Leaf Olympics
From my office window
I watch the October leaves
Doing the hundred-meter dash
With no starting line, no gun
Fueled by an invisible force
Racing in harmony.
.
They pole vault over the roof of the opposite house
Hurdle over the fences gracefully
Long jump the length of the bridge
Gathering the dust of more leaf runners
Of different shapes and hues
Along the way.
.
I can’t see where the finish line is
But I can hear the familiar raking
Of the season
Knowing there are no trophies
For Nature’s runners.
Ending up
In some neighbor’s trash can.
Different leaves will resurrect on the trees
Next summer.
The Mountain Has a Voice
Listen…
The mountain has a voice.
Remain silent.
The mountain is speaking,
Answer only when it is your turn.
Listen…
Press your soul’s ear silently to its peaks.
Be prayerfully attentive.
Listen…
To the cries of the mountain, it bleeds
when a road cuts through its heart.
The mountain is hurting.
Listen…
To the trees, the birds, the grasses sending messages,
to the mountain wind
whispering its secrets.
Listen…
To the sounds of rivers.
Let them flow ceaselessly.
Make no interruptions with human chatter,
or build dams to block the water.
Listen…
To animal life, let mountain goats and sheep
graze peacefully,
The mountain is their home.
Receive mountain wisdom.
You may climb to earthly heights
with a little less effort, walking with grace.
BIO
Kavita Ezekiel Mendonca was born and raised in a Jewish family in Mumbai. She was educated at the Queen Mary School, Mumbai, received her BA in English and French, an MA from the University of Bombay in English and American Literature, and a Master’s in Education from Oxford Brookes University, England. She has taught English, French, and Spanish in various colleges and schools in India and overseas. Her first book, Family Sunday and Other Poems was published in 1989, with a second edition in 1990. Her chapbook ‘Light of The Sabbath’, was published in September 2021. Her poems have appeared in the Yearbook of Indian Poetry in English, The Journal of Indian Literature by Sahitya Akademi and other publications. Her poem ‘How to Light up a Poem’, was nominated for a Pushcart Prize. Kavita is the daughter of the late poet, Nissim Ezekiel. She manages her Poetry page at https://www.facebook.com/kemendoncapoetry/
