Friday, February 20, 2015

Cradle Of Solitude

Cradle of Solitude




     Old age somewhere
with its rotten pattern perturbs me  
          Creates hollowness… 
                      wrenches me up

     I stand at the edge of the crowd
         see as the rising generation alight with jubilation
       But...where am I?? Wonder, why can't they take my hand?
                     Ah, all I have today is a void...
                        there's tear in my heart
                 Apathy exists with horrible lucidity!

                 I breathe-let-go-breathe
            Long bursts people 
     Slip like images from a mirror
                the whisking out and returning... 
                      -- the perpetual dying, deserting 
                        go on and on and on....


                  Chased by the shadows...
           This silence gets quieter and quieter 
                    Solitude embraces me...smothers me
              I drift alone ...
                     Pawing about in the dark
          To understand bereft.
             
                         Like a centipede 
              tethered to a pillar of 'negligence'... 
         I feel restless, sad, anxious, troubled, lonely...
             Ah, autumns are damp and rainy!
                   Wonder, why old age should not bring in shades of gold??

            I shut my eyes, walk to the mirror
                Darkness deepens....as it sucks me into its aureole
                  The wan face makes me realize 
                                Age has its nuisance value..
                         ...it's a fragile time to be lived obliquely; aloof
                              in silence... and in tears!

                     

Written for PU Prompt
http://poetryblogroll.blogspot.in/2015/02/poets-united-midweek-motif-glasses.html

http://poetryjaam.blogspot.in/2015/02/loneliness-solitude.html
                
    

18 comments:

  1. Old age has all this & more...
    Touching words, Panchali.

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  2. Nicely written.But old age is not all that despicable.It can be pleasant though we are eased out of the centre stage if we retain the child's enthusiasm and relish the fond memories of the past.

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  3. This really hits home and is rich in feelings. Nicely done

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  4. the longer we live the harder it is on some levels....there comes an age when friends you have spent your whole life with, start passing....and your children move away...you parents pass on...all of these can leave you in a solitude of sadness...quite the evocative piece...and i understand the feelings...

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  5. Panchali, this poem packs a gut punch really. You have said it as it so often is. I think as people age they oftentimes become invisible in a crowd of people. They are looked past rather than looked AT. They are considered to be part of the 'past' rather than the present or the future & people talk around them not to them. And yes, the silence becomes quieter and quieter. I wonder how we can break this pattern. I wonder how we can teach the younger generation. We must let our voices be heard & must not be silenced. But still, I hear you, and know EXACTLY what you mean!

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  6. Some traditions and religions value the wisdom and experience of their elders but sadly this seems to be less and less the case. It can make one feel isolated and neglected.

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  7. " Chased by the shadows...
    This silence gets quieter and quieter
    Solitude embraces me...smothers me
    I drift alone ...
    Pawing about in the dark
    To understand bereft."

    Wow! And yet I cherish aging and its solitudes--it has its nuisance value for sure. What a brilliant poem!

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  8. "a centipede / tethered to a pillar of 'negligence" is a heartbreaking image for old age and gives goosebumps...a helpless sadness spills in every word...a great write Panchalidi....

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  9. this is gut wrenching and honestly spoken; yet i luv the embrace of solitude, which i read here as warming in a newness of wisdom

    much love...

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  10. Oh this resonates! "pawing about in the dark to understand bereft." The younger generation is so involved with their own journey, they often are "too busy" to spend much time with their elders. Which they may regret, given time. I have felt all of these feelings and this poem definitely speaks to me!!!!

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  11. this piece is an eye opener and a warning to not make your old age an age of loneliness, well written

    Loneliness

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  12. The despair of loneliness is well-described here. Nicely presented with that photo, too.

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  13. This was so well done, it made me uncomfortable. I see some of the aging signs in your poem...will the rest come with more age? I will strive to not let it be a lonely aging process.

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  14. Old age has always been a scary dungeon of suffering. Aching bones and loneliness.. Don't what hurts more at that age. And too scared to even think about. Rich and heartfelt. :)

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  15. You have painted the true picture, with such awesome strokes. This leaves us to stop and brood. We can only hope, the contrary happens....Masterstroke!!!

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  16. I am so pleased you all could feel what I wanted to communicate.... Thank you for giving me this feeling Anita Parthsathy Alan Brian Mary Gabriella Susan Sumana Gillena, Sherry Cifar MaryAnn Donna Namrata and Susmit !!
    You people have filled me to the brim with happiness! Thanks everyone !!

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  17. Old age at first appears despicable due to the grey hairs and the increasing textures on the face. However, the maturity and wisdom acquired is worth the wait.

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  18. intense'.. gives a feeling of Keats talent ...a difficult subject but skillfully described...

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