This Basket Close
Writing
Jannat Bains
Tell me,
Why do I keep this basket close?
Its fruits, once fresh and plump,
Now rotten and infected
Teeming with sickness,
And it passes on from one to the others,
To me
But I can’t let go
So, I clutch it
close
Tell me,
What good are a blacksmith’s tools for an uncut diamond?
What good is a wounded’s care to a broken heart?
What good is foresight to my precious, long lost?
Never to return
I know I must let go,
But I can only hold on,
tight
Tell me,
When I know neither alchemy to turn back time,
Nor scientific remedies to nurse it back to health,
What am I doing holding on to this basket?
It consumes me now
But I clutch it harder,
And I see it twist and turn,
Into an extension of me,
Into melancholy,
Taking on its own life,
It's inseparable from me
Concept Note
This poem explores the grief that follows a lost love. It depicts the gravy of emotions and longing that one experiences and how difficult it can be to let go of toxicity even if one knows it must be done.
‘The basket’ symbolises experiences, ideas, and relationships that we carry along with us on our journey through life. People often struggle to let go of something that they once knew to be rejuvenating and loving. It becomes difficult to reconcile the past memories with the present reality. We tend to hold on to the sweetness of the past even as the present warps out of shape, becoming unrecognisable and hurtful. Our longing claws at us, making its home in our heart and settling deep in our bones
We feel trapped at a crossroads, overwhelmed by bitter helplessness, remembering and going over all the mistakes and oversights of our past yet powerless to change things as time and tide have moved on. We cling so tightly, scared to let go, that it becomes hard to distinguish between the hurt and ourselves. Ultimately, this poem explores the profound impact of loss and grief and the thoughts, emotions and pain that follow.
Artist Bio
I thrive on creative expression and mainly create poetry and art. I like the abstract expression that poetry allows, something I can’t find in the relative rigidity of prose as a writing form. My poetry is subject to the reader’s interpretation. There are no hard lines or set meanings. I encourage the reader to freely engage with it and form their own interpretations and ideas about it. The goal is to communicate not just thoughts and ideas but also emotions.