poetry

“Esse est percipi” by Padmini Parthasarathy

 

(“To be is to be perceived.” –George Berkeley)

 

A hurricane makes me scurry and splash in pools of

essence, a sense,     idea, a sensible object, all of which are       im -

mediately perceived       by my fingers, separating Locke from lock       of hair

your nimbus of gold       hair swept to the left by your       hand

pulled to the floor by the falseness of

it all. Squalor, et al., sneak into my shadow, one pace

behind but lurking.

 

Lure king. Your glasses fogged (where’s the perception, then?), laughing

when I suggest that we’re all schizophrenics collectively committing

to the same delusions. One would hope you’re more that just       sensible.

More like essencible. Sense king. Bailing water out of the boat.

Sting ray! Sin rey.       Sin king, you’re sinking.

 

 

 

Padmini Parthasarathy is a journalist based in New York, NY. She has been published in The Times of India, Huffington Post, Vitamin W, Tehelka THINKblog, Washington Square News, and on PolicyMic.com. She likes adventures, stories, and adventures that lead to stories.