Kintsugi

"She looked at the broken pieces /

of the precious teapot, /

a legacy from her ancestors, /

from ten generations back. /

 

And she looked at her trembling child, /

standing contrite, with her head down, /

waiting for an inevitability, /

already on the brink of tears." /

 

This poem starts with the idea of kintsugi which is the Japanese art of putting broken pottery pieces back together with gold.  It is built on the idea that in embracing flaws and imperfections, we can create an even stronger, more beautiful piece of art. And for most of its length, the poem lingers on how perfection does not have monopoly rights towards beauty.

 

But can everything broken be repaired?

 

There lies the conundrum - it all depends on you. A fallen autumn leaf WILL crumble, but a seed which falls down can - and will - bring forth something sparklingly good.

 

Beyond the fact of an imperfection, is the truth of what we do with that imperfection. We could build with it, around it, on it. Or we could simply sink into it - and dissolve.

 

The choice, like so many things in life, is ours.

 

I am Sunil Bhandari.

 

I am a poet based out of India. My book of poetry 'Of Love and Other Abandonments' was an Amazon bestseller. My second book is 'Of journeys & Other Ways to Get Lost'. Both are available on Amazon.

Get the podcast, a lovely free book of poems and other resources here .

Follow me on Instagram at @sunilgivesup.

Get in touch with me on uncutpoetrynow@gmail.com