Vidya Hariharan
Hide and Seek
The library has a quiet nook, which I find a few days after my divorce comes through. There is a chair in this corner, where two bookshelves meet but do not fit well. Some whimsical soul has placed a comfortable chair here. And I find it one sunny afternoon when I desperately need to escape my thoughts. The wooden shelves to my right contain books on Philosophy and to my left, Science Fiction. Neither subject holds any interest for me. But, today, I select a well-thumbed Asimov and lose myself in its story. In my current state of mind time travel is not only feasible but welcome. When I open my eyes, it is past six o’clock and time for the library to shut its doors for the day.
icy road—
sipping margaritas
before noon
About the Author
Vidya Hariharan is an avid reader and traveller. In her spare time, she wrestles with crossword puzzles. Some of her poems, narratives, haibun and haiku can be found online in Glomag, Under the Basho, and Muse India’s Your Space, where her poems “Beauty” and “Open Heart Surgery” were selected as Editor’s Picks for July 2024 and September 2024, respectively.
I loved this one- reading it felt like time travelling, or hide and seeking. There’s so much expressed so calmly in such a minimalist format, and with such ease. Thank you for this-Vidya Harihara
Thank you.
I enjoyed the contrast of “margaritas/ before noon” and the finding peace in the library. It rounded things out very well.