Poetry 2018, Featured Poet, Mathew John

When Great Trees Fall

Grandpa,
When great trees fall,
Everything is changed.

Though the wise shall pretend to be wiser,
And quote profusely from the great books,
Though the women shall soon find greater grievances
And lean heavily upon the dementia of time,

When great trees fall, everything is changed.

Though the birds flying away shall soon find other canopies,
And the red earth endure the fierce sun like a silent wife,
Though the elders shall gallantly try to remain stoic,
And stare harder at heavy clouds waiting to shower,

When great trees fall, everything is changed.

Though the Ganga shall lose count, as always
And tears, dismissed, with ready-made rebukes
Though another rain shall wash away the blues,
And a hundred new greens, aim for the skies…..


Grandpa,
When great trees fall,
Everything is changed.

At times,
A song erupts, a smile flowers
And wonder strikes, not unlike thunder
From unfathomed depths,
Which is, not quite, me.

Grandpa, they call it ‘genetics’,
A castrated word,
For the ‘you’ raging inside me.

(Poem written in the background of demise of the poet’s grandfather.)