Poems and Photographs by Prithvijeet Sinha
THE CITY IS A RESERVOIR OF MEMORIES
There are punctuations
of wonder
within the units here
and upon raising
one's arms
you can find
proximity
to mysteries
of the universe.
There may not be
worldly treasures
in this reservoir
but
pearls of the heart
glisten here.
ROOF OF THE WORLD
It was an
extraordinary moment
as we
disembarked
from Mehtab Manzil's
highest bough,
away from
an august gathering,
to venture
closer to the pigeons.
We carried
the taste
of centuries-old lakhauri
affixed to ruined ramparts
and proceeded
to walk ahead.
THE MARTYRS' SIGHS
A martyrs' monument and garden,
sighing youth
sitting under the inscriptions.
They only bring
dry, coarse words
within this fervent platform.
Revolution has died
with their cold flames
in the here and now.
KITES IN THE SKY
It's a good thing
that we didn't
catch
those colourful kites.
Those coarse threads
are better left
not passing through
these fragile fingers.
These fingers
have lost their
sense of rhythm.
THE COLOUR PURPLE
The river's purple-hued currents
stagnate
with the boats on them.
These banks stay
and tell their tales
as red and yellow
lights are emitted
on umbrella-shaped domes
and triangular shapes
that breathe with the city
everyday.
SARANGI
"Play sarangis",
echoes the old soul of the city
preserved by its defiant custodians
of culture.
The masterful, classical heart of
Lucknow
is our only friend.
THE DOORWAY
The city has taken a turn.
There it is,
the city's foremost doorway.
Now,
our steps will move
that way.
Let us proceed to go
towards the future.
THE TREASURE TROVE
We ate wandering berries,
tasted tangy syrups
during these moody
yet soulful days.
Parting communal curtains,
we separated ourselves
from cob-webbed doors.
We don't need
to look for
a treasure- trove.
The world opens up
for us here.
GLOSSARY
Lakhauri: Limestone bricks that were used to construct many of Lucknow’s iconic monuments.
Sarangi: A stringed instrument known for producing melancholic sounds but also great beauty.
Prithvijeet Sinha is an MPhil from the University of Lucknow, having launched his prolific writing career by self-publishing on the worldwide community Wattpad since 2015 and on his WordPress blog An Awadh Boy’s Panorama. Besides that, his works have been published in several journals and anthologies.
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