Unexpected Strokes of Life
A careless sip, water cascades down—
From lip to chin to collar, making its way
Like those rebellious drips that often crown
My paintings when the brush has too much say.
These wayward streams, at first a source of dread,
Remind me of the times my art went wrong:
When colors bled beyond where they were led,
And perfect visions wouldn’t play along.
But wisdom comes from every “ruined” piece,
Each accident a teacher in disguise.
Those moments when control would seem to cease
Taught me to see through more adaptive eyes.
For art, like life, rarely follows plans—
The master learns to dance with circumstance,
To find new beauty in unbidden spans,
Give purpose to each unexpected chance.
That trail of water down my shirt today
Bears witness to this truth I’ve come to know:
Sometimes the path we didn’t mean to lay
Becomes the very way we need to grow.
My canvas bears the marks of learned control,
Of battles fought with gravity and time,
Of learning when to let the painting flow,
And when to guide it back to my design.
So let the water fall where it may land,
Let paint sometimes defy my careful hand—
For in these moments, if we understand,
We find the art we didn’t think we planned.
Anindita Basak is a second-year English literature undergraduate at Calcutta University, India. Inspired by Wordsworth’s idea of ‘spontaneous overflow,’ she has been striving to fill her poetic buckets ever since. Her original poems have earned accolades in national competitions and been featured in esteemed anthologies. A student of the human condition, Anindita draws inspiration from the fragility, and struggles of nature and humanity in today’s dynamic world.
