Thup. Thup. Thup.
Slowly, gently, with every gust of breeze,
Those huge, lovely, Semal flowers
Kept dropping from the tall, slim, stately tree.
Sometimes alone.
Sometimes in pairs,
And sometimes in threes, fours, and more…
And I watched, mesmerized…
These are yellow Semals,
I told myself.
I always thought Semals
Were only red or maroon.
Why hadn't I noticed them earlier?
I wondered
As here I have lived,
For more than 3 decades!
While I clicked pictures,
I felt hostile stares
Stinging and piercing my back.
I turned around to find an agitated old man.
He began, "What will you do with these photos?
Are you from MCD? You want to get this tree removed? "
"No, Uncle, I am a writer. I will write about them
With the hope that there will be more of them in future.
A woman appeared from the house nearby.
"They are such a terrible nuisance.
They keep falling day in and day out.
They turn my verandah into a mess.
Day in and day out,
I keep brooming,
The old man shot back, "Do you know that these flowers make a great sabzi?
These city people are unaware of so many things."
With one last look
At the tall tree
Standing proudly,
Its head held high
In dignified silence,
I turned
And began my walk
Towards home…
Came across your poem in a comment on delhiwala. Was a pleasure going through the lines, so beautifully written. Same happens with us, as we age we are less wanted.Deep meaning......simply awesome.Would love to read more of your poems, if you can send me the link.
Thanks Zarmeena! I have 91 poems in this site. If you search for me in the search box here, you will be able to find them.
Those huge, lovely, Semal flowers Kept dropping from the tall, slim, stately tree. And I watched, mesmerized… //.... What a lively portrayal of the Semal season in Delhi and its neighborhood. Each resident can easily relate to the tree and its flower in his or her unique way. It seems as if it has been a part of our consciousness since time immemorial.Thanks, Jasbir ji.
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
The beginning lines are much enchanted and heart touching. The flow of the poem on yellow semal flowers is so thrilling and amusing. It is really a beautiful poem on flowers and trees on the philosophical base. Thank you dear madam for sharing this poem.