Not Forgetting My Roots

By Seethalekshmi Kishore

With the argent-colored midnight moon glowing,

and the lilting sounds of the near-by river flowing,

as the flicker of the kerosene lamp kept growing,

we keenly listened to grandma’s story unknowing

I still have flashing glimpses from the night

Only few hours before, landed the flight

I sat there embracing the bright light

sipping my savor zested tea in delight

By evening, we walked amongst trees

as we sang rhymes that seemed to please

the light breeze and put the flustered bees

and our all our distress to a state of heartsease

I remember being able to capture a picture

too bad only in my mind - the features of nature

Seas; Mountains; Trees; Plains as they perhaps nurture

Mother India through every step of her venture

As dusk made its entry, the overture started to unfold

With every note played, there was a story to untold

wrapped within the sandalwood scriptures behold

Morality carved into silence worth more than gold

The beauty, the grace within the morals of its mind

and the most valuable; the relations we have rebind

the kindness we still find even in these blind times

And never can I leave these roots of mine behind

By Seethalekshmi Kishore