poetry, her latest book of poems, “Woodsmoke and Embers” and she, are listed in the ‘Top 50 Most Influential Authors of 2021’, by Delhiwire. Her poems have immense depth, are evocative and deeply contemplative. A prolific writer, she contributes to several poetry sites and anthologies, both nationally and internationally.