by Vinita Agrawal
Conversation is origami
a clever two- sided sheet
crafting swans, mansions, vultures
out of nothing
in a train or plane
when your head is jumble of hellos and goodbyes
Conversation is a vestment
a metal habit reserved by fathers
for sons caught sleeping late
daughters caught partying late
mothers are bridges between words and silence
a subway to the relief of a room
Conversation is water
gurgling like hungry stomachs between friends
tumbling awkwardly like a new-born calf between relatives
flowing silently between you and your dog
stagnating between a couple growing apart
sparkling like champagne for a beau
Conversation is a walk in the woods
contemplating your worn boots
feeling the mist, soaking in the rain
missing a warm hand
doodling in the mud with a stick
a nervous twitch of silence
Conversation is a stutter
swallowing hurt, hurting with swallowing
a faltering smile, an apology
a mile etched out on a six- foot bed
a lizard sulking on the wall, eyeing all
a morning that’s as plastic as the night
Conversation is buckwheat
starching interviews, nourishing bosses;
dusting glass ceilings, flavourless as a drone
energizing as a game of Chinese checkers
worse still, chess,
a cover crop designed to checkmate
Vinita is a Mumbai based writer and poet. Her poems have been published in Asiancha, Raedleaf Poetry , Wordweavers, OpenRoad Review, Constellations, The Fox Chase Review, Spark, The Taj Mahal Review, CLRI, SAARC Anthologies, Kritya.org, Touch- The Journal of healing, Museindia, Everydaypoets.com, Mahmag World Literature, The Criterion, The Brown Critique, Twenty20journal.com, Sketchbook, Poetry 24, Mandala and others which include several international anthologies. Her poem was nominated for the Best of the Net Awards 2011 by CLRI. She received a prize from MuseIndia in 2010. Her debut collection of poems titled Words Not Spoken published by Sampark/Brown Critique was released in November 2013. Her poem was awarded a prize in the Wordweavers contest 2013.
Pic: https://www.flickr.com/photos/
The analogies used are wonderful!
My 2 cents on one analogy
Conversation lets you see the other side
the other side, without which life is listless.
When the other side responds, there is energy and exchange,
exchange of ideas and ideals, without which we are nothing but an empty page