Poem: River

River

I was once a spring ‒

a solitary beginning,

a small geography of self.

Then I became a river.

And suddenly,

a thousand springs

opened within me:

in my ankles, in my hands,

in the hollow of my navel,

in my breast, in my eyes,

my ears, my nostrils,

and upon my brow.

As I flowed,

the banks became my shape.

Only when I reached the sea

did I discover

there was a world

beyond my banks.

How fiercely

I longed

to become one

with the sea.

And when, at last,

I became the sea,

I grew deeper,

more beautiful

than my shores, quieter

than I had ever been.

Yet I found myself

resenting the banks

that had sent me away.

So I go on roaring

toward them,

Wave after wave. Now

I am the wind’s beloved.

Nazrethil Jose Varghese is a multilingual poet and lyricist writing in both Malayalam and English who was born and raised in India’s state of Kerala. He lived and worked in Bahrain for a number of years, and now calls America’s city of Philadelphia home. His poems, in both Malayalam and English, have appeared regularly in literary and other publications in the US, Canada, India, Bahrain and the other Gulf States. His first Malayalam poetry collection, Seethachakram, was released in July this year, with launch events held in both Kerala and Philadelphia. ‘Every poet begins their journey with hope, humility, and a willingness to keep learning.’

Readers’ original and unpublished poems of up to 40 lines can be emailed, with postal address, to [email protected]. Submissions should be in the body of the email, not as attachments. A poetry book will be awarded to each accepted contributor.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons /Neil Palmer / CIAT