A Secret of Forests

In the autumn of detachment
I cling to flowers, fruits and leaves,
In the forest of your secrets
You leave a secret to a tree.

While loitering in that forest
I stumble on an ashen bough,
I find the birch who you said
Is freeer than you and me.

But has she ever hugged you birch?
Wish your autumn arms hug her back?
For every flower, fruit and leaf you shed
Leaves a cicatrix in your heart.

 

Photography © Glenn Bowie

 

Dr. Amit Shankar Saha is a faculty member in the Department of English at Seacom Skills University. He is also a researcher, writer and poet. He has won prizes at a number of creative writing competitions which include Poiesis Award for Excellence in Literature (Short story-2015), Wordweavers Prize (Poetry-2011, Short story-2014), The Leaky Pot – Stranger than Fiction Prize (2014), Asian Cha – Void Poetry Prize (2014), Reuel Prize for Poetry (Shortlisted-2016). He is the co-founder of Rhythm Divine Poets, a Kolkata-based poets’ group dedicated to the promotion of poetry.

Glenn Bowie is a published poet, lyricist and photographer from the Boston area. He also owns and operates an elevator company that supplies custom-built elevators for clients from New England to Hollywood. Author of two poetry and photograph collections (Under the Weight of Whispers and Into the Thorns and Honey) on Big Table Publishing, he donates all profits from his books to various charities for the homeless and local animal shelters. Glenn is also the official photographer for the Newton Writing and Publishing Center.