poem: Teleica...

(img credit)

There is
a smile,
a gentleness
in her name.

There is
the soft patter
of rain
in her name.


The rain uses the roof
of a thatched hut
as its drum.

Inside,
children sit eagerly
around the old man.

He tells a story
of a bird

with wings spanning
the length & breadth
of India

black feathers
meticulously groomed
by Mother Nature

sight – sharp enough to see
into the hearts of men

and when she flew
oh, when she flew,
the meaning of life
became quite clear.


The gods named her Teleica
for only she had the courage
to pull the phoenix
out of the ashes.


The old man paused with a smile
as the children repeated her name
and listened to her drum softly
on the roof
of their thatched hut.


©Copyright - the name poet.


[Teleica is derived from the Hindu name, Talika. It means 'Bird'.]