shehecheyanu
for the plums
my grandfather and i shared
maybe the first
he’d had in many years
for the pizza
with the works which
we also ordered
for the diner we visited
whose waitress judged me
for my neglect
but we took
the swampy boat tour
we shook off dust
each time we were
together. i did not know
the Hebrew word then
for blessing these new-old
experiences, but he
probably did:
shehecheyanu
plum juice on our chins
how we surface
our brief lives
float like petals
in a mind’s eye
this palpable green
it’s profound: this thanks. this current,
perfect temperature. how the earth
was meant to be, or so it feels, at times
get outside. so silly, these small rivalries.
smell the water. slight funk of spring
along the river banks, the birds sound
variations of a single word: alive alive alive
Illustration : Subarnarekha Pal