Pradip Chattopadhyay: Favorites

Dark n Beautiful

When Words Don’t Come Easy”

Today is the kind of day when words don’t come easily. The bouquet of flowers arrives at the house, and I find myself grappling with acceptance. Is she truly gone? Am I prepared to make arrangements, to return there? Can I bear the pain, am I ready?

The calls await—those conversations where condolences are offered, where the words “I’m sorry for your loss” hang in the air. Today, words feel elusive, like butterflies slipping through my fingers.
Preparing for death is a daunting task. Grief wears a mask, and I suppress my emotional pain. I tell myself to remain logical, to cling to biblical thinking. But it rushes over me, relentless.

My prayer for the day echoes Psalm 34:18: “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” And I hold onto the truth that God is our refuge, our strength—an ever-present help in trouble.
May these words bring solace and strength during this difficult time. 🌿

1d Pradip Chattopadhyay

Long street Cape Town

1d Pradip Chattopadhyay

Khoisan

Long street Cape Town

Filled to the brim
Pizza Huts
Burning rubber
Dj''s club'n pub
Dancing duel
Free spirits and
**** riddled
Irie cast Bob's Inn
The beat go's on
Bright lights
Stripped trousers
Men on bikes
Ladies sell flowers
Restaurant's cappuccino
Long street lives
Cosmopolitan heaven
Twenty four seven

Beneath Table Mountain Long Street
A must do for tourists

1d Pradip Chattopadhyay

love breathes

1d Pradip Chattopadhyay

nivek

love breathes

love breathes through the veil
making the long grass dance
signs that tell of safekeeping
within gentle songs of Summer

1d Pradip Chattopadhyay

Poetic Hegemony

1d Pradip Chattopadhyay

Traveler

Poetic Hegemony

We cross paths year after year,
Your longwinded narratives
were never quite clear..
Now I can see you for who you are,
participant in separation
ethnic cleansing and war!

I don’t put you in darkness
Nor **** the disease
I don’t take it personal that you’ve been deceived.
But mostly,
what ever ethnicity you claim you are…
We all came down from the heavens
and we’re all made of stars.

Traveler 🧳 Tim

#traveler #world #peace

1d Pradip Chattopadhyay

Laminar flow

1d Pradip Chattopadhyay

Claire Hanratty

Laminar flow

My first cigarette was at twelve years old,
under the climbing frame,
after my turn on the monkey bars.

My mate told me not to do it-
he tried to take it off me but
was too late.
I’ve been trying to quit ever since.
Soon after, that little climber
discovered cider, yearned
for something wider and
ended up with alcohol poisoning by
the end of the year.

My first stand-up gig was Lee Mack.
I was 13.
I sat right at the back on the balcony and revelled in the
happy faces below me.
Ending with a slow motion impression of Eric Morecambe,
I could’ve sworn it was the fastest hour of my life.
I can’t believe I was
So naïve.

When I sat my first exam at sixteen,
an hour seemed a minute.
Crash forward to A-levels and I
was being examined in a
therapist’s office-
how the tables had turned.
Ticking boxes to be assessed and there’s no way I can
pass this test because a
high score can only mean
very bad things.

How can life be so virile, yet so lacking and sterile?

I was told I’d find myself at uni
But I’ve ended up losing myself at twenty.

they grow up so fast

#childhood #adulthood #addiction #happiness #depression #life #time

1d Pradip Chattopadhyay

:)

1d Pradip Chattopadhyay

Zelda

:)

I don't know how to write this
So I'll be honest
I'm not diagnosed
But sometimes I get sad
Really sad
My body is heavy
I drag myself out of bed
I randomly cry
But the water is scolding
It's a comfort
So it's ok
And I stick to my routine
As best I can
While I try to stop
everything everyone's ever said about me
Ruminating in my head
They don't like the shows I watch
They don't understand
I watch them over and over and over and over
To alleviate the loneliness
Because I'm lonely
I've always been lonely
I should be used to it
But I'm starving
For affection, for care
They say
I'm seeking attention
I'm fishing for compliments
But I just want someone to talk to, I'm trying
I know I'm selfish
I know others have it much worse
I shouldn't feel this way
I know
But I do
I'm scared I'll lose the few people I have left
I can take the harsh words
It's just a truth
I'm stupid, I have to work harder
I'm ugly, do I look ok in a mask?
I'm borning
I'm pathetic
I'm not enough
I'm tired
And sad
Been thinking of joining a club
I'm almost 27
It'll be a simple celebration
I doubt anyone will remember
They never do
It'll be fun
And maybe I'll be content :)

#depressed #sad #mentalhealth #trigger #triggering #dark #sorry #depression

1d Pradip Chattopadhyay

In Betweens

1d Pradip Chattopadhyay

Sally A Bayan

In Betweens

They reside between pages of
magazines, books or journals.
some are yellow...some, white,
jaundiced
by neglect and by time,
lined or otherwise, upon which
are written spur of the moment
thoughts, maybe some nagging
experiences that can't be forgot.
they live amongst fellow papers,
unexplored,
crumpled, dog-eared.

Sun and moon
alternate,
while the unknown
waits.

Finally,
when found again,
the desire to resurrect
rings and echoes like an
indiscreet chime;
suddenly,
a crowd of ideas confuse
the hand and pen...soon
enough, words fall into their
proper places...old scribbled
notes, rediscovered and
revivified, a new poem is born.

Some, unfortunately,
are deleted unconsciously,
or thrown away accidentally,
some are purposely hidden
amongst life's in-betweens.

sally b

© Rosalia Rosario A. Bayan
June 25, 2024

1d Pradip Chattopadhyay

Betty and the Doctor

1d Pradip Chattopadhyay

Richard Shepherd

Betty and the Doctor

"Will you marry me?"

"No."

"Why?"

"Well, for starters, I'm a sheep."

"Oh, come on Betty. I'm nuts about you."

"I'm sorry Doctor Proctor but just because I've opened up about my life to you doesn't mean we are in love."

"But what about our after sessions' meetings in the back of my van?"

"That was two lonely souls feeding each others' needs for comfort."

"Betty! You callous *****!"

"You think you were the only one? Ted, the janitor quite often shafted me as well."

"Well, I'll be blowed."

"Not by me anymore.

Goodbye Doctor Proctor.
Thank you for helping me over the death of my little Tilly and thank you for a few good rogerings. I'm going to make a go of it with my husband again."

"But he's shagged most of the sheep on the farm."

"Yes, but he's hung like a baboon."

"Ok, fair enough Betty. Good luck."

"Goodbye Doctor."

this is a follow up to my previous poem The Sheep Session