Beauty of Storytelling

Storytelling is a noble and beautiful art
It thrives with indulgence of the heart
With love & passion if stories get impart
Joy of listening is said to be worlds apart

At the core of this art are four founding pillars
When mastered, they help create engaging tellers
Stories with hope, truth and belief aide the teller
Love for the story, alone, can make it a bestseller

Stories come to life through a teller's expression
Often, leaves many with a lasting impression
Stories with fantasy and fiction trigger wild imagination
Cascade, it must get, through to the next generation

A skilled storyteller is like a two humped camel
Their hunch to observe and listen makes them able
Variation in their tone adds flavor to a fable
Carry us they do, to eternity, on a silky saddle

Beauty of a story is enhanced through its telling
Lack of energy may result in airborne shelling
Glamour all facts; so it sounds compelling
May its glory shine in each & every dwelling

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©Balaji Palanidurai

I wrote this poem onboard Chennai Express train from Bengaluru to Chennai. I (with my wife) was returning home post a 3 days workshop on storytelling conducted by Kathalaya Trust. Wonderful learning from its founder Madam Geeta Ramanujam and 20 other participants all now complete listeners and observers, which I learnt are key traits of a good storyteller.

My writing journey started on my numerous travels, often resulting in an oasis of stories. But some months would pass without any travel and hence no stories . I thought journey of a camel in a desert would be a good metaphor for this, which I have tried to embed in this poem. Hope you like it.