The floating home on Dhal Lake (Marcella Boccia)

I lived on a houseboat
a silent vessel drifting on the blue
of Dhal Lake
where the lotus flowers bloomed
like whispers of forgotten dreams
their petals open to the sky
as if waiting for the sun to remember
its warmth In the mornings I would rise
with the light still soft on the water
and take the shikara
a slender boat gliding through the mist
that clung to the lake like a secret
The air was cool
the fragrance of lotus mingling
with the earthy scent of wet wood
and the distant hum of the city I rowed through the mist
my oars cutting through the silence
of a world that felt suspended in time
The floating market awaited me
a place where life rose from the water
like the bloom of a thousand flowers
the vendors with their bright baskets
of vegetables and spices
the fish gleaming like silver scales
in the early morning light I would bargain with them
my words soft
but my hands quick
as I traded for fresh greens
and the flavours that would make a meal
from the heart of this land
The market was alive with colour
the yellow of turmeric
the red of ripe tomatoes,
the green of fresh coriander
and the rich earth-brown of potatoes
glistening in the cool air And as I rowed back
my boat now heavy with the bounty
of Dhal Lake
I would pass the lotus fields again
the flowers nodding as if in greeting
their stems like slender arms
reaching up from the water
to touch the sky There was peace in those moments
a fleeting peace
that hung between the lotus petals
and the whispers of the water
I lived in the heart of a lake
surrounded by beauty
but with the weight of a world
held just beyond the horizon
where the mountains stood
and the winds carried the stories of those
who fought for the land
for its freedom
for its soul But in the houseboat on Dhal Lake
amidst the lotus flowers
life was simple
and in that simplicity
I found a moment of grace
that would remain in my heart forever