WordsBake

Artistic Expression - A Poem

Dabbling of brushes along
colours rather cloak-and-dagger
eyes running across the envisaged surface
dilemma crossing what is the best part
creating experience
Or
the abandoned work of art!

Colours mirroring chaos or tranquillity
in the heart of the artist
is for the viewer to bore
Colours vivid & bold
with all garnished
The stroke of the paint all so perfect
as if each line separates the ocean from the sky!

It is both surprising & stunning
all condensed into a sheet page
an inspiration an idea
a blank page & set of colours
a space to express
to bring out the
hues that are muted
as if burning by millions of years of sun
eyes on the horizon where blue meets blue!

©Shweta, 2020. All Rights Reserved.

Buzz in Shower - A Short Story

Photo by Anne Nygård on Unsplash

Tuesday. It is another usual day, the same rudimentary routine of waking up, freshening, getting ready and going to work.

Half-awake, I rise from the bed and I step into the shower, toes flinching as they touch the chilled ceramic tiled floor. My mind still in shreds; I am still dreaming. It felt as though I sleepwalked to my bathroom, to splash water on my face, to get myself out of slumber. I am still in my dreams, I could not get the picture out of my mind, the witches & wizards bewitching mankind.

As I make my way with a towel in my hand to the bathroom and splash some water on my face, I decide to take a shower and get it over with. I strip down, wear my shower cap and step turn the knob. I adjust the perfect pressure and temperature, turning the water on high and letting the water beat over my head in steamy rivulets. My eyes still closed, as the heat soaks into my skin, I stand still waiting for the picture in my mind to go away, as I lean against the cool tiles when my legs threaten to buckle. Steam filled the room as I continue to shower on with my loofah and shower gel.

Out of nowhere, I hear a buzzing sound. My eyes open wide. Now, I am wide awake, alert. I scan through the bathroom, to locate the inception. I again hear it. This time it felt as if it were bees meditating while they fly making their way through. I was no longer in slumber, the sound yanked me. Amidst the shower, I had to locate the bee before it finds and stings me. My mind swirls, and I turn off the knob, so the steam clears.

I rip the shower curtain to the sides and I don’t flinch, engrossed in a treasure hunt to find the hidden honey bee. The water continues to cascade down my body, massaging my stiff muscles of back from long hours of sleep.

I crack an eyelid and raise a brow at the same time. I find the bee, after looking for it for good fifteen to twenty minutes. It has flown to reside comfortably on my towel. I try to chase it out of the door but in vain. The bee kept flying within the four walls, as though it didn’t want to escape. It felt trapped perhaps, but little did the bee know, so was I. It flew. It flew all around the tiled walls, threatening me each time. While I kept swaying side to side trying to escape coming in contact. I couldn’t escape out of the door, I was lathered with soap from head to toe.

The bee finally decided to rest. It sat still on the tile opposite to where I stood. I swiftly turn on the knob and set the temperature and perfect pressure for me to wash off the lather and make an escape out of the door.

I finished taking my shower. All along, it did not move at all. As though it was dead or perhaps, it decided to let me finish my shower. I move closer. As I look right at it, I can see it’s large black compound eyes and translucent wings. How strange it would be if we could see as they do, from their tiny vision, split into tiny images, like the images from a shattered broken mirror.

I step out of the steamy room all clammy and glistening with droplets of the sweat of fear with goose pimples on my skin — what a strange shower experience I had had, an adrenaline-filled one, eyes wide awake submerged in fear, pumping me up at the start of my day.

Book Review - Bluest Eyes by Toni Morrison

Title: Bluest Eyes By Toni Morrison
Language: English Toni Morrison
Genre: Self-help/Motivational
Pages: 288
Rating: 5/5

Excerpt: The book has a dark keynote with varied themes. It covers war, torture, child abuse, racism, sexism, incest, misogyny, self-destruction and failed pursuits in life. It depicts how the roots of family and a stable life impact a kid in their making while growing up vis-à-vis from a broken abused family. This book exposes the buried history of hidden racist ideologies of America.

My thoughts: The book has a narrative style bringing to light historic fictional writing, where the hardships brought by the great depression is discussed. If one is interested to learn about the American ideology on the Afro Americans lives at that time, it is a must-read. The writer has subtly drawn the veil off from the hidden tales and experiences of perpetual racism of the coloured people in the US, which is denied often. The female narrative has a strong voice, which makes it sound like feminist writing.

Dancing with my Shadow - A poem

Photo by Martino Pietropoli on Unsplash

A guest shining in the darkness

with rays glowing as shadows

a momento to become nothing under the

starlit night or sunlight

It reincarnates and dies alongside me

Like we humans, are nothing but dust

Shadow zips up into my body

until it’s beneath my feet

I see it unfurl, walking away

once more stretching itself into the dark

It trails me, dances between the trees

as the sun flickers through it

Mirroring my actions,

Looking up at me, admiring my every move

Immaculate outline of my shape

echo of my movements

Lifetime of companion

melting into the darkness with twilight

Loopy strides, or walking at a snail pace

Darkness leading us up to the light

Dancing endlessly with my shadow

As if — I am & I am not!

©Shweta, 2020. All Rights Reserved.
Originally published in the publication Spiritual Tree

Reading in Progress - A poem

Photo by Amy Benton Blake on Unsplash

She sat there in a corner

On her favourite couch

With fog on her glasses

From the cup of tea in her hand

A book in another hand

As she deeply indulges herself in reading

She smiles as the characters

Talk and express among themselves

She cries as the book comes to an end

Dreaming of life the characters lived

She catches her breath

Each time the climax grows near

She is deaf to the surroundings

The book is all she can hear now

She is completely lost in the words

Black & white flying in her head

Sparkling and connecting the circuits

Inside her brain, shining bright

And each time, she found herself

Indulging in a new experience, the book took her along.

Author’s Note: Dedicated to all the readers and bookworms out there! Happy Reading!

Originally published in the publication The Cornered Gurl on 11 May 2020