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The Palm Tree (part-3)

The old palm hovers above all houses and trees,
he can see what is happening miles away
And the wind is his companion,his messenger.
Whispering to him the news of distant lands.
He is old, and experienced and wise.
The story of his life is near completion.

And I, looking at him from my window,
am young, inexperienced and curious...
Curious to know what is inside the unwrapped present of the future,
Eager to learn new things
Eager to read, to understand my 'just begun' story...
The story called life.

I dream, as I watch the tree,
about the time when I would be old,
The time when most of the pages of my life would be filled....
Would I also become wise and intelligent
Would I have an unexcited expression like the palm...
I don't want that to happen...but that time is far away.

I have a last glance at the palm.
I observe, that even though his life is over, he is not lifeless.
Though he is motionless and dark ans old
he is smiling at me, secretly.
Hoping with all his heart
that I find something unique.......
in my future to be unravelled.

The Palm Tree (part-2)

Even if I would have heard
I wouldn't have understood.....
And it seemed the old palm knew that...
He knew that I was innocent......
And too young to fathom the mysteries of his life.
yes he knew, he could see it in my eyes.

I observe the uneven carpet of roofs
stretching between the palm and me.
I see people walking on the narrow streets,
Women chatting with excited expressions on their faces
about something...something I am ignorant of.
I watch all these people from my little window.

I wonder what life is like,
in this sea of shabby houses.
I want to know how it feels,
to walk hurriedly through the paths between the walls,
and sit amongst the gossiping women dressed in sarees.
I want to know their stories, their lives.

I glance at the palm tree,
and he moves gently, teasing me,
Boasting because he knows everything...
Everything that goes on inside those little red-roofed houses.
Perhaps he knows much more,
For he is very old.

The Palm Tree (part-1)

This is quite a long poem........so I am posting it in three parts. I hope you enjoy it and don't get bored.


I look at the palm tree,
His leaves black against the dark sky.
He is standing there alone,
Leaves drooping,
Stretching ....stretching up to meet the sky.
Stretching away from the hubble around him.

The old palm tree.....
Standing there for years now...
withstanding the strong winds,
Bearing the lashes of the rain,
facing the scorching heat of the sun.
And disturbed by the noise and smoke around him.

I can see the palm tree sway,
Whispering as the wind rustles his leaves.
Whispering...trying to say something
Some secret he has hidden in his heart for years.
But I can't hear him....
No...I can't....from my window far away.