NaPoWriMo-2024
Day-6
Prompt: To write a poem rooted in "weird wisdom". In the Indian Subcontinent, we have the saying that leaving a "chappal" or "shoes" upside-down will bring some form of bad luck.
"No upside-down chappals in my house"
My grandmother's voice resonated in the corridors
Cousins of every size and height
Scrambled to check the arrangement of their chappals.
There was always a curiosity among the kids
Why should we not keep the chappal upside-down?
What does it signify?
The confused minds wondered at the weird taboo.
Grandmother explained patiently
"An inverted shoe or slipper brings bad luck.
No work gets done if we start the day on the wrong foot."
Still, the young minds couldn't get the logic behind it.
Even now, when she is in another world
We cannot resist arranging an upside-down slipper
Some things never change, even in the millennium
Time stands still when memories flood the heart.
Participating in: NaPoWriMo-2024
Nice one. :)
ReplyDeleteI enjoy learning new turns of phrase from other cultures and this is a lovely example! No upside-down slippers reminds me of my grandmother telling me not to put new shoes on the table. I love the final lines.
ReplyDeleteSweet!
ReplyDelete