open sky :: SAMVAAD/5th April
- sanjuktaa
- 6 days ago
- 1 min read
hosts : Sanjuktaa Asopa & Aparna Pathak
surviving my childhood
the moss
in me
-Kelly Sargent
( Frogpond, I ssue 48.2, spring/summer 2025)
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hosts : Sanjuktaa Asopa & Aparna Pathak
surviving my childhood
the moss
in me
-Kelly Sargent
( Frogpond, I ssue 48.2, spring/summer 2025)
Thank you so much Sanjukta di and Aparna for making this feature so much alive with a beautiful ensemble of poems and their commentaries and I will for sure miss this.
It isn't that easy in any feature here on Triveni Haikai India and I appreciate your efforts. Thank you so much!!
Kelly says:
Though I had a traumatic childhood, I weathered the hard parts and managed to develop soft character traits, such as kindness, compassion, and empathy. I used moss as a symbol in this poem because, essentially, moss helps retain moisture and prevent erosion. Over time, moss also slowly breaks down rock. It releases mild acids, which then turn surfaces into soil. This soil allows for growth.
Providing a protective layer from harsh elements, like rain, sleet, and wind, this lush, green growth has been described as “a living, breathing ally for storing water and cleaning the air.” This verse illustrates that, through “the moss in me,” I was still able to grow in positive ways, despite the negative factors…
This is beautiful!
Such a powerful ku.