Judge’s Choice – CreativeWriting – Staff and Family Members Category
© Ananya Das | Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation
Your touch still lingers
In the lonely snowflake
Fluttering from the grey sky
On a misty moist day,
Cold and crisp
Before it melts
In the dew drop that trembles
Sparkling like a diamond
On the emerald grass,
Watery and wet
Before it is lost
In the solitary falling leaf
That sways and swirls
Rusty brown and brittle,
Raspy and coarse
Before touching the earth
In the single drop of tear
That touches the cheek
Like a pearl a raindrop,
Salty and warm
Before losing in a flicker of smile
Your touch still lingers in memory,
Though not tactile anymore,
for it’s not easy to forget
a kiss, a caress or a hug
that has reached and touched your soul.
Judge’s Comments:
The solitary tone of this poem speaks to the universal desire for unity and touch. Looking to nature, the author begins by presenting the unusual scenario of a single snowflake, solitary dewdrop or falling leaf, each described elegantly but clearly destined to vanish. The last two stanzas turn to the human experience, with the contrast of a tear, easily lost, to the unforgettable impact of human touch.