While working on a character for a short film, I heard her say “How do we grow on others?” It struck me as an interesting prompt to explore.
Then it so happened that I found myself in Gangtok with nothing to do for a day. I went out on a walk and took videos of various kinds of ‘growths’ I could see.
Later, I decided to put together the three modes I enjoy creating / capturing things in : poetry, doodles and videos. This is the result. The videos are shot on my Pixel 9 phone, the doodle is done on Procreate and the video is edited on DaVinci. The background sounds have been taken from open source libraries and do not belong to me.
How Do We Grow On Others?
The wet bricks are out of shrieks,
gagged by the soft damp palms of
moss.
A sac of water bulges and moves
about as if alive.
How do we grow on others?
Concrete columns probing up,
looking for their ration of sun,
a heap of trash, or
This:
Carpet of green that starts as
decor for the skin and
goes on to give fragrance to the bones.
Moss fingers, moss palms, I imagine
sweat so sticky it becomes a sound.
moss face a pillow, moss shoulders that
droop undefeated, moss heart trickling
with not-blood.
How do we grow on others?
In time or memories or a touch or a song
or a look or in not looking and not touching
and never meeting at all.
~
