Sea Shells by Usha Ravikumar

Submitted by Dawn on Thu, 2010-04-22 04:03 My Gallery

Sea Shells

Searching for cuff-links, you fling aside
My pouch of sea shells---- they shatter.
"Why don't you throw these away?" you snarl.
You're gone, leaving me with these broken shells......
But my memories are intact.
tenderly I rub the swelling on the light blue conch;
It brings back memories of your indulgence....
Of my excitement at the rarity----of the moment too.
I can't make out the whole of the orange conch----
the one you found and presented?
I still remember the return gift.
The sharp point of the moon white shell hurts,
Though your indifference no longer does;
Marway Beach is still there, our guest cottage too.
But our annual visits are memories now
With both of us shells in our own different ways.

This was published in the May (Second) 2004 issue of Woman's Era.

ammuchandhini's picture

ammuchandhini

Thu, 2010-04-22 08:50

hai mam.. lovely poem... konjam sad poem too...

jkmrao's picture

jkmrao

Thu, 2010-04-22 12:58

This is a very beautiful poem, ma'am. It is tinged with pathos. But that is what happens in life. I am reminded of a poem in gAthAsaptaSati (I believe) wherein the wife laments after a few years whether the person who was lying by her side now is the same one who excited her years ago on the banks of the narmadA river. Great love poems may be found in gAthAs and the tamizh sangam classics, though, by and large, our classical literature is mainly devoted to gods and goddesses.

Regards! - mOhana

Lata's picture

Lata

Thu, 2010-04-22 15:23

Sad, and so true too. Women's Era and Femina were my favorite magazines too. Thanks for sharing your old treasures with us. Smile

Dawn's picture

Dawn

Fri, 2010-04-23 07:08

Thank you, Lata, Mohana Sir and Ammuchandini ma'am. Sir, having heard about you during the Bangalore meet, I feel so thrilled that you should like the poem. Thanks, once again.
Usha

riya_mrv's picture

riya_mrv

Sat, 2010-10-02 04:21

How true! Why is it that only we women tend to nourish such feelings till the end?? Why are we not able to get out of the fantasy world?

Dr.Rekha Shetty's picture

Dr.Rekha Shetty

Fri, 2010-11-12 20:29

true,lovely sad poem