hell

where is hell
in my heart and yours
- beating every minute in road rage
- throbing at the temples
with ringing phones
vibrating
on silent mode
lying unanswered
and a bride unconsumated

where is heaven then
also in my heart and yours
- beating every minute the radio plays
an old time favorite
- running like blood in veins
every second the kid
kisses you unexpectedly
to share his love

january, come undone

january has come
undone,
just this moment
when we saw
a big moon, swinging
by my front door
soft like cotton candy
and as hard as a tough heart
it never gasped in surprise
when we touched
its crescent, ever so gently
but its gentle quiver
woke him up, just in time
to quickly swing by up in sky
to his usual place among the stars.

a moment of happiness
it really was
when january, came undone

butterfly

the butterfly with golden wings
and a bright white glow of fortune
spun a yard of silver silk
and got ready to spawn
all over the satin wood of moss.

your solitude

what do you think
if you do
in the quiet moments
at dawn
of ablutions

a little boy and his seeds

the little boy
observed the little green seeds
intently for the hundredth time
in his outstretched, taut
little palm
he was pained to see
that they had not
become plants yet again
then he put them back
in the little plastic container
filled with water,
went around running
crazily, crashing into doors
and throwing tantrums
and things at a pace
his parents could neither cope with
nor understand.
then after 20 minutes or so
having spent just a miniscule of his
boundless, fathomless,
bundle of energy
he was back in the empty room
his plump, dexterous fingers
extracting, scooping
the tired seeds out of their sanctuary yet again
he placed them one by one
on his soft palm, slippery with water –
and, again he wondered
why his seeds had not become plants still…

the end

don’t speak
don’t talk
there’s nothing i would rather hear
i don’t want to listen to a single word
i just want to lie down idly…
gazing at the stars above…
my legs crossed over the knees…
exhilarated at the sight of moon…

all around, black abounds
darkness falls all over me
like soft, soundless soot from the sky
life goes by
so slowly,
hesitating, halting steps
indent my head, then chest,
then stomach and then legs
a tiny trickle of a mysterious drop
lands on my parched lips
from a cloud drifting far away, far-far away
just a drop and no more
just a lick and no more

o’ wind,
lisp a sweet lullaby
in my ears
and make me fall dead
when the end comes…

rainbow

somewhere, behind the clouds
lies a rainbow bright
far away, behind the mountains
it stays out of sight
when we climb the mountains
slowly, it’s tiring
your legs are weak, honey
and you’re perspiring
just take a deep breath
and exhale
our journey will end
and our plan not fail
once we are over the peak
lo and behold
our dreams will come true
and miseries fold
here, hold on my hand
we are on a cliff
just midway to the top
don’t get your back stiff
feel the cold wind
caressing your face
enjoy the lovely views
before we win the race
there, o’ my dear
it’s a just a few steps more
lean on my shoulder
for I have never loved you more

you

rain against the window pane
whispers vaguely familiar songs
and sweet, fond memories flash back
of you and me, sitting together
huddled in front of the wired heater
fanning wafts of hot air in our faces
flushed with old monk and coke
orange-hued fried battered fish
stared back at us from oil-stained newspaper
together with mint-chutney, laced with blood-curdling
unbearably hot, yet unavoidable green chillies
the warmth of indoors disappeared
the instant we stepped out
in the frosted december night
those lovely walks on
the deserted tar road in corbett
between dhikala and bijrani…
those silly moments of lying down
on the dry, cold road carrying tyre-prints
of infinite vehicles that thundered along
and the possibility of having your back against
a spot where a beautiful, serene wild thing
may have crossed the road for a thirst-quenching
gulp of water from ravishingly charming,
kosi flowing deceptively innocuously
between pebbles smoothened by centuries of
caresses by nature’s wet hands…
those memories of our time together
are tattooed in my heart immortally
and will always be there for me to cherish,
just as you, my love, i hope, i pray
stay beside me till my last breath.

chase them...chase them

i want something from life
and, i’d say, so does the wife
but it’s elusive so far, to say the least
a beauty being chased by a beast
someday, i pray, we will catch
up, and hopefully our eggs will hatch
is it enough to have a dream?
even though far away it may seem
in the journey to the destination
lies really the whole fascination
chasing dreams is an exotic sensation
but not dreaming is like annihilation
to chase our dreams, let’s walk or jog or run
but if we stop dead life will be no fun

what price independence?

offsprings, siblings, parents
domestic helpers, gardeners, suppliers, et al
pets - dogs, cats, fish, turtles and snakes
are they independent...
what is independence...
what is freedom...
what is liberty...
if not words that hold no real meanings
we are bound - arms, hands, hearts and heads
every which way can be conceived

the hackles of debt...
ummm...now that independence
can surely bring a soothing calm
but for how long?

prohibited by law...
when it stops a crime, it's wonderful
but when it stops me from speeding, it's horrendous

impositions by society...
again, for me it works
against me, it doesn't

criticism...
freedom of others' speech is not that liberating,
or, is it really?

chained by love...
at least that is a dependence that we love
now, don't we!

hiragana, hiragana every where

Japanese poem Iroha-uta ("Song/poem of colours"), dates back to the 10th century and uses almost every hiragana once (except n ん).

いろはにほへと(いろ は におえど)
ちりぬるを(ちりぬる を)
わかよたれそ(わが よ たれ ぞ)
つねならむ(つね ならん)
うゐのおくやま(うい の おくやま)
けふこえて(きょう こえて)
あさきゆめみし(あさき ゆめ みじ)
ゑひもせす(よい も せず)

And here is what it means in English, as mentioned on Wikipedia:

Even colours and sweet perfume
Will eventually fade
Even our world
Is not eternal
The deep mountains of vanity
Cross them today
And superficial dreams
Shall no longer delude you.