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644 · Jul 2017
Do You Remember?
Aditi Jul 2017
i’m addicted to the smell of gasoline
my battered shoes carried me by the railroad tracks
where we used to swallow bitter tequila under the speckled sky
do you remember?

i kept dried citrus tachibana peels in a musty shoebox
and conch shells that sounded like the ocean if you pressed your ear to them
snail shells too, you used to pour salt on them and laugh
do you remember?

our peacock feather collection is in my favorite bowl
along with the earrings i stole
you said i looked beautiful
do you remember?

we took a stroll at night once
and we saw that man with the bullet in his head
and the dried blood turning brown
do you remember?

our hearts were bound together by shoelace
we skipped rocks in the nearby pool
too afraid to go home

“do you remember?” my pen traces the ink
on the 254th letter to you
i seal it with my lips and hurl it in the shoebox with the 253 others

i guess i’ll never know
This was written from the POV of someone missing a loved one from their past. Although this poem wasn't inspired from my personal experiences, it still represents leaving behind close friends from the distant past and no longer keeping in touch with them.
615 · Sep 2017
Guests
Aditi Sep 2017
And here I lay.
          My fingers were concealed beneath the sand, intertwined with an imaginary hand I had fashioned in my mind, along with seashells and starfish alike that had secluded themselves from the airy surface. Subdued tidal waves loomed nearer as they brushed my arm, aroused goosebumps on my bare skin, and receded in silence. This was the handiwork of Serenity: she visited my mind when it no longer desired exertion and instead yearned for a peaceful slumber. Her placid disposition induced tranquility... the calm before the storm, the beauty in simplicity. Her presence invigorated me and instilled in me a sense of renewal, even in the infinitesimal amount of time we idled away together.

        When she left, so did her pleasant ambiance. Not long after, her counterpart Worry arrived, along with his ominous clouds that spilled gloominess. Granted, he did not wish to occupy the forefront of my thoughts; rather, he lurked in the background, jarring my nerves and vexing me when given the opportunity. He reeked of doubt and insecurity; yet while I resented his existence, he imposed on me a sense of reality and purpose, constantly reminding me of my tasks and ambitions. With him I would sprint onward on an obscure path, and he would constantly challenge me with obstacles, which gave me the incentive to surpass him, placing us in perpetual competition.

         Rarely did he bring his companion, Fury, with him - yet when he did, the impending storm burst and the ground erupted in blazing flames, inducing a fiery inferno. Fury obliterated everything in her path in a brash manner, acting without reason and seething with fury. She roared with the tenacity of a thousand volcanoes and spewed fountains of scorching lava. Her outbursts generally occurred after her prolonged confinement, yet when they ended she was chained again, and grudgingly retreated back into hibernation.

          After Serenity arrived once more and mended the damage inflicted by Fury, my most treasured visitor appeared: Bliss. Her vivacity and exuberance were unparalleled, and she radiated a glow that blossomed over everything in its path. From the scorched ground bloomed a meadow of mellow wildflowers, an efflorescence of her joy. Overhead, clouds parted and the azure sky reunited with the shimmering water until the horizon was a mysterious blur, calling me to the unknown.
Congrats if you read through this entire thing! I didn't mean for it to be so long, but who knows? Maybe I'll continue it in the future just for fun :)
572 · Aug 2017
Freedom
Aditi Aug 2017
a canary escaping the confines of its cage
yellow feathers floating, swirling, landing softly
like snowflakes on a child’s nose

wrists twisted, handcuffs broken
chains released, a neglected gem out of the shadows
potential unlocked

scars washed vigorously with soap
the marks of unfair ownership
faded yet never completely gone

sewing needles replaced by pens
aprons interchanged with suits
no longer silenced

free
518 · Aug 2017
Elysian
Aditi Aug 2017
metallic clouds lay
immersed in galactic smoke
veiling other worlds

with golden stardust
that is etched in our bodies
laced into our breath

and showers the soil
as fine powdery ashes
sinking to the core
three haiku
492 · Aug 2017
Goodbye
Aditi Aug 2017
the painful word lingering on the lips like a sour aftertaste,
morphing the eyes into pools laden with too much weight  
teardrops spilling and being wiped away in haste,
yet nothing can uplift this dejected state

we met after so long only to be separated once more
who knows when we shall see each other again?
grew up together, young and innocent before
undeniably close at heart even back then

our bonds are stretched back to seven seas apart
we will fade in each other's minds but will always stay
and with this new peace of mind and strengthened heart
promise we will never go astray
428 · Jul 2017
Dear Imagination
Aditi Jul 2017
Dear Imagination,

You set me free from the shackles of oppression,
Tiptoeing on delicate ice
Masterpieces came crashing to the ground where our tears fell,
Broken shards unable to be pieced back together

Crimson roses whispered of some kind of love
While golden, honey hued cattails swayed to and fro in unison
Our hearts were jumbled mazes full of wonder and admiration

You held my hand and locked away my deepest fears and secrets
You gave me wings and led me to majestic canyons that dipped below wide-bellied clouds
That cried and cried, spilling raindrops one by one

The skies darkened into twilight and the stars so many worlds away appeared before my eyes
And you took me there
A moonlit lake and hammock, quiet, gentle

Solitude gave me the best of you, my friend
Those vibrant peacock feathers promising change drifted away in the calm breeze

And inside me, fire met water
Yet both thrived

Together in harmony with you

Yours truly
We may feel suppressed from time to time, and we may not always be able to escape that feeling on our own, but with our imaginations we can.
427 · Aug 2017
Heartbeat
Aditi Aug 2017
let us lay on the earth core to core
              its heartbeat will be the metronome to our alluring melody

and tremble with the fury of a thousand lions
             licking the blazing sun in whose golden ambiance we bask

until it is engulfed by inky darkness
            etched with primeval tales concealed in still constellations

while our frosty breath dances on in the tranquil moonlight
           to the rhythm of the earth’s heartbeat

and to the rhythm
          of our own

— The End —