Dare to beautify

His warmth and respectful gesture  When I walked into the room  Even before I saw his face  Chilled my soul.  I felt the need  To stay closer.    His musical hands  Danced on the Piano That he took with him.  I immediately sang along His voice slowly joined   Pure adventure in my head. I slowly gazed at his face A sudden ease clouded me. I felt immensely safe. That entire evening  I rejoiced in his musical space Wanting more of it  But time didn't permit. He grabbed his keyboard to leave. I didn't want to say goodbye yet. At the door he paused Looked back sideways And waved me a gentle bye. My goodness! That compassion in his eyes Brotherly or Fatherly Something about it. A day that turned  Poetic in my head.  (16-12-2023) My soul surprised me  Answering him wonderfully that day.  My heart felt the need   To call him again. The universe answered my call. We met again at an office party. Dressed up to catch his eyes, I did not know if I did, But my eyes tracked him down Like a G

(It was the year 2003, when I was in my third grade ) "Femi, get down here, Carrots!"     ( No Reply )  "Femi....." a little louder this time.  "Momey..Momey..Momey..."   Jumping her way down the stairs from the terrace, Femi showed her dusky bright charming face to her Mother. Carrots with sugar topping, her favourite snack.  "Carrots, carrots, carrots...." she cried in joy to her Momey. Mary beamed a smile back at her.   Femi usually bags her week ends or any holiday to the terrace; staring at the sky; starring as a fly for a while. "Hey Venus, I had a terrific day! You hear me? So Mom made carrots....." And it goes on.  It was a local holiday.          "Ding Dong..."  ( The doorbell rang ) Femi's ears danced to the sound of the doorbell. It must be Dad she thought. "Dad...dad...dad..." slipping off the marble floor and reaching the door in a rush, she pushed aside the curtains first, and through the window gla

I remember back in school, when I was in the seventh grade, I got to run in the stadium for the district-level athletic competition- 100 mts. Fixing my eyes on the goal, the moment the whistle blew, I ran. I ran as far as I could, only to reach the destination alone.  Ouch!  I held my eyes tight while running and I took the screaming and yelling to stop me as a sign of appreciation. When I stopped to look back, I was told someone fouled at the start and that everyone was made to stop. Guilt clouded me that I have faulted.   I delivered a successful walk of shame back to the start line. I saw disappointment and anger in my Master's eyes. He asked the management for a break for me to recharge, as I would have lost my strength. They didn't give one. The weight was on me. I only knew I had to run again with all my energy that was left of me.    The whistle blew. I slowed down a little to see if there was any foul start. The moment I knew there wasn't one, the goal was all I cou

In my home, we loved each other so much, that we didn't say, "I love you" to each other or hug each other tight growing up. We just felt each other.  I found strong love in that. I felt fulfillment in that. Being put into society, my first attack of possessiveness is when a friend of mine pointed out another friend of mine to me saying that she is her first friend. I got awestruck. It was new. Quite funny too. Eventually, I saw many cases of possessiveness and somehow I ended up possessing someone and I felt pathetic. I don't say it's a wrong feeling at all. But to me, it doesn't work that way, I realized. Because I saw love differently growing up and that was perfect in all ways.     I think with the one who is ours, we don't have to sweat for attention; we won't feel the fear of losing them and ending up possessing them; we won't have to prove our love to them every day; we just know and feel deep down without any confusion, they are going to sta

A mother cat gave birth to three beautiful kittens. I found them at our front door. The mother cat brought them. The kittens didn't shy away and started jumping around into our house like it was their own. I didn't want to encourage them to come in at first for some personal reasons. But who would have the heart to shoo away the kittens that little, that cute, that innocent, that new. I playfully named the three kittens, Ulsutham (full black), Velisutham (Yellow and white) Parisutham (A tabby cat?).   First Ulsutham wandered away over a months' time. Next Velisutham wandered off in two months' time. But Parisutham stayed. I had lost two similar cats the past two years, with whom I bonded happily and parted with a heavy heart, as they passed away on my watch. Back then I didn't know to have a cat or didn't long to have a cat or had the idea of following the protocols to pet a cat. But they were a bit of attention grabbers and I fell for their plot and when thei

That window was closed, tight and stuck. I thought "I can" and yelled "Ahh" with some effort. The glass moved slowly yet stubbornly  Answering my push.   "Yass" I screamed out my wee victory.      The glass suddenly went faster  To the other corner,    Beyond my force, out of my control "How?" I wondered.  I paused and sensed the moment simultaneously.  Help I didn't need but appreciated after.     I remember my tone getting soft when I said  "Thank you" to that face  That stood up to help from behind,   Noting my slow-paced drama.      A little performer I am in any action I do,  I am aware.     I clicked a mental picture  At that moment naturally  With a stunned face and a chilled heart,   As the fresh air poured in  To emphasize the moment.    A guy in his red shirt,  Polite and a humble face,  Went back to his seat in silence,  Putting his head down,  Gentlemanly not staring or flirting at my face.   And till the last second of

One day when I opened the back gate, she stood at her front door looking at me and I waved. She waved back at me hesitantly with an "I know you but I don't know you" look with a polite smile as always with that bold and confident posture. That day I had an impulse to know her more.   I offered to teach her Physics because I wished to spend time with her and also I had a degree in Physics so I thought to make use of it. She agreed and showed up at my house in the evenings with her books. It was the COVID time and eventually work and study-from-home options bloomed everywhere satisfying the safety protocols.            She lived in the neighbourhood and it was easy for us to catch up. We studied Physics and sometimes English too. I had so much fun tutoring her because we easily connected. We had so much in common. She was daring, determined, and stubborn, and so was I. I naturally grew fond of her in days.  She was not only a 12th-grade student, but she was also my happy ni