Emotional Shadows

#Spring Equinox #TankaTuesday

Published on March 19, 2024 by balroop singh39 Comments

Trees beam with color
birdsongs usher in spring dawn
dispelling darkness
yet my heart harbors a grudge
unsaid words wail wistfully.

…

Golden rays shake me
send an impassioned message –
positive thoughts help
wildflowers don dewy robes
Even the willows shimmer.

…

Doves coo in delight
haunting calls that pierce my heart
raking memories
blissful yesteryears hover
clasping me to offer balm.

…

Nebulous night drags
as I gaze at the ceiling –
empty, like my life.
Dare I swish the drape apart?
glance at the glorious dawn?
© Balroop Singh

Thanks to Colleen for her 24 Seasons Poetry Challenge, which inspires syllabic poetry. I’ve highlighted the Kigo words.

Many thanks to all my blogger buddies for coming over to read and share their thoughts. I am trying to come out of my cocoon to visit your blogs.

#TankaTuesday – 24 Seasons #Poetry Challenge

Published on March 13, 2024 by balroop singh43 Comments

This valley – our vault
that resounds with memories
spring mists surround me
as I gather some fragments
scattered on the path we loved.

***

Do you remember?
the first butterfly of spring
always allured us
she too chose to fly away
alone I sit here, inert.

***

When fragrance falters
threatening clouds creep closer
light recedes within
spring sunsets lose their luster
life sounds meaningless.
© Balroop Singh

Thanks to Colleen and her inspiration to write Syllabic Poetry.

Thank you dear blogger buddies for your words of solace in my darkest hours of life.

Morbid Moments & Spring Whispers…

Published on March 5, 2024 by balroop singh63 Comments

I have returned but am still struggling to accept the misfortune that befell me, still unable to forget the shocking moments – when the most loved and respected person in my life was suddenly snatched away from me. As if that was not enough, I lost my mom too and had to rush to India to be with my siblings. Dumbstruck, we hugged each other, mourning the double loss.

a meandering mind
no inspiration to write
I drift with moments

such morbid moments
that question the unperceived
but no one answers!

choked beyond spirit
I wander in search of muse
delusions abound.

Held hostage by a wintery heart, I am trying to ignite the embers of life by welcoming spring. In this part of California, the trees have blossomed and daffodils and tulips can be seen all around though some clouds still linger at the horizon. Thanks to Colleen’s 24 Seasons Syllabic Poetry Challenge, I could barely manage a Butterfly Cinquain.

Spring Whispers

March winds
knock at the door
shake me out of slumber
spring returns with a song of hope,
perks up –
murmuring melodies of faith
igniting self-belief –
admire the sun
sans you.
© Balroop Singh

Thank you dear readers for your love and support.

Yearnings…

Published on January 30, 2024 by balroop singh47 Comments

Ready for imbolc
a sole daffodil stands tall
braving the winter
the message reaches my heart
I wallow in self-pity
berated by the sunrise.

***

yellow buds shimmer,
hope glints at the horizon
yet shrieks are alive
the depth of winter deepens,
the throttle of night tightens
constricting my blood vessels.

***

far away from you,
winter sparrow is yearning
to fly on impulse –
an unknown destination,
the so-called heaven awaits
in the realms of fantasy.
© Balroop Singh

The challenge this week is to compose a series of Bussokusekika, (syllable count: 5-7-5-7-7-7.) which is an ancient form of waka (tanka). Also use one kigo phrase in each of your three poems. Kigo phrases for the northern hemisphere are: