A Slower Life

Sitting by the lotus pond one pleasant day,
Watching clouds black, white and grey flitting away,
As I captured the plethora of birds happy and gay,
With a camera graciously gifted to me on my birthday.
In my verdant salubrious campus, I realised in dismay,
How easy it is to get trapped in the turmoils of what is not going our way,
And forget that the sunset on the sylvan horizon is still as alluring, even today,
The vibrant cacophony of avians, rustling of leaves, of trees in a gentle sway,
The song of the wind, the aroma of monsoon, the rare damp air, post a warm May,
All soothing reminders to take on the cues of nature up for display,
That life is perhaps not a sprint to be galloped in a burst or two away,
But rather sometimes a run, sometimes a walk, at times even a pause and crawl,
With moments to reflect if the path we are on is still meaningful to us at all.
For sometimes life outgrows the mould we try to fit it in,
We don’t want to, but it’s a time we are forced to look within,
Remembering to smell the roses and feel the breeze on a leisurely stroll can be nice,
And allow us the space and time to zoom out and appreciate what we miss otherwise.

Varsha Bais is a scientific staff and gourmand working in IIT Gandhinagar who loves to travel, write poems, and marvel at nature.

Featured image: Henry Be / Unsplash