The Ballad of Pine - III

'One day', She said,

'I'll be all yours,'

And wrests out of my fist,

A lonely existence,

Promises forever the shady grove,

Of her long tresses,

Leaves an awkward grin,

A momentous momentary digression,

My feet feel the ground,

Quite as hard,

As I left it a sadder moment ago,

Like my arrogant abstinence,

From all the endearing warmth,

Except the flaming mid day Sun,

That drinks from me my sanity,

With a hollow reed,

Painted on with cowardice,

Finished with flourishing drapes of fear,

Reminiscent of a cheesy glucose ad!

Ties that Bind

Enthralled, without a hint of doubt,

Not wealth, not fame, nor political clout,

Relieved, from the clingy ties that bind,

Now crumpled sheets of scribbled lines!

प्रिय सज्जन!

कटु कंठ प्रिय सज्जन!

न कायर न डरपोक ये कठोर मन,

हम न डरेंगे इस बार,

सीना तानकर सरहद पार,

करेंगे लेकिन न मानेंगे हार,

मन मे है ख्वाब सजाए,

ख्वाबों मे फूलों न समाए,

बहाकर दर्द का दरिया तेज़,

उस पर उम्मीद की नय्या भेज,

माझी मेरी अपनी ईमान,

नेक दिल की धड़कन समान,

चलेंगे ख़ौफ़ की नदिया पार,

तुच्छ हमें ये तेज़ धार,

इरादे नेक तो दिल अभीत,

होठों पर खुशी के मधुर गीत,

और मौत मेरी मीठी जीत!

காதலி!

காதலி! என் கண்ணிமயில் நீ,

ஊஞ்சலாடும் கனவில் கண்,

மூடி ஓற் நல் நிமிடத்தில்,

வானத்து தூரம் மனம் தாண்டி,

சொர்க்கம் கண்டு மகிழ்ந்தது!

=>

Beloved! On my eyelids,

I dream of thy sprightly dance,

I close my eyes, that opportune moment,

Traverses to the sky in a leap, My mind,

And rejoices at the sight of Heaven!

Peas in a pod

For days, a couple peas in a pod,

Lay snugly, even hand in hand,

Fed us, the beams of heavenly light,

And a jig, the frivolous breeze!

Together we grew, rain or shine,

Shared our hearts, not just the stalk,

Along came, the mighty, bountiful spring,

Swelled our hearts and swelled our pride!

So graceful, like a mother-to-be,

Glowed like stars, our impatient dreams,

Across the sky, the canvas life,

Impertinent, we exploded free!

The shelter above our heads, gone,

So novel, the ways of the world now,

Still so assuring, your healing touch,

In gleeful ignorance, we rhymed a tune!

Then one bright, gay summer day,

Doused in yellow, earnest showers,

Plucked the pod, those nimble hands,

And out fell the couple, green peas!

I know not where my heart is now,

I know not where her heart is now,

As ornamental as a snowman's eye,

Or as necessitous as a green pea soup!

Farther then, or nearer now,

Know not I, but still I smile,

Curved up my lips, and a salty trail,

I applaud with a gritted smile!

The Ballad of Pine - II

Oh! On chilly nights I long,

For the selfless sun's warmth,

Then pine for dark clouds that soothe,

To shade me from the singeing burn,

During showers I yearn for the autumn breeze,

That sways the lowly acacia branches,

And then I clothe my unsatisfied self,

With the tiniest, smoothest cashmere,

And nurse so fondly a nervous itch,

To leave me partial once again,

Partial to the satisfied being,

That seldom transcends to binocular vision,

And yet in earnest, I do hope,

I'll see the dawn, that fated day,

I cradle so fondly between my eyes,

Like the apple of my eye,

Love! The day I would run freer than wind,

The day I yearn for you no more!

An Ode(Admiration)

Strummed a melodic chord, your fingers,

In the stretched heartstrings of mine,

Once rusty, now the melody lingers,

Like bronze on mahogany divine!

Dissonance once a hooded mystic,

The tritone, it made me rhyme,

Denies the change, my heart, so drastic,

Buries the dissonance, the sands of time!

Dealt a wicked hand, the world,

Played the rhythm to each single beat,

In severe pain, my parched lips curled,

Till your nectar dispelled the heat!

The Blossom

Walked down the path,

This merciful life,

Flowers and memories strewn about,

I picked up from the street,

The prettiest blossom!

Untrampled,

And in full bloom,

It looked at me with tired eyes,

A captivating gaze,

Or a cry for help?

The petals,

Luscious like the vine,

That passes by along my side,

The stalk a tender, fragile hue,

With a solitary leaf!

The pollen,

The emotions that relate,

To a special, lovely bloom,

Mere grains for most other ones,

An irritant to the rest!

I gazed into the tired eyes,

To decipher what they held inside,

Yet again came rushing,

Those emotions,

That wrench my heart!

The horizon,

Now a dull ochre,

My shadows now lag behind,

I pondered what those eyes would say,

To the next familiar gaze.

नज़ारे

देख भले तू नज़ारे,

पर करना न खुद के प्यारे।

बोते हैं जो उम्मीद के बीज,

न चलते बिन सहारे।।

The Sapling

Happy like you, once I was,

Fluttered with the breeze, my heart,

Like your leaves, I let it pass,

The ocean between, my fingers apart,

My hope, the large water-body,

Dried up, unlike perennial rivers,

Which equally nurture, pallid or lardy,

More like the mid-day autumn shivers,

Nullifies life, the comforting verdure,

Strewn across the brown, stolid earth,

A highly tensile sheath of leather,

Unnerved by either death or birth,

The evil in me, it behooves to fathom,

My spring will come, with thy autumn!

The Grinch

Gleaming and screaming aloud the green,

The hide, the exterior, the spoilsport grinch,

Held in his heart, this image unclean,

Of a drab, dull world that makes me flinch!

The grouch, it pained him to watch,

Festivity and hope in the neighbouring town,

Impatient, and a cruel plan to hatch,

Clicks his tongue, this thieving clown!

Deep in us, lives this cunning beast,

Deep in slumber, he threatens to wake,

Sonorous cry, his intentions in the least,

Ducks and drakes of our dreams to make!

A Eulogy(Lies Beneath)

Ah! What lies beneath the tomb,

The sepulchre of the celebrated monk,

Curled up, An embryo in the womb,

Feeds not, Feeds on, an umblical cord,

The remains of a neck, a loosened noose,

Pleased him did the clang of metals,

Or fine damsels enrobed in petals,

Rose petals or the thorns adored,

The crown on the celebrated crown,

A virtuous monk or a deceiving clown,

A deceitful monk or a lovable clown,

An innocuous riddle or a blatant blame,

A blatant blot or a jestful game,

We're left to wonder, This inane prank,

Soporofic or profound, A simpleton or a savant?

Life.

Life, As its shady, imperial self,

Throws at me a mean die,

A gritted smile through unjust teeth,

And a gaze that doesn't lie!

The Toddy Tapper

I saw him at a very impressionable age,

A vertical amphibian on a Palmyra,

Moulding clay, My tender, fickle mind,

A folded loin-cloth and prominent veins,

Distracted by baubles and saccharine the same,

I held at awe the Toddy Tapper!

Rustic with his tongue, eyes and gait,

And cooled him the mystifying liquid white,

Salivated my inner, manacled spirit,

He offered me some with a gleaming eye,

A taunt and a pinched, right cheek,

Amazed, The allure of the forbidden fruit!

Couple conversations and a couple charming cups,

An illusion, This lazy summer breeze,

Danced around like tainted, sneering harlots,

Drenched in sweat a couple imbeciles,

Carefree, Like the birds flying south,

The Toddy Tapper and Me!

To this day I try hard to recollect,

The visage, The wizened, old Toddy Tapper,

All that remains is a hazy memory,

And a mark on my hirsute right cheek.

To Cheer

Trust me not about love, O Dear One!,

But believe me, Take my hand and follow,

When I take thee to the world of hatred,

For O Dear Lady! I've overstayed my welcome!

The Shikara

A dream of mine painted a picture bright,

Picturesque, The heaven on earth,

Illuminates the scene, The full moon light,

And warms a fire upon the hearth.

On the Dal, A magnificent Shikara,

Still as night the pristine waters,

Breaks the charm the floating Shikara,

Cuts through the surface in ripples and splatters!

The green of algae, A deceptive sheath,

Underneath relics of affluent times,

Atop the carvings, A wretched man blithe,

In stark contrast, Struggles to rhyme!

He sings about the older day,

In the words of a wandering minstrel,

'To her, The red of the apples strayed,

And adorned my dreams with festive tinsel!'.

Remnants of a man and a grizzled mane,

Perched on the edge, In masterful stance,

Sparkled in his eyes, A light arcane,

He rows, His duty in penance.

Aboard the vessel, I held her tight,

We coalesced, An amorous entity,

Her velvet tresses, Black as the night,

Personified the lingering sanctity!

Straddles the Shikara with a drag,

Away from the luscious apple trees,

Aloft the mast, A tattered flag,

Flutters in vain to be set free!

Rumbles the ground beneath the lake,

And the land beyond the snowy peaks,

There a thousand innocent lives at stake,

And here of smitten guilt I reek.

Prods my side, Her dainty tease,

Clings on to me, My elusive key,

Leaves a chill the love-laden breeze,

And the tattered rag's set free!

Entwined our bodies, We breathed as one,

Rocked with the boat our tempestuous souls,

Merge as the horizon and the Sun,

Two lovers and the smudgy charcoal!

I know not when we drifted away,

Still in my head her twinkling eyes,

Transcends to real, Every lonely day,

And all my primal wants appease!

Regress

I dabbled around with playful colours,

A painter's palette my canvas life,

Disorder, Like the balding head of hair,

Tufts of black, My scattered existence!

Donned metaphorical jerseys of stubborn pestilence,

Wearing my emotions on its sleeve,

Bedazzled, Bedraggled by an angry mob,

Surging seas of permanent change!

Drunk on the intoxicants of elusive power,

Banished to jungles a flickering conscience,

On all fours I hunted for it, Ecstatic,

When my balloon ego blew in my face!

Veered away from treacherous precipices,

Sometimes a tail between my legs,

Chivalry, Maybe foolish bravado,

But I lived long enough to tell the tale!

The Ballad of Pine

The little care for her beneath my heart fluttered,

Like a butterfly my rough fingers clasped,

The rustle, A couple of unruly banyan branches,

As they sway in vain to reach the ground!

Reminiscent the idea of a constant murmur,

Before the water engulfs the land,

Biting my nails in bated anticipation,

I wait for the tremulous storm, To hit me hard!

Dreams

Dreams, A momentary relief from reality,

Elates the heart to heights unknown,

Admirable, The power of a simple fantasy,

Erstwhile fields of gold resown!

An Autumn Stroll

The time of the golden-tinged sky,
And the flight of the fair-winged birds,
To capture in words, My awe I try,
The picture paints a thousand words!

Strewn across the path the autumn leaves,
Untrodden by feet the tender flowers,
A carpet for her feet the nature weaves,
A flowery rain, A flaky shower!

There was none, But my fair maid,
Who walked hand in hand with me,
Mere words for her would never have said,
What just a glimpse would be!

Pearls the lips, An unearthly hue,
Dreams of a thousand onlookers they slew,
Missed a beat when her delicate hand,
Was held in mine with a steadfast stand!

Mirrors the eyes, A pristine charm,
As around them flowers, Honey-bees swarm,
Intent gazes followed in vain,
And none but mine was wholly sane!

I know not if it were a dream of mine,
Or an illusion of my biased eye,
But never before a dame so fine,
Pampered my being with a prudent eye!

And then I walked on and on,
Across the beauteous autumn scene,
A hunger and a love forlorn,
As I kissed her in the becalming breeze!

Another eventful day begins.....

The nimblest hands,
They held the door ajar,
A night of unhindered passion,
An armistice of strongest emotions,
Nears an end,
A moist display,
An amorous weakness,
The sweaty sheets,
The night a familiar facade,
A tepid stream hits his face,
The egg,
A singeing frying pan,
The shades drawn,
The warmth of the incredulous Sun,
A pattern from a cast iron mould,
On the marble floor,
Multiplied by a weak tangent,
Another eventful day begins.

An Exercise in Futility

Set afoot to carve a niche,
Blisters and burns hardly deterred,
Thorns and beds of nails,
Pierced the foot but not his will,
A punctured heel and higher spirits,
But so soon left a tired soul,
Left him in darkness to reminisce,
No stone unturned, Another milestone,
Mossy, No doubt, But brought a cheer,
Victory of a special kind, Uncelebrated,
Like the death of a true martyr,
Buried under earth without a name,
Flickered a flame ever so fickle,
Elixir of hope, for the aching heart,
Nothing amiss, her heaving bosom,
Deep in her eyes, embedded dreams,
And lips, ever so full,
A mere mention, A million repercussions,
A gentle tap, And drenched in perspiration,
A little care, Was all the yearning,
The once stolid heart now irrevocably unstoic,
Meanders down his cheek, Tears and more tears,
Till it leaves a salty trail,
An exercise in complete futility,
For the time leaves a man sadder and wiser,
And he wonders what a subtle redefinition then,
Would have done to the constant murmur,
In his head, this persistent battle,
Him against Himself.

Man - I

Clad in clothing almost uncustomary,
Incognito, It seems like Robin Hood,
Into the town, The Sheriff unwary,
But no Sheriff, no cop, anywhere stood!

II

Incredulous like the stars, the human mind,
But I doubt if equally selfless,
Definitely in them a little spite I find,
Unlike the stars who equally bless!

III

It is impossible, for pigs in a sty,
To even think about another sty,
So placid, these wretched beasts,
Are they clever enough to teach?

The Lotus Blossom

A decayed, withered lotus blossom,
Once a succulent, pinkish hue,
Half buried now in cemetery sand,
The grayish tint of death.

Now crawl on them, little bugs,
That feast on dead human flesh,
Once adorned like bling, the glorious flower,
Little worms that fed on life.

Together with our lone blossom,
At least a dozen there were more,
Now strewed along like sandy dunes,
A bouquet once they were.

When full and red, they signified,
The full, quivery lips of the One,
Whose shaky heart then ached in vain,
Now alongside, they rest in peace.

Sweet Poison!

In my hand the nectar of life,
Not exactly, But my clouded mind,
Hardly differentiates, The sweetest poison,
From the bitterest drug!

Employing all the brute, teethy force,
Open it with a feel of froth,
A little blood tastes redundant,
Like the little life the poison sucks!

I

Weep not, O little child of mine!
Bask in the warmth of the generous sun,
Dwell in my arms, Safe and cosy,
I'll shield you from the blight you fear,
Partake with you emotions thine!

Mourn not, O light of my life!
The murkiness in the sky shall pass,
The days of sun and toasted wine,
Fresher than ever, in the annals of mine!

Trust me, I swear on thy fair breast,
Not far the times of the ebullient one,
Greener pastures there will be,
No doubt, O love! You have,
These bearded loons will cease to be,
The freedom bells will ring!

God forbid, If there should be,
As much as a rustle in the bush,
Hold my hand, Devoid of fear,
We'll let the moment pass!

II

Leave me not, O fair one!
Don't let my poor heart burn,
Life, What life it would be,
A life for none and, just for one!

III

If one dark, grey, gloomy day,
A bullet should pierce my breast,
Don't cry, Don't weep, Don't even mourn,
Keep in check emotions thine and,
Console your fickle, finicky heart,
Just cherish the smile on my numbed face,
And that is all that I could say!

Cock-a-Doodle Town!

Life at the Cock-a-Doodle town,
Reinforced like concrete on bars of steel,
Up they go, Then they go down,
No dreams their eyes reveal!

Clickety-Clack the hooves of the prudent men,
Hypnotised, Their spiral eyes,
A noose, at the end a foolish ten,
Around some cheese, Excited mice!

Bang-a-Bang his pistol sounds,
Scattering the country bumpkins along,
Ignorance, He finds abound,
Whistles and breaks into a song!

Now the time of lighted lamps,
Activity abates, Voices down,
Yawn-o-Yawn his authority demands,
Such is life at the Cock-a-Doodle town!

An Ode

You! Yes, You! Every artist's nightmare,
We run hither-thither the fear you bequeath,
A helpless, hapless beast into a snare,
Inevitable your grasp, Not one you spare,
Swell the pride of the phoenix-few,
Catch by the heel of the escaping flock,
Inherent misery, A dead sea beneath,
The pain, O sweet pain! The incredulous virgin,
Know not, just heard the veteran blue,
Know not will he till a good, fine day,
You grasp him with your steely fist,
And to his little child he says,
'Rough was the road that I trod!',
Glorify you, You shameless thief!
The wheels set in motion for the vicious circle!

A Poet Once There Was!

Forgive me, Sire! For a mere poet I am,
Animate in the inanimate I see,
The minuscule in the grandest charm,
Attain bliss at the slightest nod,
As nudges my bare skin the breeze,
Stare at the sky, the nameless stars,
As they float the unknown vacuous realm,
With a frown on thy face thy memory scars,
Recollects the name, Thou overwhelm!
And I spirited, and a smile so broad,
Watch the nectar drinking bee,
As it frolics through its floral fate,
Behold! How beautiful the nature mates!

Last Caress

A silent tear on the barren sands,
My heart, the stone, now a pulpy mess,
Shaky legs and quivery hands,
No time as much as a last caress......

Greed

Oh my lord the giver of all,
On whom does the fault lay,
Through an eye a sea of suffering,
Heaps of gold through the other!

........

Life for me the raging sea,
Time the waves that it bequeath,
And the place the sun meets the sea,
Bereft of spite the sea beneath!

Surfing through the watery realm,
This spectacle a frequent thorn,
Voices abate, Spirits overwhelm,
Another one swallowed with scorn!

Switchfoot till the waves recede,
A sigh of momentary relief,
A wayward mind and a haggard heart,
Now prepare to drown with grief.......

Gluttony

A smile on my face, this spectacle I see,
The luxuries of few precede the necessities of the rest,
Spews blood at the stench of the acrid fumes,
Richly manacles on the poor man's breast!

On the anvil strikes the blow,
Wields the weapon the gluttonous few,
Like in the jungle the once frivolous doe,
Now looks in vain at the luring dew!

Angels from heaven.......

The verdure of my barren lands,
Hearts as selfless as pure gold,
Longish coasts of cogent sands,
All my dilatory instincts sold!

No claque at a sold-out show,
No man at the political helm,
Profound to know and a pride so low,
Angels from heaven, spirits overwhelm!

Brazen

When the tears are at the the brink,
The ship of hope's about to sink,
When deep in gloom emotions freeze,
Sears open afresh in the cold breeze,
He reaches out for a helping hand,
And he's left far-far behind,
Aestival warmth gives way to the cold,
Comes to his mind the stories untold,
Creeping and crawling to a crimson cage,
Self-inflicted wounds come of age,
Grotesque manifestation of his fears,
In every little thing far and near,
He yearns in desperation for the sunshine,
And in horripilation, shivers run down his spine,
In resplendent glory and unfazed,
In his sanctum he stands brazed!

Writer's Block

Creativity, the weapon of my choice,
In its sheath for a period too long,
Awaiting an inspiration, As much as a noise,
To not let these feelings prolong!

I walked on thro' crowded streets,
Conversed with a discordant few,
Gouged out my eyes for enormous fleets,
And buried my inhibitions on a pew!

Strained my neck staring at the sky,
At the flight of a boisterous bevy,
Obscure interpretations flash by,
Over flooding sanity's levee!

Hither and thither my mind scurries,
Paranoid I start to trot,
Though in my mind a million worries,
Still none to inspire a rhythmic plot!

A spark I seek even underneath,
The salinity of the dead sea,
A spur to destroy the parasitic sheath,
Just a push would set me free!

The Missionary

White robes glide through the dark,
Like wolves encircle a stranded soul,
Preaching the fable of Noah's ark,
A million stories still left untold.

A touch of gold and holy water,
Then their sins are far behind,
And the poor heathen shivers in tatters,
Sleeps in hunger with a weary mind.

Holier than thou, he stands tall,
He the judge of human actions,
The tatterdemalion's back is to the wall,
In his heart a flurry of emotions.

Nailed to the cross the beloved son,
His sons they run their minds will,
Rots in pain the innocent one,
While the messengers shoot to thrill!

On the parish's head the heathen's curse,
But a touch of gold to keep moving on,
We shed a tear, Humanity's hearse,
Carries on with a funeral song..........

Lead me to Light

Lead me to light, Oh Dear One!
Sobs in pain your once mighty son,
Hold my hand and I'll follow,
My deepest fears I can swallow,
Defenestrate my fraidy thoughts,
Lighten the heart that now rots,
Lead me through the darkest jungle,
Where on fears unknown we stumble,
Swerve with me the hairpin bends,
Hold me from falling and defend,
Hover above to punish my insolence,
Cajole me out of my imprudence,
Do what you have always done,
Just stand by your needy son,
Can't imagine how much I long,
To rest my head against your arm........

Flesh-Angst

While the end of their worlds' at the brink,
For the grotesque dance they gear up,
Like before the funeral, The one last prink,
Matchless the earthly vices, We never wake up!

Swing and sway to the devil's tunes,
Tainted souls and mouths to feed,
Of a huge determination, Remnant ruins,
Necessity, Root of all evil, Avarice it breeds!

Whips on her stark naked back,
Lust bites by the dozen, None to complain,
Towards all this, Justice goes slack,
None but her to blame, A helping hand refrained!

Trade of flesh, The lowliest of dominions,
Obligations, Vengeance and broken dreams,
Whatever the reasons, Pushed into the crimson terrains,
None to shed a tear, In the silent night her screams..........

Procrastination..........

Desperate cries in the dark air,
Shells rain on the kindergarten shelves,
Sympathies of the world drowned in oil,
Not a single soul left to care,
Millions die even as a womb swells,
Over guineas and faith and mere soil,
They fight to their doom,
Along go hapless victims too,
To an early grave, A common tomb,
Like dunes of sand opinions change,
Another mushroom cloud brews,
A loved one's death no longer strange,
Call the romantics who only write,
To the flower in the maiden's hair,
As I write to the decayed blossom,
Which rests on her beloved's grave,
The sun even stops to seem bright,
The heavyset darkness surrounds,
Pervading grief and heaving bosoms,
Mangled body of her unrecognisable son,
Once the apple of her eye,
Only tears now wet the bloodshot eyes,
As a pink cadillac passes by,
He drives on, His own life's to save,
The wretched they search the chosen one,
Expected to fall right from the sky,
Tattooed into their hearts,
Beliefs of the passing time,
Anthems of rebellion lips they sing,
But none the fire in their actions,
Reincarnates the Angel of Death,
Manifests in a million hearts,
Misery and pain all they'd bring,
They wait for the evil sanction,
And spread hate all around,
Call them all who speak of injustice,
Sheltered from the horrendous present,
Should be the one roasted alive,
Not the commoner by the street,
Not even the industrious peasant,
Court-martial the one with the bullet-proof car,
Not the one who never took a bribe,
Justice, Justice the evergreen chant,
From the inception of the tribe,
Wayward minds and wayward wants,
The fools they wait in vain,
Anticipation of the holy rain,
To wash the blood-stained ground,
Dreams of another Newfoundland,
And we procrastinate...........

The Family

Over the hills and far away,
By a brook a thatched hut,
A very few knew, There did stay,
A small content family,
They were four, but,
Clung as one, Each other's company,
Swimming in their fish-bowl,
Never there were whiter souls,
They'd live and die for each other,
Would kill to shield another,
Such fierce affection never was known,
Still by a brook they lived,
They reaped only what they sown,
And sang as they reaped,
Gleeful and gay as they talked,
Merry was the word for them!

To ward off the evil eye,
The lady she'd put aside,
A little prayer for the one,
With whose grace, She had borne a son,
The little boy, The apple of their eyes,
Loved by everyone just the same,
Got presents bigger than his size,
When his father went out for game,
The head, The sturdy man,
With a heart bigger than himself,
Showered love, But dealt with a firm hand,
Holding them closer than himself,
Then the lovely bud of a girl,
Would've blossomed into the prettiest flower,
If not the spite of the world,
Had shown its impeccable power!

The little one wandered on his own,
A very fine glad day,
With all the thickets overgrown,
He soon lost his way,
Still adventurous, Appropriate to his age,
Farther and farther he went,
Till he met a cur in rage,
Looked him from where the road bent,
He ran as fast as his little legs,
Could carry him around,
On his heel the foaming beast,
But the path to the hut was found,
Then the dog got him square,
Around his tiny ankle,
Then though the cur was scared,
The damage was done!

The family wept bitter tears,
Only death could help the little boy,
But his death none could bear,
But were left with no choice,
None made as much as a noise,
As the rustling leaves in a breeze,
In a moment it was all decided,
All their lives would they seize,
His favourite porridge was made,
Furtive good-byes they bade,
And then the man, Mixed the venom,
It sweetened their last supper,
They dined amidst all merry,
Even at death they would cling as one,
And now aboard their last ferry,
Their last journey they undertake.........

Fall from Grace.......

Reminiscent of past glory, Her eyes twinkle,
Pores into the remnant ruins, The faded periwinkle,
Gouges out those lovely eyes, The glorious past,
Too bad like the wind, It flew away too fast!

All the bling that clung, She had sashayed,
Like poisoned spears they pierce now, The words she said,
With unbelievable spite was spurned, Advances of affection,
Warded off were true loves, With immaculate precision!

Cloudy and misty her eyes, The Sun sets,
On what she was, And never would be,
No flicker of hope, No light, Her dilapidated heart,
Weeps to its content, In this cold breeze.

Realisation dawned, It had taken too long,
She waited so much, For prudence to hop along,
Content that her conviction, and a bit of hope,
Remains, Still strong, At this end of the rope!

Sentimental and philosophical, As she narrates,
The story of her life, She says,
'This is the truth, Oh, human race!
No doubt there'll be, A fall from Grace.'.

Open Your Eyes

Lying in front of me, Yet so far,
From each other we are,
Still the souvenirs of good times,
Flashes across my weary mind,
I touch your face with a shaky finger,
And say, ' Open you eyes and talk to me'.

Fuss over minuscule tiffs we made,
And meaningless goodbyes we bade,
Over a cup we'd forget it all,
Brings me to tears, This cold breeze,
Won't you catch me, If I'm to fall,
Won't you open your eyes and talk to me.

Soothsayers, There are too many,
But this a pain, Too hard to console,
On a trail of tears, I wait for an epiphany,
On a thorny bed I lie and roll,
Through the tears I manage to mumble,
Won't you open your eyes and talk to me.........

The Fair Waif

Cries of hunger from the fair waif,
Twisting of arms and legs about,
No one around, None to tuck him safe,
None to laugh, None to smile for that million-dollar pout.....

For a very special friend.....

Among the riper fruits on the branches of my life,
A nightingale with the sweetest melody,
Amidst storms the stalk did thrive,
The song still pleases, amid all this cacophony.

With sky the limit, We flew long,
Stunted wings spread to the furthest,
Closer than ever, Not exceeding a furlong,
Till the aura reached its brightest.

With the wheel of time burns it all,
From the axle to the spindle,
Arise we might never after the fall,,
But assured am I my love won't dwindle.

Remorse and relief all at once,
God forbid all my love be spurned,
Run I may like the zephyr runs,
I sigh in relief, The lesson was learnt.

Staying not a second longer,
From the instant we take us for granted,
Cherish even the times yonder,
Remember the journey, Not just where we landed......

Mother Lament

Tearing a raw piece of her flesh apart,
He carries on, A song on his lips, Hope in his heart,
Into the flame, A million plans to foil,
Voluntarily! That surprises me, For the discrimination of soil!

It was said to be, A gem of an occupation,
Of a few among the elite population,
The blood they'd spill would be over pages,
To be immortalised like the great sages!

Among the bravest, He fought with all his might,
For contumacious reasons, Supposedly his birthrights,
His comrades gone high above in wisps of smoke,
Like a single bullet scatters the humongous flock!

Her wait for Him like Atlas' wait for the end,
No glimmer of hope, No light at the bend,
The glorious burden, A tad more her nerves could bear,
Her fingernails dig deep into her flesh, She's overcome with fear!

The true son of soil, Marches till he breaks,
Her hapless cries resound over stoic lakes,
Futile furtive glances at the hand of God,
She is dismissed without as much as a nod!

To them, He just another unfortunate fool,
He gave up everything as their expensive wager's tool,
To her, he, a part of her soul,
She silently weeps away the death of her foal.........

Brains in a pickle!

Brainwashed! On smooth soapy stones they lay,
Metaphorical blows to their head they take,
No, not a shadow, to an illusion they pray,
Oaths and promises to wash away their sins,
And unmentionable things an illusion brings!

A sacrifice of blood and sweat the enslaved pays,
Now showered with lauds of falsest praise,
I laugh aloud, at the beliefs they fancy,
They hail me a blaspheme, but mercy!
I'm human! I wish everyone like me was awake!

The Downtrodden Rises

Right at the bottom of the class,
The wretched little kid belonged,
Innumerable jabs and pokes he let pass,
Just him and his old broken set of crayons,
Solitude brewing a great big storm,
Sheets and sheets painted on with red,
No hint of emotion on his sleeve was worn,
Resound deep inside the smarting words they said!

A silhouette lurks beneath his wounded heart,
None but himself can hear it beat,
Stares at the subliminal little work of art,
At the brink of breakdown deeply breathes,
None left now he finds himself to blame,
The deep deceit in his misery he fails to see,
All he did was bow low as ever in shame,
Only a miracle now would set him free!

At the dusk of his oppression he lies,
On the grass looking up at the sky,
No escape from his torments however he tries,
He wonders how it would be just to die,
With none to mourn, none to weep,
No epitaph on his cold lonely grave,
No flower to adorn him when he's asleep,
Can't for a bit of warmth this cold man crave?

With spite and hate in his cold bosom,
He walks away, a sense of urgency in his gait,
He swears to tackle this all consuming spasm,
The hour is high, got not a second to waste,
When detest and deceit is all you've seen,
You're not to blame, You're no more human,
When none care for who you are, where you've been,
Treated like a man-devouring caiman.

With a flick of his wrist a man is slain,
His throat slit with the sharpest of knives,
Sharpened on his own rough trysts with pain,
He steps over the man, more lives to seize,
BEWARE BLOODY SWINES, YOU COME NEXT!
He laughs with a wicked gleam in his eye,
Another one goes down as the world stares vexed,
Scared to death, they know they'll die!

Amazing how changes arise at the blink,
From a milk-feasting cat to a blood-drawing feline,
With the gore adorning him like bling,
And he carries on with no regret, over rugged terrain!

My Love

Holding on to me like the night sea embraces the sun,
Emotions including juxtaposing of sheer pain and agony,
Sears of pain like rain on windshields of cars that run,
Like residents of a stamped upon and destroyed ant colony!

Dissolving in depressing gloom as salt does in fresh water,
I lie awake on my back looking at the stars and ponder,
What went wrong,I try to get to the root of the matter,
Where did I err, It still don't ring a bell and I just wonder.....

My Will

At perch on a mere anthill,
Looking down upon all the rest,
The ones I held close, Now seem so far,
It's not thou, but the power of my will,
A hurdle to cross, still cold in my breast,
I fail to see thy warm heart,
While thou shinest like a lonely star,
And my conviction still holds us apart........

The Studded Sky!

Look! The stars shine like lost gems,
I dream of floating about the milky-way,
And that may, put to rest all my whims,
And might put away all my crazy puns!
I glance once more at the night sky,
Tintinnabulations of joy and despair at once,
Lying on the grass I look and sigh,
The things they say to lead me astray!

Lust

Lured by the aroma of the forbidden fruit,
The modern temptress loses it all to fate!
Beguiled by shame, now covered with soot,
She becomes the victim from being the bait!

First Sight(Not Love)

Oh God! I know what's lovelier than the loveliest flower,
The moment she walked right in front of my eyes,
More fascinating than the surge of Power,
Ask any layman sound, Any layman Wise!
No, 'Tis not love, not even any care,
But every bone aches to know how she fares!

Hail, Holy Mother of all Art!

Oh! Holy Mother of all Art!
My only truly God, thou Art!
A ruby on the bejewelled crown,
Of the fruits of Civilisation,
Ages back, Thy seeds were sown,
Our fertile minds fill with elation!
Life before thou, trace to the unimaginable,
Ward off those times as of the unspeakables,
Among the fewer joys of the Modern World,
Thou rest, Still afloat and no wonder!
With even all the spite unfurled,
And I, Indignant, I do ponder,
Ignorance is Bliss, They say, But,
This, Chokes me to the gut,
I'm to hail thou in words,
But the cliches and thou thyself fail me now!
Thou art flying high, amid the Whitest Birds,
I look, I smile, I hail, I bow!

The Butterfly

With a leap off the leaf,
My heart skips a beat,
A million colours woven into,
This minuscule treat!

Frivolous with the trademark flight,
It dances in the sky,
And I wait sly like a fox,
With a gleam in my eye!

Waiting on the sly,
I can't help but adore,
Nature's palette on its wings,
I can't help wanting even more!

On my ears sounds I cannot hear,
Of pain and of captivity,
As my fingers clasped on the wings,
An epitome of nature's subtlety!

For years and years,
A once frivolous monarch lay,
In between papers,
Now faded and unable to play!

As I sleep, sometimes I do see,
The woven colours of glee,
I twist and turn but I can't go back,
Nor from these memories can I flee!

I just wish I'd left it, Watched for an hour more,
At its frivolous best,
The colours would have given me hope,
Like they do to the rest!