The Floor Poem by Jaya Das
The Floor
Every time I try hard to sweep the floor clean,
Dustier it becomes than before
I forget not, to keep the door locked
Through a tiny hole, the wind sneaks in.
English is a mysterious language. The way you read and apply pauses changes the whole meaning. If I read the third line as: I FORGET NOT to keep the door locked (the capitalization represents grouping) , it means that you never forget that you have to lock the door. However, if I read the same as: I forget NOT TO KEEP the door locked (pause applied after " forget" ;) , it means you forget that you should not lock the door, aka you should leave the door open.
Certainly, this poem gracefully depicts the sorrows of life. However, I did find that the third line is ambiguous sentence. I don't understand whether you forget that you have to NOT LOCK THE DOOR (that is you forget to leave the door open) , or whether you DO NOT FORGET (as in forget not) to lock the door. To me these two individual lines change the meaning of the poem.
Thank you dear poet for pointing out the error. There is a pause after 'I forget not' which clarifies the meaning that I keep the door locked.
Sometimes how much we try a small hing can upset our minds for a whole day. Nice poem. Thanks for sharing.
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
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4/18/2024 8:13:41 AM # 1.0.0.1119
Part 2 But, this is the way it has to be. As discerning human beings, we should always be introspective and learn from our experience. As a Malayalam poet of yesteryears has written, “the leaning process should cease only when our soul leaves our body.” Wonderful poem. Well done.