A fairytale of some naive birds
Today, I regret staring at some birds for too long.
They said, " Come, come close.
Dissect each chirp, find a meaning or two.
Clap your hands first, then let them ease back.
Find a superstition, do two birds mean joy?
Or find a destination, as with time we disperse.
We are just some birds with weary feathers that lay flat.
Our wings are a strong gust of wind, that panics every now and then.
Our bloods are all warm, if you like - we can spill.
Are the sparrows your friend?
Is the shalik yours too?
Do you think it appropriate to shut windows when it rains,
When you should call upon us, as your friends, we're the same
Breed, the same blood, the same gene the same face?"
The birds spoke too much, so I closed the shutters,
And went back into my cage,
as my window fought against some silly birds
and their non-stop monologues.
Emotions
My happy days are up on the wall.
In frames, lopsided and embellished.
A purple enigma, a token of royalty
The hidden motive behind a smile.
My sad days are lined up behind the dresser
In tight corners, within sheets of ironed out modesty.
The grey projection of my emotions,
Behind the backdrop of a theatrical curtain call.
My jealousy is on the kitchen sink
Submerged in doubt and suffering from tinnitus,
Reminding it of a constant need to upstage the spectator,
The one not in competition but still a
Foe in disguise,
Spurting out yellow rays of scorching insanity.
My love is not in order,
Not found in any obvious corner
Or under the chandelier all lit up
And ready to go.
Its ambiguity doesn't foretell an abstract future,
But some wish fulfillment beneath the shooting stars.
Sometimes when I get sick of colors,
I love constantly,
Because it is the only light that surrounds me,
As I clean up the rest of my palette.
Protiti Rasnaha Kamal is a recent graduate of Mount Holyoke College, USA. She was born and raised in Bangladesh. Inspired by a creative writing class, she got into writing. Other than that, she enjoys music and writing prose too. Some of her work can be found here, here and here.