Finding poetry in Chandigarh’s verdant beauty

I got married in Chandigarh in 1982 and immediately fell in love with the City Beautiful.  Despite being a banker by profession, this beautiful, green city has inspired me to pen poetry.

I love its gardens, especially the Fragrance Garden, where I walk daily and breathe in the green energy. The row of coniferous pine trees stand tall, impervious to the silent joggers, the yoga practitioners, and the laughter club members.

Taking off my shoes, I lie down on the soft grass, look at the clouds that meander aimlessly in the sky and breathe deep the musky fragrance.

Here are couple of “tanka poems” and a haiku (Japanese short forms of poetry), inspired by the gardens of Chandigarh and dedicated to its tranquillity.

first light…

I fill the birdbath

with the garden hose

my walking shoes get wet

chanting the Lotus Sutra

***

inside and outside...

does the tree know

which gust will blow

the brown leaf away

***

A haiku

summer heat

the juice vendor’s umbrella

a faded green

Neena Singh, Chandigarh