Batik Print

He diligently drew and traced

Beautiful motifs and patterns

For her to use and make,

Hand-print tapestry and garment.

With all his heart and soul

He would etch and sketch,

Allowing his day’s despondency

Sublimely flow away from

The pen and brush’s edge.

She’d let her emotions flow

Onto the cloth and grow,

Into awe inspiring prints

With innumerable colours aglow.

His day’s work’s exasperation,

And her domestic tribulation

Would artistically blend

Into beautifully printed creation,

Transforming their frustration

Into new hope and calm;

That their creations,

Did the beholders charm…

They generously gifted their creations

To their friends and relations.

Extending their love and faith

In their true appreciation

Of their effort to infuse their

Hope and compassion

In their hand printed creations.

Acknowledging their fellow travelers

On their life’s journey;

Who, prevented life

From becoming dull and dreary,

Through their encouragement abound.

Thus, by gifting their creations,

They acknowledged friends and relations.

Often their friends encouraged them

To transform their skill into profession.

She did not heed to such a suggestion

She did not believe in citing the creation,

For any form of monitory gain;

Her belief too made him refrain

From selling their hand printed creations.

As the days went by,

Their workplace and domestic challenges

Gradually became difficult to defy.

He urged her to heed the suggestions,

And spend their effort in selling the creations.

With a heavy heart she did relent;

They then visited many shops and exhibitions

To find the monitory worth of their creations.

They got together and created a sample,

Innovating colours for the unique example.

They then created a motif of a milk-woman:

Both batik and hand-painted creations.

They visited connoisseurs and art sellers,

Curio shops and art retailers;

To them they displayed

 their sample creations,

Expressing their intent to sell them.

The professionals beheld them

With their discerning eyes;

Credited their effort and admired

Their ingenious innovation,

Of using new colours in their creation;

Yet, they dampened their spirit

By refusing to bid

Or offer to buy their creations;

On one simple reason:

The motif on the batik print

 Was devoid of cracks;

While that on the hand-painted print

Required colours brazen and dark.

Their repeated efforts of negotiation

Did not earn any buyer's consent.

On returning home,

She carefully lay down

All her instruments in a trunk.

With a connoisseur’s eye

She gazed at her creations

Of Batik, Hand Paint, Tie-&-Dye.

She sullenly yet lovingly

Folded each and every print.

She could not stop herself

From holding her creation,

The motif of milk woman

Close to her bosom

While her torrent of tears

Spread on the cloth, dampening it

With her surging emotion;

As she lovingly held

The hand printed picture,

In her hand...