A Prayer for Paradise

The sun splashes gold and mauve on the grey vault,
Flights of birds trill and scud back to their warm nests,
The daisy bids goodbye to the dappled moth
Drawing a long, last sip of the nectar sweet.

“Woof-Woof!!” The herding dog barks and circles
Around the woolly flocks, guiding them home,
As the young shepherd boy trudges up the slopes,
Jaded, after an arduous day at work.

The royal chinar rustles in the balmy breeze,
The shikara anchors amidst the light-starved lake,
Miles of purple saffron colour the evening sky,
As families bond over hot, flavoured kahwa.

Soon, a blitzkrieg ravages the peaceful hills
As bloodthirsty men lust for this paradise,
And yet, a brave peasant hoists a makeshift flagpole
To let the tricolour grant hope and peace to all!
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Glossary:
Chinar – a tall deciduous tree, found abundantly in Kashmir
Shikara – a multi-purpose wooden boat, used for both trade and tourism in Kashmir
Kahwa – a specially brewed rich, flavoured tea, traditionally enjoyed in Kashmir
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Urmi Chakravorty

Military spouse, freelance writer, former educator, hands-on mom – Urmi juggles all these roles and draws lasting life lessons from each. She loves penning articles and stories which contain a slice of her soul.

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