mezzanineRachna Shekhar
- poetry
“six hundred and ninety-nine days,
you laid out a picnic mat, strewn with
rotting snacks, overly carbonated drinks,
books unread, wrappers unwelcome,
and a phone that just won’t shut up—
(much like your thoughts);
around that mezzanine floor- the crux
of the land of escalators, running every which way;
upwards, downwards, crisscross, forward
(but never backwards).”
i observe their tactics, come day or night,
in scribbled notes, Venn diagrams, flow charts:
“If I went down and it’s a dead end;
how do I make my way back up?”
“Up sounds good, a solid choice—
but maybe it’s not all that nice?”
the thoughts send me reeling, back
to my increasingly snug garbage-dump mat,
till the metal reflects an old maid of twenty-five,
taxiing towards twenty-six—
too old to keep skirting life,
but too young to ignore the ride.
somehow, I pick up after myself, roll up the mat,
stand at the base of the cycling stairs,
and decide to go forward.
(but never backwards)
Street Scene c.1910 Jamini Roy, Indian, 1887-1972, India, Tempera on board, H. 39.4cm, W. 49.5 cm, MAC.00484
This idea comes from recent personal experiences that coincidentally align with the theme. To me, “In Transit” represents every single moment of our lives. We are constantly in transit, on the move with some sort of baggage—whether it’s achievements, experiences, grief, love, work, or family—as we move from one phase to another.
It made me think of escalators. Always a little tricky to step onto, fast-paced, and taking us somewhere, yet attached with the very real fear of getting caught in one! Especially on the mezzanine floor—the intermediate space between the main levels of a building—feeling transitional, seemingly unimportant, and often overlooked. We sometimes find ourselves on these floors simply because escalators make stops at every level.
This brings together a metaphor for the phases of life where we get stuck in places we never imagined we’d be, along with the self-loathing that can come from being unhappy with life and its many surprises and plot twists. There are always ways out, but we develop irrational And uncharacteristic fears of losing or failing at things we desperately want to succeed in—leaving us stranded on the mezzanine. This piece serves as a reminder that we are always en route, always in transit, and that the journey is as important as the destination, if not more.
A seeker of perfection in all her endeavours and a connoisseur of the chips and dents life causes along the way, she hopes to attain balance, and a life brimming with the beauty and magic the world has to offer (plus unlimited great punchlines).
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