Family Photograph & Voices of the Past

Family Photograph

smooth to the finger paper-thin and silent

the past comes back to life almost untouched

barely a few specks of dust hanging in mid-air

high above the river (was it the Godavari ?)

children’s faces floating one quiet evening

eagerly awaiting their future

and so many years to come

they sit in a long-gone boat

my mother among them

(Jivah’s arm wrapped around her)

so much younger than I can ever be

their eyes brimming with light

an unknown house stands at the back

what makes those dark trees

arching over the water so familiar

although I have never seen them?

precious scenes adrift for years

in the deeper currents of my days

carried by her voice

as she told me about her past life

beyond oceans I could not imagine

precious scenes smooth to my fingers

shining bright into what was her night

they ultimately become mine

a light to hold in my hands as I go

Voices of the Past

we walk on in the dark

forever unfolding the past