The Ballad of Candida

Poetry

The Ballad of Candida


Candida is a natural
Things
Come to her
And send her into
Whatever they call for.

Candida never swears love
To her it is a living breathing thing
That surrounds her.

She sees herself as a beautiful innocent
The mud
On the heels of reality
Is brushable
Washable

So Candida never swears love
Love too is her lover
She knows him too well
To advertise.

Candida gives out her thoughts with a sure touch
Not caring of doubt
Doubt is her slave
Kissing at her hem
Breathing in her smell.

Candida never swears love
Time is lost
With such analysis.

But Candida suffers
A raw fate
Every day
And every night
In a crucible
With a self starter.

No wonder she smiles
When the wags begin to wag.


Candida makes light of pain
Pain is her companion.

Candida sees a world of derived logic
Second hand
Thrust at her.

Candida thinks they want me
Anyway.

They want me for being a natural
But little do they know
About my being a measure tottering
On the brink.

How can they-
When Candida smiles and smiles.

Candida loves darkly
With insight
She sees the frotting envy
And holds it.

Candida loves a collective
Like a Queen Bee
Pollen here
Stigma there
Knowing repose
Is not for the free.

Candida always wants to climb higher
But look at that sorrowful trail
That disappointing smudge of imitation love
Those posturings and their thermal signatures
That rankle in her still.

But all those jailers, wardens, worms, carrion
Still claim Candida.

But Candida washes clean
And dreams of sunflowers
Bursting in fields
Nodding madly.

Candida cares and cares
But the plastic stares
The electric saw
The bell
Is a tinkling hell
But Candida blinks it away
Stubbornly.

So what about this being a natural?
Did fate have something special in mind for her?
Or was she just God’s whimsy
Appearing and disappearing
Like a whorl of dust.

Candida knows
She glows
The plastic loves her
Worms lover her
The heart within her
Loves her.

So Candida puts her feet on the ground
And launches into her magic.


Gautam Mukherjee

Copyright, Gautam Mukherjee 2009