Sprigs and Spurs from pines and plants
freshly scented by the almighty
sway over my head
as I intrude into a different land
a different world
not the one I have known all along
squirrels run up and down  trees
measuring them up
chattering hopping randomly on  gentle giants
upon  ground lie the dead
fallen in storms long ago
twisted like driftwood,
in random  patterns  like seaside waves;
yet not forgotten.
elegant and serene in death
protected by an  umbrella of greens
praying in whispers for  departed souls
it's a world of creatures as varied as chalk and cheese
the flora and fauna
in complete harmony
wildflowers and fallen leaves
crunch beneath my bare feet
I breathe the forest air
and close my eyes
it's a feeling of being truly  alive
under nascent rays of the sun
that creep through trees
gentle and soft on the skin
create calming  variegated impressions on the ground
I trudge along
taking in fragrance of minty grass
pampering my lungs
and wonder
why can't my world be as this  
why can't we learn to live in rhythm
be at peace
unify in diversity

-pradeep

Petrichor in moist air
quenched soil, wet asphalt
rain soaked trees and flower beds
ethereal humidity
subtle haze in patches
contrasted by a slice of sun
occasionally peeping through
shrouds of vagrant greyish white clouds
floating lazily in a labyrinth
against a deep blue sky
beaming moving images
of light and shade on the ground
like projector of a cinema screen
conspiring  to reassemble
for another bout of rain

On the distant horizon
emerges in all its glory and sparkle
resting royally on billions of suspended water drops
pretty frame of a rainbow
encompassing the landscape
nature in its prime and sublime

I sit sipping a cup of tea
against the window
hoping and wishing
maybe some day
sins of humans
the hatred, the caste divide, the racism
would be washed away too
and buried deep
into the damp soil
after the rain.

Maybe some day..



  
..

I peer out over the balcony
spring is enchanting as ever
my eyes taking in the bright colours
squeezing through the clouds
the white stratus arranged as neatly
as a child's toys against a deep blue sky
lazily drifting in gentle breeze
that's sweeter than ever
each dancing leaf on the trees
has a story to share
soothing murmur of the wind
blending harmoniously
with the music of chirping birds

But death lurks for humans ...
on the garden path
in the narrow bylanes
at the marketplace
ruthless and unforgiving
striking at will
in hundreds and thousands
for too long has it treated  this world like it's fiefdom
through the three poisons of greed, anger
and stupidy
forgetting that
humans belong to  nature
not nature to  humankind  

#Pradeep

It lay  in a corner by the road
rudderless ,directionless
at the mercy of the wind
blowing across the crowded street
not for long though
grabbed  mercilessly and repeatedly
thumped  on a wall or  an electric pole
or at the show window of a swanky shop
till it would slide down
to the ground with a thankful sigh
wrinkled and paled with age
some signs of life still there perhaps
for it would vaguely remember  
the tree that was family
not so long ago
when on that fateful
turbulent and stormy morning
it was snapped away
by the ruthless unrelenting wind
leaving behind it's compatriots
sad and wary
then by a stroke of destiny
a heavy foot demolished it
Into a hundred pieces
blown away by the dancing wind
into a whirlpool of dust  spreading it
far and wide
as I ponder over this drama of  life
I am reminded of
the profound biblical lines
for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return

MONSOON
I look with admiration
mother nature at work
as a puff of grey cloud
swells in the distant sky like magic
riding the eastern breeze
the parched earth gazing expectantly
at the heavens
as the sun loses out its battle
to the growing grey sky
the air smells sweet
after a long hot summer
and then the rain drops impinge
upon a grateful enchanted earth
thrumming on the roof
pelting on my window
making pleasing random designs
the flowers and leaves
nod appreciatively
I can hear the wind
whispering through the trees
that dance along in unison
a little humming bird
taps it's sharp beak
on my window pane
pausing for a while
before humming away into the sky
as if coaxing me to come out
and join all the fun
how much I wish
we were all a little like raindrops
spreading love and happiness all around
that is how this life's got to be
for a peaceful coexistence

As a sleepy sun disappears
behind a layer of candy clouds
a congregation of birds fly
into the distant greying sky
headed into the comfort
of their cosy nests
and in  melancholic darkness that descends
an arched figure appears
in a hazy by-lane
an abstract of life journey
hidden between wraps
of his wrinkled face
a travalogue of wisdom
in his baggy blood flecked eyes
but now his steps a little unsure
weakened by passing years
only companion he loves so
his walking stick
a living being in many ways
for the real people in his life
lost in the sands of time
he knows this friend
would stand by him always
till death do them apart