Potential

Our little seed is planted in the ground.
Water and minerals, yes,
sun and care, yes,
but faith of a world beyond is truly what pushes it to be
visible, tangible, living.
Once birthed into the air,
our little plant fights
to breathe, yes,
to grow, yes,
but truly it dreams of bursting with color –
vibrant, exotic, thriving.

Mother’s Tears

The day you opened your eyes
And saw us, a new world waiting for you,
I cried
With relief and exhaustion.

One day, you will open your eyes
And see it, adventure coaxing you away.
And I will cry
With pride and fear.

Someday, I will open my eyes
And see you, a queen in your cloud castle.
And I will only cry
With joy (I promise).

Juhi Kunde comes from a long line of writers and poets including her grandfather Avinash Mehta, a novelist, and her grand-uncle, Sitanshu Yashaschandra, a poet, playwright and academic who won the Padma Shri award in 2006. She is a professional science writer whose work has appeared in newspapers, radio shows and magazines.

A lifelong poetry lover and a published writer, Kunde lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and two kids. She dabbles in gardening, dreams of laundry-folding superpowers, and delights in giggling with her family before bedtime.

Expressions of Milk is available in softcover and e-book on Amazon.com. For more information or to contact the author, email expressionsofmilk@gmail.com.