A Beautiful Shadow - Mauritius

Dramatic mountain for backdrop & palmy ocean for company
Tune in to the southern coast of Mauritius’ tropical symphony

Greener, wilder than the rest of the sweet haven

Oh, Bel Ombre! You beautiful shade of heaven!

Lush jungles, lyrical falls, and lavender twilights

liberating lonesome spirits with sparkling sights

Small fluffy popcorn clouds scattered in the sky

stirred by the caramelized wind as it whirred by 

Sugar-coated horizon now covers an acrid past

of masses who left their dear homeland, aghast 

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Walking through those sun-lit sugarcane fields I feel déjà vu

Something calls me to tell that I have been here earlier too

The roasted earth and the rustic milieu smell of innocence;

running across the fields on narrow paths with fine balance,

trying to bite into the sturdy sugarcane in friendly contests,

watching the cows sway their tails to deter the pesky pests,

A beautiful shadow of my childhood plays before my eyes

In a moment of existential epiphany, a few questions arise

Do I or did I have roots somewhere in this island’s history?

Will I ever get to know about it or will it remain a mystery?

Meghalaya ... where water is the only emotion!

Walking in and out of clouds rambling around

marveling at the wet landscapes that surround

I tune in to the soundscape of the wild and free  

birds, bees, or even a drop on the leaf of a tree

Prying on the whirrs, chirps, croaks, and clatters

and all the animated calls on important matters

Gushing over distant burbles of virgin streams;

in a dull blue raincoat, I was living my dreams.

The hums of the rainforest hushed and healed

a gash of urban din on my heart left unsealed.  

Step after step, breath after breath I lug ahead 

to see the living root bridges; my legs are dead.

Balancing my way past a wiry metal necessity 

I see guileless beauty, yet sense feral brutality. 

The soaring canopies and the raging cascades 

and the green immensity glowing in all shades

shrouds many a wonder away from our eyes

untamed, untainted, unmindful of our guise.

Then, without any warning, we have an encore,

the clouds roar and rumble and begin to pour.

Big, fat raindrops douse me from head to toe,

rolling off my eyelashes into the river below.

Washing away all the thoughts of my definition

here water, and only water is the true emotion!

        

Pic Credit: Tejashri Dhoot