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...
