ALS NaPoWriMo Day 24 Prompt:
Writing is cathartic. We often use it to express our anger, guilt, remorse, vengeance. Today, let our verses express any of these emotions we might have hidden in our hearts against someone or something or even ourselves. Let our writing heal us and free us today from our past hurt.
Poem: From Yesteryears to Today
Walking along the path of life,
I decided to look back at the inception point–
The point from where it all began,
The phase which actually shaped my life,
Oh, there seem many, it’s not just one!
Unfolding like layers of an origami elephant,
It was an arcane sea of emotions inside,
At first, I feared drowning,
But dived I had in, so I had to sail through
Isn’t that what life makes us do?
I seemed to have lived a meaningful life, or so I thought,
Until I found it submerged in the nostalgia of my hurt.
Layers of angst and fear,
Somehow were covered with layers of remorse,
I wondered if both the emotions (angst and remorse) could co-exist?
Weird this chemistry of mind and heart is!
Mind was enraged about deeds done decades ago,
(And it kept telling me that I had to grow!)
While heart believed it had forgiven and moved on,
How was this feud meant to be resolved?
Well, that wasn’t all!
My feelings had oft been precipitating it seemed,
For I could see within, numerous tributaries of the stream–
The stream of life, I mean,
That had been fragmenting upon every hurt.
Some grudges that were a part of every leak,
Rage and sadness contaminated every other flow,
Guilt and shame were running amok every way,
It felt like a flood within my own being,
I tried to run past, but how can one escape one’s own shadow?
Enveloped I was in feelings, I didn’t even know existed,
Broken friendships, betrayal of trust, lack of belief–
Hadn’t I comforted myself from all these wounds?
Why the flow of my life these were still blocking?
Why, for God’s sake, were they still bleeding?
Quietly and patiently, I sat down at each bank,
I caressed my heart, and let it weep,
I allowed each emotion to vent out and express,
No bruises, no wounds, left out to poison,
I wanted my heart to completely heal
I buried my past, my source of anguish,
No remorse I carry, no adverse feelings,
My yesteryears have shaped me bit by bit,
I embrace my cracks, and my shortcomings,
I’m wiser today, from when I began my journey!
©Vandana Bhasin
24.04.2024
