Creation

A vessel, huge, barren and foreboding

Floating aimlessly in the vast sea,

Directionless in its meandering

As empty as it could be.

A jolt, an awakening was suddenly felt

As it stood still amidst the raging waves,

A hand of fortune which with it was dealt

Forever changing the vessel's days.

The emptiness banished

As was the lack of direction,

All darkness vanished

With the entry of the new creation.

After The Rains

The air so crispy and slightly damp,

The grass fresh and wet beneath my feet;

The puddle sparkling below the street lamp,

The relief  great for a reprieve from the heat.

The lil kids making paper boats,

The streets empty of usual traffic;

The pedestrians wrapped in raincoats,

The onset of monsoon just so beatific.

The quavering waters of the bay so pristine,

The sky above in a matching hue;

The boat house looking so serene,

The color of it a postcard blue.

The scene so etched in my memory,

The lush foliage around sans a cactus;

The pleasure of  life thriving worth a bribery,

The gift of rain after a long hiatus!

When You Dream

Beneath the fluttering eyelids,

Stepping into a mystical land;

Where time to your desire bids,

Slipping away are you from my hand.

To step behind you in your dreams,

To hold you close to me forever;

Is all I can wish for in reams,

As you float in other worlds afar.

Wait I must for the dreams to end,

Safely to our world when you return;

The eyelids open in pure content,

As the hand slips into mine, so certain!

Christmas All Around

It is yet again that time of year,

Ground buried by flakes of snow;

Hear again the chimes so clear,

Santa on Rudolph, we all know.

It is yet again the time for gifts,

Buried beneath the trees so green;

We need to forget our tiny tiffs,

No room for things vaguely mean.

It is yet again a chance for peace,

So lost in the world's cacophony;

A shimmer of hope across all seas,

To bring in everlasting harmony.

It is yet another truly lovely reason,

For the gift named life, to be thankful;

To tell our loved ones, in this season,

How much they make life so meaningful!

Sand Castle

The waves roll forward eagerly,

Wrapping the shore in a tight embrace;

There on a peaceful evening early

Your sand castle beginning to surface.

Proud and sturdy there it stands on moment,

To be swept away by the waves next;

Washed in sorrow and inconsolable torment

Your lovely face cast in unrest.

It is but only a transient bout,

As awareness dawns on you;

And cheerfully you start about,

Building your lofty castle anew!

The Bigger Picture

I tried hard to focus and see,
That what is sheathed beneath
Myriad layers of trivialities that be;
Clouded, hazy and unclear at first
An outline beginning to emerge,
At last could I quench my thirst;
As it loomed large before me,
The bigger picture, formerly elusive,
Painted for you, me and we!

Judging judgementals

Too often one condemns or accuses another of being judgemental. I can recall numerous instances of snickering at people I knew when they commented on a certain style of dressing as ‘too loud’ or labelled certain life-style behaviour as ‘trés superficial’ or were disgusted at certain sexual preferences. At the back of my mind, I was being the liberal one – the one who didn’t judge others’ for the very people they were and who gave due respect to their preferences. The others who expressed their opposition to these behavioural/life style trends were in my consciousness the staid ones, the conservatives – the ‘judgmental’ type. Talking to a dear in the recent past revealed the chink in my armour of reasoning ‘Am I not being judgemental in judging those very that seem judgmental?’

Too comfortable

Being too comfortable in a relationship - should it be taken as a sign of intimacy or as a warning that one is taking the bond for granted?

Sweet Surrender

Fighting against with abundant vigour
Resisting with unmatched fervour;
Stepped back, the heart strings to consider
How beatific feels the unforeseen surrender!

Shooting Star

The brightest of them all,
You watch enraptured;
Taking in its glorious fall,
In your mind’s eye captured;
Upon it you wish with fervour,
As into oblivion it fades;
The ravages of time does devour,
As memory of it jades;
The glorious star of the sky,
Its errand, your wish to be fulfilled;
The brightest being of the galaxy;
Its life on a whim gambled!

Face In The Mirror

Looking at the mirror, staring back at me,
I see a face that tells a myriad stories;
Some dark and mystic, some light and carefree,
Nonetheless triggering a zillion memories.

Of roads travelled, people amore,
Of roads evaded, people forgot;
Of things done with care galore,
Of things come undone in a shot.

Vagaries of life on the face looms large,
Scars, the medallions of an eventuous strife;
Prevalent though is the hope and urge,
Of eagerness and anticipation more in life!

The Awaiting

The night sky an azure blue,
Bedecked with a myriad stars;
The stillness around is but a clue,
Of a time that left its share of scars.

Hark, hear the wind whistling by,
Accompanied by a sharp chill;
In its sigh I hear your cry,
The silence of the night, it does kill.

Clouds move in overshadowing the sky,
Droplets of rain turning to a pour;
The grime, the rain does wash away,
But not the agony of waiting more!

Longest Journey

More often than not, the longest journey is the one that leads you back to yourself!

Tears

There is a sacredness in tears. They are not the mark of weakness, but of power. They speak more eloquently than ten thousand tongues. They are messengers of overwhelming grief...and unspeakable love.

Looking back on tears of the past mostly brings a smile, and some times looking back on the laughter of years gone by brings a tear to the eye.

This Moment

If I could but capture this moment and lock it away in a secret vault of my treacherous heart - the crimson rays of the setting sun falling in a sheath from up above through a canopy of rust-colored foliage, casting a beatific glow - this moment that makes me blissfully content, this moment that takes my breath away!

Landing me in hell...

How my indulgence in the seven cardinal 'sins' would have led me to 'hell', if the concept of 'hell' were valid:

Lust: Talk about bulging sinews, intense eyes and perfect smiles – how could I just not lust after such guys *sigh*
Gluttony: Did somebody mention chocolates for breakfast, lunch, dinner and anytime in between washed down with tons of caffeine?
Greed: It all boils down to money and more of it – to fund the so-very-frequent vacations, to cater to ‘grown-up’ clothing tastes – in short the slimy tentacles of greed have entrapped me in its vicious grip.
Sloth: What I do today is probably what I should have done weeks ago!
Envy: Boy, if you are over 5’7” and/or can nap during the day, the green-eyed monster growling at you is me!
Wrath: ‘Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned’ – don’t ever cross me, I might forgive you in time, but never ever will I forget.
Pride: A thin line that demarcates self-esteem and gloating – I might have crossed over to the other side many a time and not even have noticed!

The Nurturer

Twig by twig, straw by straw,
Lovingly builds she the cosy nest;
Not by chance of lucky draw,
Here is the nurturer at her very best.

Day upon day, night upon night,
Patiently lends she all the warmth;
When one day on a morning bright,
The young one born as the egg shells part.

Morsel to morsel, beak to beak,
Tirelessly feeds she the little one;
Whom she to the free world lets go with a peck,
To watch with a tear her baby gone!

Of Angels And Teddies...

A few days back while visiting a friend, I happened to narrate to his three year old niece where I come from and how I live alone. The tiny tot was apparently taken up by that and offered me her teddy saying that it would keep me company when I am alone in my apartment. I thought angels wore pristine white gowns and carried wands and here was one right in front of me with a teddy......

Procrastination

A way of life one could easily succumb into and one that is hard to break away from. If the manner in which things have shaped up in the recent past are of any indication, I seem to have perfected the art of procrastination. Apparently it is high time I broke out of the mould the sales guru Mandino said “To be always intending to make a new and better life but never find time to set about it is as... to put off eating and drinking and sleeping from one day to the next until you’re dead.”

This is exactly why I decided to post this right now from office when I should be in all righteousness ‘working’. In my defence, I just do not want to procrastinate on that front - got to get a start somewhere, right?

Prayer To The Star

The crimson stretches of the sky,
Turn into an exotic azure blue;
As the clouds slowly fade away
My dreams take on a lovely hue.

My guardian star smiling down,
I spot on looking up in bliss so pure;
My lips sent up a prayer on its own,
Wishing all your dreams come true!