A Dull Poem

There is the crowd and here is me,

In an attempt to find unity --

I bridge the gap with eager steps,

Jostling for a place in the mesh.

It's hard to breathe.

It's hard to see.

I feel so tiny in this throng of human bees.

Buzzing and moving, to gather, to store,

An array of minds all synced to a single core.

I met Jack, on his way from work,

He’s a party loving and hardworking clerk,

He hates to be dull, and thus makes sure --

Like everybody, to follow the new haute couture.

His wife is happy, his second car works fine,

His boss laughs at his jokes and in fine hotels he loves to dine,

He hoped I was good, but didn’t ask for more,

His chaps were waiting with beers and cricket scores.

As Jack waved me bye, vanishing in the swarm,

Leaving me thinking, for a moment and few,

As I stood aside, watching the crowd pass by,

I wondered why Jack was called dull,

--- and not me nor you.

Family

The leaf shrugs off the persisting chains

Farewell to parental bough!

Blows away with sailing breeze

Dispossessed, aimless.

The leaf knows not its solitary fate,

Destined to wither in some foreign earth.

An Original mistake, not time enough to learn, but suffer.

The wind blows away, to scavenge another soul,

 Stealing the vestiges of a happy dream,

Suck the hope from the shivering dawn,

Caress with a cool finger, those warm cheeks,

It flies hence.

Dispossessed, aimless,

Eternally unloved.

Dreams within Dreams

In some nook and corner, there was this world,

One painted with my dreams,

With dragons and gingerbread men, red apples and princesses,

Castles, meadows and clear, whispering streams.

Where the autumn red leaves, fell with a hush,

Covering brick roads with rustling carpets,

And the sky was always coloured dusk,

While the lark flew into the sunset.  

And as you walked by the river, in the green glade.

With flowers dressed up pretty, for a masquerade,

You may find me there, alone,

Smiling, sleeping,

Lost in another forgotten world,

Dreaming.

Smeared Red

Pretty smelling cream on my cheek,

Glossy paint decorating chapped lips.

A streak of black,

To sharpen my glance’s attack,

Earrings and bangles,

My hair falls in beautiful shambles,

The saree draped,

Like icing on a cake,

A practiced smile on place,

Smoothening tears with powder on face.

I am ready, my conscience freed.

Time to satisfy lecherous greed.

My Glasgow Smile

They said it would be easy,

As easy as breathing‘s supposed to be,

Stretching a few muscles, to banish all pains,

A dose for a day, a few more to keep sane.

For Mother declared she was worried ,

And it displeased Father to see me lost;

My friends lovingly mobbed around me,

And over charred emotions, my smile embossed.

And I smiled as life rolled on,

I smiled at its mandates and jargons,

I smiled for the days to end,

I smiled for it is easy to pretend.

And I thought --

May be shadows do lighten the dark.

And bullets fly, for they love the beating heart.

But I feel them now, closing in,

See their fingers and arms stretched,

The corners of my mouth twitch uncomfortably,

And my blood boils for selfish carnage.

Some hold my lips,

Some pull my chin,

They spread my mouth

To a hideous grin.

My eyes pop out,

Something quietly dies,

I face the world,

With my Glasgow smile.

"..Till Death Do Us Part"

The look on your face when u opened the door

Made my heart glow, bright as gold.

I missed u too my love, oh yes,

And I m back now, thanks to God’s grace.

I walked in as u hastily stepped back,

The distancing years has made u shy,

I bared my teeth and smiled with love,

And you pierced the night with your cry.

I couldn’t wait and eagerly neared,

My arms stretched to hug you;

One fell with a thud,

Blame the rotting joints;

And you ran upstairs,

Your blood ice cold blue!

I followed hence, and broke the door,

My darling why u stay away?

Look, the casket wood wasn’t enough strong,

And keep our at bay.

I went to fix the cobwebbed hair,

And remove the rot and flesh on my drape,

But the girl in the saloon couldn’t hear,

While she made her hasty escape.

But surely love you don’t care all that,

I can see your face paled with surprise.

I promised I would come back whatever happens

For my affections are truer than lies.

Aren’t you happy to see me now?

Has your love died with my soul?

But this body and heart still yearns for you,

The body you loved, to kiss and hold.

Remember those days of sunny noon,

The air drunk with the scent of tulips,

Us as one, and forgotten worlds

Warms embraces and feeding lips?

So why won’t you kiss me today my love?

My burning passion isn’t dead.

Or do the worms wriggling out of my mouth

Make you sick instead?

Quiet Rampage

Leaves, full green (oh so bright)!

Fulfilling nature’s youth,

Patterns, beautiful and graceful,

Fleeting breach of Time’s truth.

The sighs of a painter’s arm,

Weaving fingers ache,

Sleepless lamps of an artisan,

Some sellers sweat of waste.

Verdurous, exquisite,

Now embellishes graceful drapes:

Lifeless, artificial,

Painted on some corner vase.

Meant to last,

Like memories,

Providing harrowing solace.

In gloomy nights of ardent memories,

I see these arching patterns.

I find the leaves of spring,

When the curtains are swept aside,

For the morning sun to gleam.

Leaning from a bridge, the raging river below,

I had learned to fall, but not to rise;

My mortal feet lead me to the crowded street,

I m not airborne, but there is solitude, where inebriant lies.

I, with my finite self, stand

Wounded – with dreams,

Wounded – with hope,

Wounded – by a glimpse.

I walk in a sunny avenue,

Shaded, comforted by the foliage,

I look up, smile at the red and blues,

Plethoric, soft and sweet.

It has rained, but no rainbows in the horizon,

The wait is over.

Tears have stained the fancies,

And there is nothing to recover.

The untouched flowers look at me and smile,

I will dream of them tonight.

Waking Up from the Longest Sleep

Moments, ornamented with emotions.

Emotions ranging from tears to lust,

Emotions, as dry as dust,

Blowing in the wind, as a contagious virus.

Open your mouth

Let all the words out.

Emptiness inside.

Light as the air,

Free of hope or despair,

Decrees defied.

Going beyond everything touched or perceived,

To something craved, never received.

Not overrated peace,

Nor the pretty thorn of love,

Nor the indefinable happiness,

Freedom from shackles of the known.

Immunity from culture’s drone.

While truth looks with unblinking eyes,

Escape beyond the vast bright skies.

My love drowned me in a sea of hate

And I couldn’t find my way of escape.

In an empty room, I look at the walls unscratched,

As I sharpen my nails on my heart.

I can see myself where I wanted to be,

I can see how deep this differentiating gorge is,

I take a jump towards eternity,

Hands outstretched,ready to seize

I fall, the inevitable fall

The exponential drop from the vanishing top

I answer nature’s final call.

An Odyssey

If you had been here now,

You would have seen a cat

Sitting quietly in a corner of the street;

And listened to the duet of the silent night,

And the chirping bird,

Who forgot what night and day mean.

Had you been here

You would have felt the breeze,

As it would have cooled your sun warmed cheeks,

The starry night would have smiled down

And told you, why

Van Gogh loved her more than the sun’s streaks.

You might have enjoyed walking

The solitary road,

Loneliness wouldn't have touched you still;

Your own slow stride would have ruled the path,

And the race of man

Wouldn’t have trampled your prints.

As you would have made your way

With the living around you,

Safe in their beds, sleep oozing from their doors,

You might have had noticed,

A dreamless window,

Sighs clogging its every pore.

Had you looked there,

You would have found a soul,

Detached, yet forlorn;

A silent audience of the night

Lurking in shadows,

Torn.

Would you have looked closely

To find the secret?

Would you have waited to investigate?

The beauty of night is a cruel seductress,

Would you have delayed

Just a bit?

As the unknown entwines with magic,

And the breeze blows coolly

Pulling you,

Would you have walked, not looking back,

Or would you knock the door,

To make someone’s dream come true?

A Prayer

Heavens above, break your dam,

Let it flood, let all drown,

Bleed your veins, let the nostrum flow,

Bow down to us, so you can be crowned.

Feel the heat of the sinews,

As the arms move,

To tear the fields, to pull the fruits.

Feel the rush of blood, as the heart thuds,

As the poet writes,

The first lines of his muse.

Tiny raindrops, draw an arc,

Divide two worlds,

From which none can go back.

The seeds of sorrow, reap flowers of glory,

Some shine on,

Some remain blurry.

Hear, what we say,

Look down, you’ll hear more,

Our pity, our woes are lullabies for all,

Don’t let us disintegrate,

To a half recalled lore.

Mystics and pashas, where are you now?

Come. Be the patrons of our joy.

We are the dreamers who built your city,

We are the craftsmen who gave your son toys.

Wake up for once,

Don’t you hear our cries?

It’s darkness now, the matchstick burns,

The future awaits for dawn’s soft light.

For the Sweet Unwanted

It’s 5 o’clock, and the crows are singing,

The sun is yet to shine

The movie just finished, credits rolling,

It’s now my sweet bed time.

The pillows smell of last night’s sweat

The sheets haven’t yet been changed

But once I lie, sleep comes by,

Dreams whisper in my ear,

No more nightmares I fear,

I sleep perfect without you here,

My sweet unwanted dear.

Waking up late, with the afternoon tea,

Grouchy eyes on the screen,

Browse through the pages, there is nothing to see,

I yawn, the bed looks inviting.

Last night’s rumpled and wrinkled sheet,

Life is simple as it is,

Philosophy; sounds better with some biscuits.

I smile as I check the inbox,

And wonder about affections gained and lost,

I grin as I read through,

Another day down, happily without you

Ajo achi.

Ajo achi,

Megher gorjone, shaliker dake,

Chhoto shishur misti abdare.

Ajo pabe amay,

Ful ar kurir majhe,

Kono bhule jawa gaye,

Tulshi tolae diper alo jokhon jege othe sanje.

Ami thakbo.

Bhulbe ki amay tumi?

Rekhona amay onno smritir arale,

Amar ostitter shakkhi hoe theko tumi,

Ami je asbo abar, shurjer kiron hoe,

Tomar kono ek ses sokale.

Untitled

What are the things that make us cry,

And what are your truths and my lies?

You say there is only black and white,

Dawn warms us from the cold of the night.

Let me cry for my fears,

I want to sleep with my woes,

We are fools to think we’ve lost what was dear.

And all my beliefs proved to be untrue.

Wake up my sweet, light up the world now,

Rise from slumber and see,

How the world changed in the blink of your eye,

Slowly fading towards eternity.

Confessions of Franky's Pet

What if I start to say, that forgetting you, is hard anyway.

So why don’t I start loving you again, and don’t care if anybody calls me insane.

I learnt what it is to live without love, rather how it is to live without you,

Stupid things I tried, when I know why, I cant be like what I used to.

Singing songs in rain, dancing. (Am I mad?)

When deep inside me, I am broken and sad.

But just for the sake of it, just for the people,

I ignore the waves of sadness, and also the ripples.

Damn! Now I hate you so much,

Yet I crave and still miss your touch.

And whatever everyone does, and whatever they say,

Can’t make me think of love the same way;

Incompleteness, yeah, that’s what I feel,

Everyday matters, seem so hard to deal.

Devoid of passion, I have no compassion,

This is the truth, this is me, your creation.

Frankenstein’s monster, that’s who I am

I live a lie, and I don’t give a damn.

The Last Chapter

Lets see where I left off, where’s the end of the last chapter,

Where do the rest of the words go, this has to end in shards of laughter.

If there was a story you wanted to be told,

A part of your life, which would be remembered always.

How can u choose to give glory to pain?

Love, after all, makes us live our days.

The road to heaven was wet with the rain,

The grass roots heaving a sigh,

The street lamps stand tall and blind,

And I see a girl in the arms of a guy.

Loves stories around the world,

Take a breather, and look hither,

May be u will find respite from your doomed lives,

A lasting memory, before u die and wither.

See how the girl smiles, see her blush in the moonless night.

I am dazzled by what I see

A distant bird cries out in flight.

Look at the man, bare, like a boy, walks with the girl, holding hands.

He feels the magic, of the loveliest blunder,

He reads a silent grace, for the holy man.

Looking around, I see everything.

The raindrops each with a tiny rainbow,

The trees, the dogs, the people passing,

Each in their own world, feeling high, feeling low.

A turn or two later,

A few I love you’s that mattered,

I see them walk towards the end of their road.

There was no you, there was no I,

There was no we to divide,

Just a song remained, never sung, never told.

And here I end my story of laughter

No laughs were heard,

But memories remembered.

Song of the Night

The night hums its own sad tune,
Remembering the past,its curse n boon;
As she spreads her cloak,from dusk till dawn,
I too find myself,humming her mournfull song...


From the shadows come voices more,
Whispering to me, their forgotten lore,
The wind sings a lullaby near my ear,
Of dreams and hope, love and fear.


The wait for the morning to come, and the dew to dry,
The bird prepares to take flight, with its morning cry,

But someone left last night, someone said goodbye,
And the night sings her song, and I sing with her tonight.