Muse, Verse n' You

Mourning...Alone....

2012-01-06T07:08:00.000-08:00

Death claims its victim
silently,
unexpectedly
leaving behind
a hurting trace
of mental agony,
of bleeding heartstrings
tied to the door knob
of mortality.....

Everyone peeks in
to offer their respect
to the departed soul,
to make their presence felt
amidst the chaos of superficiality
and then....

there is silence,
an aching bruise
of mourning alone
away from the world
within the depressing confines
of the heart
where emotions
ravage a denying mind....

(For a neighbour who passed away unexpectedly)

Waiting For Grace....

2011-11-10T22:11:00.001-08:00

I waited for the clouds to clear,

I waited for all near and dear

And yet, the oceans of gloom

threatened to tear my realms apart.

What was this?

A horrible dream?

A journey gone haywire?

The lust for life lost?

I helplessly held out my hands

for that invisible force

to grasp mine

to make my heart shine.

Chants of holiness descended from Above,

Waves of blessings engulfed my existence

And then I knew;

It was all there all along.

Searching for the key to life

in my locked mind

While it lay within

waiting for that infinite touch of grace....

Oh! Omen

2011-11-10T20:54:00.000-08:00

the hoot of the owl

echoing in my ears

warning me of waning time.

the slithering snake

beckons me to stay away

from venturing on my own.

the grumpy lady next door

with a smirk on her lips

curses me in her mind.

the hoot, the slithering, the smirk -

all eerie fears,

feasting on my vulnerable mind

sending out omens

I never knew existed,

enslaving me forever in forged tentacles of time!

Sunday Scribblings for the word OMEN

Jerks!

2011-11-08T21:48:00.000-08:00

The stifling carnage

all out for display-

animals, birds all-

brutally bruised,

humans sick, hurt, dying

jerked by the consequences

of living beyond their means,

greedily gnawing, grabbing

all that did not belong to them

alas! what is pitifully left are punctured egos!

for Three Word Wednesday:

carnage, jerk, puncture

POEM OF THE WEEK!

2011-11-06T00:01:00.001-07:00

My poem, 'WHOSE HALLOWEEN IS IT ANYWAY?'

has been selected as the poem of the week at The Gooseberry Garden.

Uma and all my poet friends for the generous support:

Abyss of Creation

2011-11-03T22:58:00.000-07:00

Is this all there is to writing?

A sheet of paper,

a typewriter

and words

languishing

to make their presence felt?

What about thoughts that run beserk

every time they are prompted

to put themselves on paper?

What about gushing emotions

that fail to conceive

when the time for birth is due?

The blank page

like life, like desire

descending into an abyss,

an act in itself

to experience

the pleasure of pain and creation.

Magpie Tales

Yesterday Once More.....

2011-07-23T23:49:00.000-07:00

captivating yesterdays

enthrall my senses

alluring me,

provoking me to dip

into the flavor of the past

sweet-sour memories

still submerge soul and all

into a aroma I thought I'd long forgotten

but retained in the nostalgic

interiors of my heart

between yesterday, today and tomorrow -

yonder yesterday captivates my soul still...

Sunday Scribblings: Prompt - CAPTIVATE

Stepping Stone....

2011-06-17T07:45:00.000-07:00

The next step

could be nowhere

lost amidst the gloomy oblivion

of nestling negativity.

But then,

the next step

could lead somewhere

looming large within

the luscious longings of roaring life!

So,

I take the next step

unmindful of unknown consequences,

unwarranted situations,

happy that I took the step at all!

Sunday Scribblings: THE NEXT STEP

Enduring Choices

2011-06-08T10:16:00.000-07:00

Timeless waves

hurtle my path

strewn with the ravages of

panting pace

unleashed, wild, knifed

knowing not

where it goes....

I endure it all

just as the patient space of existence

bears with me in spite

of all my immature acts

of vanity and vice.

A friendly relationship of give and take -

You endure me and I do too.....

One Single Impression: Prompt: ENDURE

Clouds Ahead!

2011-06-01T11:21:00.000-07:00

Clouds beckon me

to a world beyond.

On warm days

their presence entices me,

assuring me of a cool day ahead.

Black or white,

I discriminate not

enjoying the warmth

of a sky laden with clouds

forming figures of imagination

or bursting into relieving showers!

Theme Thursday: Prompt - CLOUD

Forgetting..

2011-05-31T10:44:00.000-07:00

Sometimes,

some memories seem best forgotten.

Sometimes,

I just don't want to remember

some pestering people

but they seep into my life

unasked, unabashedly

and turn my existence into a consuming chaos.

I like to forget that person

who stares at me molesting my thoughts.

I wish to forget that self proclaimed righteous relative

who makes me remember all that I wish to cast away.

I long to forget that once-upon-a-time incident

that transformed me into a insensitive brute

cruelly hurting the emotions of a loved one.

Sometimes, I just want to forget Me....

Poetry Jam: Prompt - FORGETTING

I Surrender....

2011-05-15T07:52:00.000-07:00

After endless moments

swimming against the tide,

missing the bull's eye

I languished

in the sand dunes of time

hurt, humiliated,

hostility hurling my senses

into a whirlpool of depression.

Surrender

was the only way out

of this unwanted, unwarranted maze

of human failure wrought

by the fueling of human pride

at the hands of ailing humanity.

Surrendering to you My God

I find my goal, my destination.

I find You!

Sunday Scribblings: Prompt -SURRENDER

Memories of Mother

2011-05-08T01:36:00.000-07:00

Mother, sweet mother of mine.

It is you who have always made me feel fine.

When I lay sick in bed

It was because of you that I was fed.

When I was hurt, lonely and sad,

Then, it was your presence that made me feel less bad.

With my first crush,

my first love,

my first heartache,

It was your support that helped me decide

which path to take.

Homework, Project or Job jeopardy.

That practical logic of yours

gained me insight and victory.

I grabbed all that you gave -

Those hugs, reprimands and smiles

that made me brave.

Mother, I may have been inconsiderate then

Because I was still in your little pen.

Now that I am alone,

My only solace is your voice on the phone!

I nostalgically recollect

All the memories I thought I'd forget.

I know not why you did what you did.

Now, I know because today I am a mother

Then, I was a kid!

Mother, sweet mother of mine.

It IS really you and WILL be you

who has always made me feel fine.

Write A Letter Wednesday

Celebrating the Little Girl.

2011-04-10T07:36:00.000-07:00

Today,

I celebrate.

I celebrate the little girl

in me.

Today,

I blow old candles away

Wishing new joys,

Welcoming hope.

Today,

I drown past worries away.

Gracefully thanking for what I have,

what I am and Will be.

Love You All.....

2011-04-06T23:51:00.000-07:00

Love me for what I am.

Love me true

I love you so.

You love me too.

I love you child

for being You.

I love you dear

for being so near.

I love you God

for being there

even when I am lost

searching frantically everywhere.

I love you Friend

for holding my hand,

for walking that extra mile

for making me smile.

I love you All

For being my Muse

For inspiring Me

For Making This Blog See...

....through an entire year.

Celebrating One Full Year Of Poetry at Muse, Verse n' You!

ABC Wednesday: Prompt: L

All We Need Now.....

2011-04-06T23:32:00.000-07:00

An epidemic

of calm, sympathy, grace

urgently needed

for a world lost

in its superficial stealth of living....

An epidemic

of healing rays

roaring, wrestling in its wake required

for people posing picture perfect...

An epidemic

of positive energy needed

to destroy the dreaded virus

murdering precious values...

An epidemic

of luminous love required

to clean grudging wounds

and prejudiced reflections...

One Single Impression: Prompt : EPIDEMIC

Nearly There!

2011-03-29T22:43:00.000-07:00

I nearly reached there!

All on my own

enjoying my self imposed solitude,

wishing for no strange presence

to destroy my self bestowed peace

I sailed along

carrying myself

a one man army

fully immersed

in me, mine, myself.

I nearly reached there!

When I discovered

the sailing solitude

I so longed for

was only loneliness,

the peace prickly pieces of arrogant dust

covering my confused conflicted mind,

what I needed

was another sailing boat,

sea or stream, just sharing life together!

Sunday Scribblings: Prompt: NEARLY

Hollow Me...

2011-03-29T22:23:00.000-07:00

I am a designer item.

I paint myself in all hues

portraying to the world

the pretty me.

I love this model,

adore the adulation,

obsessed with the frenzy

temporarily

forgetting

it is all an illusion -

I am hollow within.

One Single Impression: Prompt: HOLLOW

Freedom To Be!

2011-03-24T07:19:00.000-07:00

Free

as the bird in the blinding blue sky,

the vastness of the huge horizon

only edging it to fly further,

higher following the song of its heart.

Free

to be, to want, to do

as the meandering mind thought,

as the winding ways of the soul dictated

without disdain, hesitation.

Freedom

to be Me,

to love,

to hug another soul

to fly high, to identify with creation.

Sunday Scribblings: Prompt- FREE

Cross Your Fingers...

2011-03-17T00:43:00.000-07:00

Crossing your fingers,

hoping it happens,

wishing for that odd thing-

luscious luck -

preciously partial

loyal to none

for fancy or for fun.

Beneath the pillow,

on the window sill,

across the havens,

lying silently still.

Lady Luck busy as a bee,

seated on her majestic mobile throne

she beckons to all,

calling out to none.

Crossing my fingers,

twisting my tempting thoughts,

I greedily want all

that luck has to offer

not willing to work

not prompting to perspire -

Is that not what we all desire?

Luck without labour?

Only for us to favour?

Theme Thursday: Prompt - LUCK

I am a Millionaire!

2011-03-14T00:55:00.000-07:00

I would be a millionaire

if I had the money -

You won't believe it!

I do!

I have the wealth

of flowing warmth,

of unconditional friendship,

of joy galore,

of peace ashore.

I am a millionaire

of love lost and deservedly gained,

of lessons cruelly learnt and used,

of soaring spirits after calamity borne,

of pen bent, broken and repaired...

I am a millionaire.

I have the money

of Life!

of Gratitude!

Carry on Tuesday: Prompt -Opening Line from Home Thoughts from Abroad by Clifford T Ward

If only We were Less Passionate....

2011-03-14T00:25:00.000-07:00

If only we all were passionate

about the world

as we are about our loved ones

the tsunami would have given

Mother Earth a miss...

If only our passion

for food, frills and fast life

was much lesser,

earth cracking earthquakes,

drowning floods would have taken a stroll elsewhere....

If only the care, love and passion

for all things fine and flamboyant

could have been substituted

by a maternal warmth for the globe

Japan would not have been floating in devastation...

Praying passionately for all those lost, hurt and dead in the tsunami..

One Single Impression: Prompt - Passionate

Sometimes, it's just not enough!

2011-03-10T22:15:00.000-08:00

Sometimes,

this is all the space

I ask of you.

(nothing less, nothing more)

Sometimes,

this is all the space

I can give to you.

(that's all I have to share)

Sometimes,

this all the space

I can get from you.

(in charity or in love)

Sometimes,

Even this little piece of lonely space

seems doomed to a disillusioned destiny.

(for my good or for yours)

Theme Thursday: Prompt-SPACE

Happy Women's Day - Everyday!

2011-03-09T23:26:00.000-08:00

It’s Woman’s Day you say?

But I have utensils to wash and stack away.

Work to do,

No time to feel the dew.

What am I supposed to celebrate?

I am not going on a date!

I am told, Woman’s Day is to rejoice

But, poor deprived little girls have no toys,

Tender soft childish palms

Are not playing, they are asking for alms.

Every year this day comes and goes.

Nothing changes. There are friends and there are foes.

Women succeed where men fail.

Like always, the woman’s ship has set sail.

Yet, the woman today is tired proving she is good enough.

Oh! To forsake her femininity to show that she is tough.

At what cost must she do this compromise?

Just to feel contented and appear wise?

This day, for me is going to be the same.

In fact, I shall only hang my head in shame.

As I watch my countrymen trying hard to deprive

Today’s woman as she works hard to strive.

Let’s throw those rotten apples away

Before they spoil the others and a happy day.

Let’s not bow down before fear.

Let’s celebrate womanhood with our near and dear.

A toast to all women on Woman’s Day.

Nothing is impossible today.

At the fag end of every day

I shall still wash the dishes and say,

HAPPY WOMEN'S DAY!

H for Hat!

2011-03-08T22:55:00.000-08:00

That thing

called a hat -

does it merely cover

a thinning head of ageing hair

or is it a fashionable statement

for receding grey cells?

Every Hello -

a revelation to the stranger

standing amusingly

wanting to curiously know

whether the area called the head

has a growing patch or not!

Hats for all occasions,

for convenience

for cover-ups

temporarily hiding

embarrassing situations!

Do you wear a hat by the way?

Ha! Ha! Just some humorous hanky-panky!

ABC Wednesday: Prompt - H

My First -

2011-03-08T22:33:00.000-08:00

I remember them all

with loving fondness,

an aching desire

to experience

the pain, the hurt, the touch

once again,

something like hush-hush history

repeating itself

through the ravishing ravages of time....

My first love ache,

my first ache in my pre-teen tummy,

my first break-up with my little friend,

my first prize in school,

my first one liner dialogue in a school play,

my first green cycle,

my first crush,

my first kiss

I remember them all...

Carry on Tuesday: Prompt - "And that is how I remember them" from The 1950 movie, The Menagerie

Raw without preservatives....

2011-03-08T22:06:00.000-08:00

Like clay,

yet to be moulded,

the rawness of life

echoes back at me

every time

I hurl a preconceived

prejudiced notion.

The mind plays games

if we permit it to -

it is just another raw fruit

waiting to be peeled,

till the seed of life

stares at us in the face

reflecting the true nature

of existence -

Plain raw material without preservatives....

Sunday Scribblings: Prompt - RAW

Lemon Bashing

2011-03-04T00:02:00.000-08:00

The lonely lemon lay lost

wondering

about the juice of life

that lay hidden within

yet, untapped

the aroma obvious

yet, unimaginable.

All it needed

was a friendly fork of a fiend

to shake hands,

and pull out the taste of life.

When it did

the effect was fantastic -

with the delicious summer juice

came the fun filled festival of

friendly fervor -

the Indian way,

the Holi* way.

*Holi: The Indian festival of colors that will be celebrated this month.

Magpie Tales55: Picture provided by Magpie

For the Love of It!

2011-03-03T23:14:00.000-08:00

Buried deep

in the cosmos of my existence

lie words

hidden, mysterious, powerful-

cozy in the joyous comfort

of a boisterous book.

Nothing matters then.

The world may swirl around

for all I know -

it is the warm embrace of a book

that twirls me around

on tip toe at times,

a salsa at other times,

but always for me-

just me and the words

that sigh, sing and shout

all at once.

Oh! for the love of it.....

Theme Thursday: BOOK

Painting the World...

2011-02-04T00:17:00.000-08:00

Set in the background

of a bleak black and white world

I paint

till I am the painting

myself -

blue as the lavish sky,

green like the pretty unending meadows,

orange and red like the dainty flowers.

As I dip myself

in the paint of life

I am red with rage,

green with envy,

white with peace.

I am the Painting.

I am Me.

I am the Entire Universe.

Just waiting to become the rainbow

and spread my colors

across the horizon,

to merge into the real painting

called creation.....

Theme Thursday: Paint

Brick in the Wall

2011-01-31T23:53:00.000-08:00

Bricks,

old bricks

tell a tale of time

passed by the ravages of moments

lost to humanity

in the hurried essence of living.

Bricks,

worn out,

discolored

portray a history

unknown, hidden,

forgotten.

Bricks,

on the road,

in streets

bear my ruthless weight

even as I tread on them

crushing a past only they know.

Bricks,

part of life,

of daily existence

and yet,

lie ignored

like unsatisfied desire left to rot.

Magpie Tales 51

Theme Thursday:BRICK

The Light of Evening

2011-01-31T23:11:00.000-08:00

Like a bird

rushing home

to retire for the day,

evening beckons me

homeward,

to let go

off torn tired thoughts.

Evening -

a time closer

to the slumber of moments

that house a haggard

shell frame

locked

in its own jigsawing emotions.

Evening -

moving towards

the twilight of life,

the ritual

of offering salutations

to the Creator

on our plate of reverence.

One Single Impression: Evening

Let Go!

2011-01-31T22:52:00.000-08:00

Between the dark and the daylight

lie my fantasies

of a life

peaceful,

blissful,

lost in harmony.

When the night is beginning to lower

ambitious aspirations

take a well deserved dip,

greedy desires take a dive,

life ascends to the skies

and love merges with nature.

The Children's Hour

teaches lessons

untaught by selfish society,

humane blessings expand

to embrace the entire universe

and the 'I' learns to let go....

Carry on Tuesday: From Longfellow's poem, 'The Children's Hour'

Safe? Ha! Ha!

2011-01-31T22:13:00.000-08:00

Safe?

All my life,

safety pins have held me,

my emotions,

my reflections

together.

Safe?

From whom?

From what?

All my life,

indescribable queries

have plagued my soul.

Safe?

All the times,

I thought I was protected

I presumed I was in control

the safety pin came off

hanging on a tether.

Safe?

Are we ever?

From those pervading thoughts

of callous insecurity,

searching seriously for that key to lock me safely in

when the safety net is all within!

Sunday Scribblings: Safety

Are We There Yet?

2011-01-24T23:36:00.000-08:00

Are we there yet?

I am still asking that,

still to reach the place

I want to.

I need to.

I deserve to.

Are we there yet?

When are we going to stop asking?

Not content with the past,

nor with the present

or the image of the future.

Will we ever reach then?

Are we there yet?

Wonder what would happen

if we stopped asking for more -

Would our desires

transform into reality?

Would we reach our destination?

Would we?

Carry on Tuesday: From the movie, 'Are We There Yet?'

Divine Law

2011-01-24T22:59:00.000-08:00

A world without rules -

let loose, wild, senseless schools

churning out shameless vendors

selling humanity using cheap tenders.

Without regulations -

we are but mere untamed speculations

out to exploit, ruin others

not for us, sisters and brothers.

We are above law -

we think, and yet scramble for that one straw

that would save us in time

from all that man-made grime.

Rules, regulations and laws

not just aids to assist human flaws.

There is something else that rules our lives.

Divine Law it is called irrespective of joy or strife.

Poetry Potluck: Rules, Regulations and Laws

For Now..

2011-01-23T23:25:00.000-08:00

Eternity -

an emotion,

not a situation

as permanent as it may sound.

Eternity -

a state of mind,

not a place to reside forever,

as attractive as it may appear.

Eternity -

a longing,

a desire,

a provocation to reform, to live better...

for now.

Sunday Scribblings: Eternity

Jumping Turf

2011-01-19T23:52:00.000-08:00

Jumping turf.

Rolling over tuft.

Wading through fields.

Slicing through

depressing devastation,

souring sorrow,

bloating ego.

If only

we jumped all the time,

jumped cheerfully

in happiness and mirth,

wouldn't the earth have flattened by now

to house a race equal in all respects -

in love and creed, in day and night?

Theme Thursday: Jump

Meandering Steps

2011-01-19T23:35:00.000-08:00

Sometimes,

stairs are a disguise

misleading mindless slush.

At times,

stairs lead nowhere

and yet, unknowingly

climbing, edging on

we reach a place, some place -

the shallow emptiness

pervading our minds and souls.

Stairs,

not always a lead

to a destination,

the goal to fortune,

the love of our life.

Stairs,

a journey,

in sync with our meandering thoughts

landing us in the lavish passion of hell

or shoving us into the gentle peace of eternity...

Theme Thursday: Stairs

Mother's Letter From Home

2011-01-19T22:58:00.000-08:00

My son,

I write just a few words

to warm your heart,

as you get busy with a new life,

in a foreign land

I pray that you rise honestly,

reach your cherished goal,

your dream, your desire,

let it burn like fire,

errors are made, lessons learnt,

worry not about the trails left behind,

just hold on tightly to any inspiration

you can find.

My son,

you have courage within you

I know,

so go ahead and transform

your goals into reality,

stable headed and cool,

you have it within you to rule

over your temporary weaknesses.

What more can I say

my son,

I only aspire to be a tiny ray

that creeps in through your window

every morning,

to wake you up

to work with brightness,

finally, it's only You

who can make his day turn out right,

it's only You who can convert darkness into light,

so rush ahead but steadily my son,

the world awaits....

This poem was published in the magazine, Rashtriya Sahara in the year 1999.

Write A Letter Wednesday

Inside Me...

2011-01-17T23:32:00.000-08:00

Searching for carnivals

all over the place

knowing not

they are all around.

To each one his carnival.

For each thought a festival.

To each emotion a feast.

For each intention a goal.

My carnival resides within me.

Blissfully unaware

I wander over waves of wayward emotion,

Rising and falling, celebrating and mourning.

One Single Impression: Carnival

How much more....

2011-01-17T22:49:00.000-08:00

How much more romantic can it get?

With you bending down on your knees

and I looking lovingly at you

just wanting to drown you

in my trembling warmth.

How much more romantic can it get?

With you nestling your head in my lap

as I ruffle your hair

as it blows gleefully in the wind

unmindful of a passion set free.

How much more romantic can it get?

as I place my hand in yours

and we walk down the aisle

strengthening our vows of love

for today and for eternity.

Room For Romance

And that is how I remember them...

2011-01-17T22:29:00.000-08:00

And that is how I remember them...

My memories

of You.

Happy with the joy of life.

Fragrant with the scent of love.

Flowing with the stream of peace.

Luring me to sleep

dreaming of You

and your open arms of affection

that engulf me

in their passion.

That is how I remember them...

My memories

Of You.

Carry On Tuesday: From the Glass Menagerie's "That is how I remember them..."

Invisible to the Core...

2011-01-17T22:10:00.000-08:00

Invisible,

lost in space,

floating in my astral form

I tried hard connecting

those I had left behind.

But, they seemed

unaware, indifferent,

locked in their luring reflections

oblivious of my miserable state.

Did I matter not to them?

It was I who wanted to let go.

It was I who wished to be set free.

But death brought with it in flowing clarity

all my subconscious desires

that lay buried deep bursting to the seams.

What a paradox!

My earthly invisible state

made all that I had pushed slyly under

the crevices of my murky mind

as clear as crystal.

Invisible or not, I had a price to pay....

Sunday Scribblings: invisible

Walking....Running....Falling....

2011-01-11T22:17:00.000-08:00

I am walking,

I know.

I am supposed to

but, is it where I should be?

A leisurely walk in the park-

perceiving nature in 3D vision

is what I need to do

but do I?

My lethargic tension-free stroll

transforms into a run

and I never know

until I trip and fall.

Am I going to wait

until my aging winter

to talk the talk

and walk the walk in the park?

Sunday Scribblings: A Walk in the Park

Destined to Be...

2011-01-09T21:16:00.000-08:00

Destined

to be a poet,

dreaming daffodils

with words whistling

wishful hope

in the wind of

time....

Destined

to be a woman

wrapping weary emotions

with the soft garment

of love, joy and contentment

wondering, wishing, wandering....

Destined

to be a child

of an all loving,

all embracing Lord

praying for His Grace

for today, for eternity....

Writer's Island: Destiny

Abundant Arrogance!

2011-01-09T20:26:00.000-08:00

My abundance -

her flooding famine.

My abundant love -

a rarity in his scalded

home and hearth.

Abundant grace

for me

falls short of realization

in someone's haven

of insecurity.

Do I even realize it?

One Single Impression: Abundance

Yesterday Once More.....

2011-01-05T00:12:00.000-08:00

Yesterday,

gone

but still dominating

my thoughts,

my very being!

Yesterday,

history

but still alive

and kicking

in the jigsawing emotions of my heart.

Yesterday,

lost

but retrieved

in the desires, dreams

experienced, cherished for life.

I long for "Yesterday Once More...."

ABC Wednesday: For the Alphabet 'Y'

When wilt thou come?

2011-01-02T23:20:00.000-08:00

A child

at heart,

she still has those

wide eyed fears -

of pursuing predators,

of luring strangers,

of thundering lightening

breaking the silence

of a childlike mind.

Talk of darkness

still brings back

wounded memories

of love gone astray,

of joy expected

unsatiated,

lost to the storm

of society,

its selfish sadist existence.

She still awaits

the promise

of no darkness

and no wide eyed fears.

When wilt thou come?

Carry on Tuesday: No more talk of darkness.... from The Phantom of the Opera

Monday's Child: 31

Calmed at last....

2011-01-02T22:45:00.000-08:00

When your raging emotions

burned my heart

that solitary cup of chilled coffee

calmed me.

The motionless sea

mirrored my emotions

calmed on the surface

raring to storm within.

When the last call

beckons, the soul

finally calmed,

the warmth of the grave will be haven.

One Single Impression: calmed

Combing Away...

2010-12-30T10:00:00.000-08:00

You comb

my thoughts

and I yours.

Each strand combed

a path cleared.

Each strand untangled

a wound healed.

You comb

my way out

of the chaos

and I do the same.

Every combing gesture

a step forward to joy,

a moment to forthcoming contentment.

All in that one act of combing.....

One Single Impression: Comb

They tell it all..

2010-12-30T09:42:00.000-08:00

Gloves on the table

tell stories

of the owner-

how well they were treated,

how carelessly used or misused,

all like the human persona,

used and abused,

roughly handled

or kept carefully,

wrapped

in the treasure chest

of safe emotions,

valued relationships.

Gloves -

they tell it all.....

Magpie Tales: gloves

Educating Minds...

2010-12-28T22:54:00.000-08:00

Educating minds -

objecting

to silence

of the heart and soul.

Educating minds -

a mere influencing

of vulnerable wave of thoughts

succumbing to stereotype

brainwashing

of prejudiced ideas

and narcissistic notions.

Educating minds -

drowning

objects of silence

under the carpet of culture.

Three Word Wednesday: Educate, Object, Silence

Two Sides of the Same Coin

2010-12-28T04:44:00.000-08:00

Celebrating

Birth and death,

Praying

For life,

Condoling a demise.

Celebrations and festivities

Of life’s irony

Staring me hard in my face,

Stone-faced, ruthless.

Where do I draw the line?

Between joy and sorrow?

Between faith and hopelessness?

What I do today has no relevance tomorrow.

Life or death -just two sides of the same coin.

Celebration and festivity – all in the mind…

Poetry Potluck: Celebrations and festivities

Divine Grace

2010-12-22T23:00:00.000-08:00

The Divine Mother

and

Her Blessed Son

born to deliver all

from suffering and delusion.

Their grace descends upon

You, Me and All

even as we mere mortals

squander it for petty gains.

Look again,

Search for the Power

that is never lost,

just lying dormant

in the dusty dungeons

of our mean minds.

Magpie Tales: 45

Farcical Stillness

2010-12-22T22:37:00.000-08:00

Still!

Like a single stem from a withered branch.

I hang precariously.

I want not to fall.

I wish not to carry on.

The stillness of my existence

runs deep

attempting to silence my drowning restlessness.

Beneath the whirlpool of overflowing emotion,

I lie hurdled in grudging desire.

Thundering thoughts crawl below

the crevices of my flowing demeanor.

Making me wonder-

Is my stillness a farce?

One Single Impression: Stillness

Without You....

2010-12-21T23:53:00.000-08:00

Without you, my child

I do not exist.

Without you,

I am nobody.

I have no identity.

With you,

I am love personified.

Without you, Mother

I have nowhere to go.

I have no haven.

I know no one.

With you

I am safe.

I know myself.

Without You, God

I am lost.

I am clueless about life.

With you,

I am.

I do.

I am life itself.

ABC Wednesday: Alphabet 'W"

Mapping Minds!

2010-12-21T23:19:00.000-08:00

Mapping the continents,

marking our territory

across lands and oceans,

seas and sand,

When will we stop?

Marking our places,

houses and homes,

living as if life was eternal,

never to die, forever.

Mapping our relationships,

work and wastelands

creating fences and boundaries,

creating distances between minds.

Time flows slowly and softly

marking our thoughts,

emotions and intentions.

Humanity shall soon be mapped for life...

Theme Thursday: Maps

Testing Times!

2010-12-15T21:56:00.000-08:00

Testing times-
growing times,
losing times,
loving times,
hating times,
winning times,
expensive times,
hurting times.

I thought I had passed the test,
having wanted,
got,
seen
and lived it all.
What more could there be left for me?
I wondered
in nonchalant arrogance.

From binding placenta
to bonding finger,
From erring pencil
to refined pen,
From dearest friend
to mate for life.
Hadn't I gone through
all the tests that were destined for me?

Testing Times-
surviving times,
hoping times,
giving times,
binding times
reflecting times,
realizing times.
Timeless times!

Theme Thursday: Test

Painful Joys of Teaching

2010-12-15T00:33:00.000-08:00

The classes will go on

Even as I sit forlorn _

Nature demands it so _

To learn,

To study,

To grow up and go away.

The students that sit

In my class _

Sometimes listening, sometimes not _

They all will eventually go away.

They know not the value

Of unconditional affection

And yet, give it happily so

Only to move on

And open their treasure chest

Of unexpected and unconditional emotions

For someone else.

Much as I long to be part of their little world,
Much as I yearn to be a student once again
I must let them go
As a lot is in store
For them, for me

For eternity.

Oh! The painful joys of teaching!

One Shot Wednesday: Week24

Winner?!

2010-12-14T00:25:00.000-08:00

What do they get

hurling bombs of hatred

to destroy innocence?

Taking the name of religion

to feed on prejudice,

Using God's name

to brutally murder His very creation.

Fear, frustration and fissures of destruction feed on their famished ego

only to kill a race they belong to.

They do not know

that a bomb in a bin

is only a prelude to sin,

something which their God never proposed

when their religon came into being.

If wars could be won this way

there'll be nobody left to stay,

not even them.

Who will the winner be then?

One Single Impression: WIN

Walking The Buddha's Path

2010-12-12T23:34:00.000-08:00

A chariot steered Him away

From the moh-maya

Of life.

What will I need

To get rid

Of unwarranted attachments?

Whenever I sit to whine

About this and that,

About what could be and would not

I remember Him –

As He cast away

What was served to Him

On a platter!

Try as they could,

His parents unable to thwart destiny

And karma

Had to let Him go.

When shall I learn let go

Of undying expectations?

Desires growing like creepers

Slowly and steadily

Enter the vineyard

Of a superficial life.

When shall I find the straw

Of divine love

And climb up without feeling

The loss of hurt and hatred?

Of trust and tattered emotion?

When shall I strive

To walk the path

Of the Divine Soul?

When?

Poetry Potluck: Reflections, Interpretations and Musings

December Dear!

2010-12-07T22:54:00.000-08:00

It is that moment again-

a time to reflect and realize,

to ponder on pages of our lives

written with the ink

of our thoughts and emotions.

Of dried lives, blooming spirits

and firm resolutions,

of life gone straight,

of a world gone astray,

of nature's benevolence

and man's betrayal.

It is that moment again-

of looking back on a year gone by,

gloating on success and counting gain,

of being happy or crying in pain.

Of love gained or a world lost,

of losing reason, celebrating the season,

Judging on what one did was good or bad,

whether one was happy or sad.

It is that time again-

to let go of old fears and older failures,

to live, learn and love more,

to give, earn and serve more.

Only a month left to go,

a springboard to leap into a fresh year,

to start new projects and live newer dreams,

and celebrate,

for it is December Dear!

Challenge 1: Months of the Year

Knocking on the Door of My Mind

2010-12-07T22:10:00.000-08:00

My dreams

conjure up images
reflecting
latent desires
in my subconscious mind
as they tussle
with one another
to transform
into a probable reality.

*************

My visions
for the future
indescribable,
unrelated
to the unconnected visuals
that hastily appear
and craftily disappear
before the unclear screen
of my unsettling mind.

**********

My reveries
play games
showing me places
I cannot go,
persons I cannot meet,
goals I cannot reach.
They revel
in their power
to twist, twirl and turn me around.

*********

Poetry Potluck: Dreams, Visions, Reveries

Freedom To Be!

2010-12-07T21:01:00.000-08:00

Free

as a bird

flying high

in the vast expanse

of the deep blue sky.

Free

as a baby

unconditional

in its love

for its source of nourishment.

Born Free

Both, you and me.

Growing.

Expanding

For Eternity!

One Single Impression: Free(dom)

U for Unanimous

2010-12-07T20:15:00.000-08:00

Unanimous in our greed,
Unanimous in our desire,
Unanimous in our wants,
Unanimous in our misty mire,

Why can't we be unanimous
in our dislike for dark terror?
Why can't we be unanimous
in our peaceful perceptions about humanity?

Unanimous in love,
Unanimous in creation,
Unanimous in death,
Unanimous in recreation,

Why can't we be unanimous
in our prayers to the Almighty?
Why can't we be unanimous
in joy and hope?

Are we really unanimous at all?

ABC Wednesday : The Alphabet 'U'

Twinkling Away to Glory!

2010-12-01T02:07:00.000-08:00

Twinkling stars

singing

a melodious melody

in brightening chorus

destroying in a second

depressing thoughts

threatening

to ravage

misty minds and sorrowful souls.

Tinkling bells

carrying

a humble note

of prayer and positivity,

echoing memories

humming in their glorious ring.

"Hear me Lord,"

they say night and day.

Tinkle. Ring. Tinkle. Ring.

ABC Wednesday:T

Melding Thoughts!

2010-12-01T01:08:00.000-08:00

Melding
thoughts
with overflowing emotions,
not a piece of cake
yet
we are constantly doing it
satiating
long lost desires and
unforgotten dreams.

Melding
love
with convenience,
affection with circumstantial cysts -
a professional danger
we often put ourselves into.
Not the right thing
yet
we revel in its use.

Melding
divine energy with devotion,
selflessness with humanity -
mere reflections lost to society,
dampening our dusty cells
oblivious
of the final recall
of the soul
to its Savior!

One Single Impression:MELD

Part of the Cosmos

2010-12-01T00:46:00.000-08:00

Part of the cosmos

I lie untended to

like all creation-

plants, creatures and all.

Or, is it my innate ego

prompting me

to arrogantly presume

that this hi-fi adult

needs attention?

Isn't creation

alive and kicking

working diligently

without any aid

from
I, Me, Myself?

Poetry Potluck: Cosmos

Terror Not Again! Never!

2010-11-26T04:31:00.000-08:00

The Taj terror has terrorised trust

drowning our spirits once again

in the flaming fires of horror, hatred and hurt.

Patting our Indian spirit we shall carry on

but, for how long?

With a nation’s crown in flames

a terrorised country sheds acid tears

that scalds every heart, mind and soul,

burning and hurting much more

than the bombs and bullets

that shower on innocent and hapless souls.

Where do we go from here?

After losing our near and dear?

The blaming game has already begun.

That’s half the fun

for those whose conscience has melted

in cruel, insensitive acts of terror.

Poisonous buds of blooming beasts

are now plaguing our plains.

It is now commonplace to lose someone

in a nasty act of violence

and pray for the spirit to carry on.

Carry on! Where? For how long?

Like dumb dolls

Donning on dunce caps of nonchalance

are we going to push this aside once again

and wait for another act of terror to unsettle us?

The politicians play petty games

to gain brainless votes

and we permit them to do it again and again.

The culprits could be Pakistan, the politicians or the public.

But, there is no point in carrying on.

What we need is a revolution in full form.

Even as we salute all those who valiantly defended us

We need a change.

Even as political heads roll off impotent shoulders

We need a fast flaming transformation.

We need accountability and responsibility.

We need peace for God’s sake!

No terror again. Not again.

Cup of Life!

2010-11-24T21:35:00.000-08:00

Cups change consecutively.
Sizes and shapes sizzle.
Their fame flies fabulously.
But the aim remains
The same.

To judge.
To prod.
To test.
To pick and choose.
To move on.

Taken in
by the glamor
of a glowing glass -
a crystal,
a piece of metal.

We bend over backwards.
Striving hard, to gather something
we do not deserve.
What is a cup anyway?
A piece, a part of life itself.

Magpie Tales: Winner's Cup

Soul Searching Silence

2010-11-24T21:08:00.000-08:00

Silence

pervades my soul.

Silencing

restless reflections,

sweeping away shaky showers

of insecure presumptions

locked

in rusting boxes of rot.

ABC Wednesday: S is for?

Let's Get Down To Business!

2010-11-24T00:28:00.000-08:00

Sent down
to serve as apprentice
I lost myself
in the pleasure
of living,
forgot my duty
and donned on the cap
of supposed Master and King
of the Universe.

Blinding clouds
of arrogance
crashed carelessly
shattering
my very being.
I realized: I wasn't King.
An apprentice
was I to be
for all eternity.

My foolishly flocking around
did not make Him forget me.
When the time came, for me,
I stood before my Creator.
Two chairs before me I saw
Amused at my bewilderment -
"You forgot," He said. "I didn't."
"Remember, you are my apprentice?
Let's get down to business!"

One Single Impression: Apprentice

Miracle of Divinity!

2010-11-23T23:53:00.000-08:00

Krishna, how you tingle the senses
like you did with the gopis;
one moment you are there,
another, you disappear.
Is it an illusion?
Are you not here and there-
Everywhere, omnipresent?
Then, why do some days
brighten with your glimmering rays
while some are clouded by your hurting absence?

Your word is a lesson.
Your persona life itself.
As I search for you
hither and thither
among brook and stream,
while awake and in dream
your peacock-feather crown,
the soul stirring notes from your flute
sway me away
rocking me to and fro
and then, I know -
You are always there
In my life's voyage.
I see You Krishna.
I see You holding the row of my sail,

always and ever in sunshine and in gale!

Poetry Potluck: Magic&Miracles, Wonder&Wizardry

Sleeping on Stones

2010-11-18T09:59:00.000-08:00

The street is my mattress,

Stones my headrest,

The wind covers my body

Even as I curl up

Like a foetus

In a womb.

Roadside lamps –

My aid to study,

With cops punching me

As they demand:

“What are you doing, buddy?”

I hear that the world is advancing

To what I wonder!

My old man is still begging on the road

Even as the globe

Sells poverty

And promotes indignity.

One Shot Wednesday - Homelessness

Human Emotion Let Loose...

2010-11-17T02:49:00.000-08:00

My moods reflect my thoughts

and decide they'd rather

take a hasty stroll

instead of hurting inside

the confines of a pensive soul.

Frustrated feelings

make failed attempts

at climbing castles of fortitude

only to drown into welcoming whirlpools

of wisely tempered forgiveness.

Verse overflows from the scaffolds

of emotion let loose

by a heart willing to scatter

all that holds it together -

rusted reins of ravaging sensation.

Poetry Potluck: Moods, Feelings and Emotion

Echoing Reflections!

2010-11-15T11:03:00.000-08:00

If only nature was

a picture frame-

perfect,

wouldn't it echo my thoughts

imperfectly?

Reflecting joy

when sorrow pervaded my soul,

Celebrating

when hurt edged into my very being!

No wonder

floods and famines,

poverty and illness

echo the reality

of life,

of living itself

in all its eternity.

One Single Impression
ECHO

Rosary of Belief

2010-11-15T10:31:00.000-08:00

The rosary curtained the little locket,
the powerful image of the monkey god-
Lord Hanuman.
As every holy bead rolled over
by the devout finger
of a spiritual mind
gathering symbolic vibrations
of love, devotion and grace.
The mace,
the mountain,
the leaping image over lake and fountain
only strengthened
faith wound around
beautiful beads of belief.
I hold the rosary
in my trusting twines
of twirling thought
only to discover the Lord!

Magpie Tales

Queen of My World

2010-11-10T23:39:00.000-08:00

I am Queen of my World.

My word is command!

I am master,

I am my slave.

Ruling over all and none

With crown to wear and staff to hold. Fun!

In despair do I banish

emotions away.

In joy I dance around and sway.

I rule my heart, mind and soul.

I am Queen,

not in part, but whole....

ABC Wednesday

Magic In the Air!

2010-11-08T22:34:00.000-08:00

Poets United
One Shot Poetry

I wave my wand and magic is in the air

drowning eerie wails and sorrowful cries,

my magic sways

a bagful of starry wishes, dreams and desires

over anyone who pauses to drop by.

No longer a right of the Harry Potters

and the witches and wizards of yonder yo,

my magic wand sprouts up

uncalled, uninvited, unnoticed

spreading goodness, peace and joy

around those who long

for a day of respite,

craving for a little wish,

longing for that lost love.

My magic wand is here for all.

Come on, let's have a ball!

Man-Made Splendor!

2010-11-08T22:09:00.000-08:00

Buildings,

reaching up to the deep blue skies,

slicing
the horizon,

an impressive combination

of brick and mortar
promising
illusionary eternity.

Monument,

a man-made wonder,

a piece of poetry,
constructed
with heart strings that never die.

Magnificent love
usurped
by the ravages of time and motion.

My house,
my home
unconditionally
embraces me in its fold,
no reasons asked
no conditions made.
My haven
My friend. Life itself.

For Poetry Potluck
Prompt: Buildings, Monuments, Landmarks

Pause -The Magic Moment!

2010-11-06T23:44:00.000-07:00

She paused as he approached her

slowly taking her soft gentle hand

in his strong embracing one

to clasp forever.....

He paused as she walked towards him

hesitatingly,

she came up to him and gave him her hand

standing on her toes to give him the kiss of life....

Mother paused one last time

before she gazed gently at me

enveloping me in her warmth

and then, let go...

Pause- the magical moment between reflection and deed.

For One Single Impression

Secret Agent Cock-a-doodle doo!

2010-11-06T23:25:00.000-07:00

For Magpie Tales

He rules my day

commencing at will

disallowing me from deceiving my alarm clock

a man made equipment,

no match to this rooster's cock-a-doodle-do!

Weekday or Weekend,

he knows no difference

ruthlessly waking me up

from my world of dreams.

Who does he think he is?

The Almighty's secret Agent?

Fanciful Farce!

2010-11-01T22:19:00.000-07:00

What I fancy

is what I do not have.

All stored in drowning drains of desires

floating in brittle baskets of my brain.

They live inside me,

cannot survive without me,

die disillusioned sometimes

due to the frivolity of my fancies.

What I fancy -

too fanciful beyond imagination.

No wonder, I lose them to eternity,

floating specs of dust

let loose in the horizon.

My illegitimate wishes

undeserving of my stature,

burn forever in the glistening whirlpool of creation.

For One Single Impression

Prompt: FANCY

Whose Halloween Is It Anyway?

2010-11-01T02:58:00.000-07:00

Many a night

when I try hard to sleep,

Howling dogs

prey on my hidden insecurities....

Hooting owls

send me eerie messages

of forthcoming misfortune....

Blind bats

rush past me

to feed on the blood of god forsaken creatures...

During the day

when I feel free as a lark

scary scarecrows in green fields

stare at me smugly....

Black cats

send shivers down my spine

as they circle around me and mew mockingly....

Day and Night -

I am caught in the tentacles of time.

Each trying to wickedly overtake the other,

playing a dangerous game

of fun and fear

drowning all my arrogant assumptions

of my supposedly dominating presence.

Making me wonder..

Whose Halloween is it anyway?

Mine or Theirs?

Poetry Potluck
Poets United
Alphabe- Thursday
The Gooseberry Garden

Will My Wishes Suffice?

2010-10-28T23:03:00.000-07:00

A piece of verse

cannot suffice

an anniversary celebration.

A line of praise

cannot compensate

thirty odd years of companionship.

Yet, when I look back

and reflect

on emotions shared,

on bonds sealed,

on memories stored

within the capsule of time,

I cannot but feel

the warmth of this unique relationship

penetrate my very soul.

Teaching the first lesson

called life,

gently holding onto

my little finger

till the tiny seed

sprouted into a sapling,

a plant and then into a tree

to miraculously provide shade

for another generation of humanity.

Today, as I observe

their wedding day

I realize that this little girl

is as old as their marriage.

That’s a lot of water

flown under the bridge of time.

The bell chimes again

ushering in another year

wherein I bow down humbly

in gratitude for the love

I received all these years.

Yet, as the wonderful day

strolls in once again

I wonder:

Will wishing one surviving parent

a happy wedding anniversary

be equivalent to opening wounds

of happy memories

that dwell in the misty corners of a lonely mind?

(On the occasion of my parent’s wedding anniversary. My mother incidentally passed away in the year 2006.)

The Dead Speak!

2010-10-27T21:28:00.000-07:00

For Magpie Tales...

Memories have a way of coming back -

in graveyards, where they lie forlorn

surrounded by the live reflections of the dead!

Like that writing on the wall

reminding you of what could have been,

grudging you for your stony existence!

Amidst the silence of silenced souls

lies that noisy chaos of the dead

still expecting from you what you could not give!

The slab but a mortal barrier from the dead and gone.

We know not but, they live; they indeed do!

Having a good laugh at our obsessed desire to live on...

What Is Grace?

2010-10-27T01:36:00.000-07:00

For this Week's 'Single Impression'

Grace is....

......Growing old together

Sharing grudges, lust and hope.

Trusting when the world is lost

To the terror of insensitivity.

.......Flying high like an eagle

Alone, proudly in the bright blue sky

Waiting for no one

In the vast expanse of the splendid horizon.

..Watching that ripple in the lake.

Spreading its essence all.... over.

Letting it dissolve inside You

Finally granting you the peace you were searching for.

Prompt: GRACE

Dust on the Soul

2010-10-26T23:38:00.000-07:00

For This Week's One Shot Wednesday..

The early morning rays of the sun

splash my countenance

and I am awakened

out of my ignorant stupor.

Scores of queries

buried deep

in the squalor of a laid back existence

begin to torture my very soul.

"What is writ in my destiny?"

"Why can't I see beyond the fog of life?"

Some incomplete goal

lies awaiting my knock

on its beckoning door

and I am helpless

oblivious of that window

to hope and fulfillment.

Cobwebs of ignorance,

dust of arrogance

lie untouched

wrenching my sudden thoughts

of reflection and realization.

Oh God! I beseech You

To show me the Way!