And Then, There Was Kirtan
Words in rhythmic recurrence, yet no wordsmithing She only mouthed them, or at least those she could make out
Clapping soundlessly, palms barely contacting Yet, with every clap
The stiffness of her shackles
Melting —
A trickle
Thin, slow
A stiff-chaired business meet.
My voice — well-groomed, respectful of my corporate audience.
My presentation — carefully prepared slides, structured to impress.
Economic strategies — I knew my numbers — A profitable, long-term revenue stream. A career-graph jump.
Poetic justice for my diligence.
Bank on me, I screamed.
There was no poetry, no deep insights, no metaphors, no imagery
Just prayerful praise!
Words, melody, cymbals, percussion
Sounds amplified, cadence rose
Connecting her
To the present
She clapped, she swayed
To glory!
A stream meandering gaily
Unmindful of her banks
My promotion conferred, I meandered Through impressed faces, flowing adulation
Feeling
Not the expected excitement
But a plummeting Somewhere within.
Why did their words seem hollow, soundless?
Their clapping, perfunctory? Their smiles, pretentious?
Tiring civility.
I felt all alone.
Vibrant consciousness reverberated with ascending intensity A joyous, coming-together Of the small, exuberant group Clapping in ecstasy
Folded legs flapping to the beat She rocked in oblivion Detached
Transported to a sacred space A pulsating, uncontained river Flowing onward
One with the Ocean
Vidya Shankar,
poet, writer, editor, blogger, motivational speaker, English teacher, a “book” in the Human Library, and mandala art instructor, is the author of two poetry books The Flautist of Brindaranyam (in collaboration with her photographer husband, Shankar Ramakrishnan), and The Rise of Yogamaya (an effort to sensitize her readers about mental health and the need to break free from an outdated society). A recipient of several literary awards and recognitions, she has been featured in the first-ever ‘Yearbook of Indian Poetry in English, 2020-2021’ as well as a unique coffee table book, ‘50 Inspiring Women boys and girls should read about, Chennai Edition’. She finds meaning to her life through yoga and meditative mandalas.