Art of Appreciation
A Poem
By Suman Mondal
Butterflies
touching petals
of fallen blossoms—
torn into many pieces
cloudy serene evening
walked beside me
beneath silence.
Evening
subsiding into the trees—
silence abated in the darkness
colourful wings giddied amid
shredded pieces of beauty
How buoyant they are
amid the blanched beauty—
relishing fugitive rapture
I realized: art of appreciation.
What art could be
Art as observation
beauty found
in ravished petals
Appreciation as bliss—
unnatural except for the one
who cherishes the whole
in precise instances—
finding quietude of mind
and staying elated until glory comes.
My sapped heart learned jubilance
revelling in every moment.
Out of the blue, a silence spoke through me:
“Happiness comes with disillusionment.”
Suman Mondal is an emerging poet from West Bengal, India. His two philosophical poems, Meditation on Life and Meditation on Mortality, have been published in The Statesman, a well-respected Indian newspaper. His short stories and essays have appeared in The Statesman, Lekh magazine, and most recently, in the festival issue of The Statesman (2024). Currently, he is pursuing an honours degree in English literature.
