Strange Encounter Poem by Vinaya Joseph

After a tiring day at work,
As I stepped out of the cab at midnight,
The lane to my home was submerged in water,
High tides had caused a rise in sea level

Moonbeam lit my path,
I saw a turtle slowly move on the narrow cemented lane,
A few frogs jumping here and there,

I walked past a few street dogs,
Holding my umbrella in my hand,
Into the narrow lanes,
Of my hometown in Vaduthala…

Grumbling skies had calmed down,
As I opened the gate to enter,
The most beautiful place on earth,
That I call home
Lined by two tall Christmas pines,
And a variety of tropical trees…


I entered inside my home,
This was my safe haven
To be greeted by my mother’s warmth,
And after having my food,
I tucked myself inside the safety of a mosquito net,
Lying warm in the confines of my cot
The light from the tube was a solace…

It had rained the whole evening,
Frogs were still croaking,
And when they became silent,
Cicadas took over the concerto…

I closed the door
So that the light does not disturb my parents’ sleep
My mind was filled with desolate thoughts,
Thoughts of being on my own,
Thoughts of leading a lonely life after my parents’ death

Outside the wooden frame of my window,
Stood my casuarinas, mahoganys, jackfruit and arecas,
Wind whispered through their foliage,
The breeze blew the curtains of my room to the sides
I rose from the cot to draw them near,

And I was startled,
To see a tiny brown frog,
That had lost its way,
From the comforts of its swampy wild habitat
To the red tiles of my home…

I thanked God,
For I had company on a stormy night…

Sometimes necessity compels,
Even strangers to become friends,

I felt the little creature was scared,
And had no clue where it had landed up,
It was jumping to reach the window sill,
Perhaps, it could feel the damp breeze from outside

I wondered
If it was attempting to hop to freedom,
Freedom of the open starry skies,
Wet mushy earth


My imaginations strayed again,
And I thought,
What if this is my prince charming in disguise?
What a sign of benevolence,
That the creator had showered upon me,
On a bright April summer night,
I had the company of a little frog,
To kill my solitude!

I looked at its bulging eyes,
What was it trying to convey?
How could I comfort it?
There was fear written all over his face,
I felt his heart had stopped beating,
And it could have died of a stroke…

Seeing it struggle inside the plastic pot,
I felt pity on its plight...
We both were alike...
Alone and struggling in the storm

It could be my handsome prince,
I wondered and was amused at my own thoughts

I felt like giving my prince a kiss of assurance,
And tell him that as the dawn breaks,
I would set him free,
Back into nature,
To the place where he belongs to,
And break his short spell,
For he gave me company
During this dark and fearsome night….

I put an airy cover on him,
So that he does not become an easy prey,
Then I went back to sleep…

At dawn, I set him free
Back into the wilderness…

After a one-night acquaintance,
I and my prince charming,
We left each other,
To lead our own separate lives

Life is a paradox,
We were unfamiliar to each other,
Then became acquaintances,
And strangers again…