It's midnight;
sky a black silky velvet,
moon a malignant metal disc,
with an ethereal glow;
a serenade of heaven's black,
support a chorus of stars

Ocean waves lap lazily,
a dancing hem of a long , flowing gown,
a jumbled concoction of  grey and  blue,
glowing like melted platinum,
in lasers of  moonlight,
spilling onto the sand with a loud sigh.

I close my eyes,
nestling deeper into my deck chair,
letting in fresh ocean air  
into a grateful pair of lungs.

It is the same ocean back home-I muse,
the same sky, the same moon, the same stars,
and yet it's  different here,
a surreal calm that feels almost godly,
I pull the locally bought scratchy kaross,   over my body and close my eyes,
the haunting lullaby of the waves ,
the swell and sigh are now  distant,
as the sleep catches on,
under a shimmering moonlit  sky.

As if triggered by a button on  remote,
life  **** starts
growing into a crescendo
humanity swarming like a robot,  rhyming with the relentless cacophony  

Air a strange  mix of perfume , sweat and burnt gasoline
with a dash of smoke from a nearby factory,
torpid clouds  in the blue oblivious of the commotion down under
parked like  boats safely moored in the celestial harbour.

And then it is all over in a jiffy
as the dark descends.
deserted, silent, litter strewn streets manifest under an incandescent crescent moon in all its glory
and  a thousand stars explode
like beacons of hope for lost souls of the world,
a homeless urchin in rags meanwhile,
crouches defensively,
preparing for a likely sleepless night

I walk lazily by the sea,
over the  cushion of a sandy beach,
as gentle on the eye
as a vintage sepia photograph
from my archives,
steady warmth emanates
from the golden grains  
I listen to percussion of  waves
rising and falling with rhythmic ease,
buzzing with its dormant strength,
crawling gently to the shore,
kindling its own symphony,
horizon impeccably stitched with a silver line,
hemmed  to perfection,
as if by a loving  adept seamstress
far away streamers of tapered light,
flow through cracks
in  languorus clouds,
a solitary albatross with sleek efficient wings,
streaks out towards  distant horizon
bidding adieu to a departing sun.

I settle down on the floury beach,
soaking the sun of dusk,
breathing in the salty air
life is so much like the sea I reflect,
sometimes  at peace,
sometimes a raging  storm,
so take bad in your stride,
dont beat yourself too hard,
stay undeterred, undefeated
for there is always hope
for  a better tomorrow.
Winter always turns to spring.

The forest river in her generous curves
shines blue amid leafy greens
whispering sweet notes
in cascading water strings
rustic hues of submerged pebbles
more priceless than precious  jewels
babbling and burbling it dances on
chords of sunlight spear down
bathing it's surface in white
like a thousand diamonds
blessed with an inner fire

The mountain stands regally in background
an imposing presence
of sky penetrating majesty
brooches of snow cover the lofty peaks
a weeping waterfall
oozing from a deep ****
in the rock face
glinting brightly feeding the river
the lifeblood of forest
I scoop a hand through water
and drink my fill
leaning back against a rock
I close my eyes
sweet aroma of forest
drifts into my nostrils
I reflect on the beauty of it all
could heavens be any different

I wonder...

Hope is bravery with rationale
hope is not some quixotic dream
it's  the steely will to seek the good,
to forge ahead undeterred,
seeking the light

hope is the starlight that whispers of the sun.
it comes riding on a galloping horse
reaching out to the horizons of victory
it's  the pilot light in icy winds

it's courage from bravest part of your soul
hope is seeing  beauty on a dark night,
when the inky black sky hugs the stars
as a mother to her newborn,
hope is the  power to see such beauty
and reach out to it with a naked heart

it's  the light that forms a rope
and anchors you to the resolve of a better tomorrow
Hope is the way  you smile
the way you pause
gathering strength to make a prudent choice

to breath and let love guide you
it's a belief in yourself
it's the way you walk ever confident
holding your head a little higher
hope is a firm resolve not to give up
Hope is an unyielding decision.



. .

Spring is in the air
so is love and hope
air warm and welcoming
fields a parsley-green
happy calves lowing in the fields
a carnival of scents linger in the air
daisies and edelweiss scatter the meadows
feeding happily on strands
of  light beams from the sky
nodding and dancing
in appreciation and delight
an optimist is the human personification of spring
like nature's fight to bring forth
new life, new beginning, a new order,
spelling death of winter
may death and disease
be doomed too
and bring life to life in 2021

-pradeep

He sits alone in  confines of  four walls
as melancholic silence descends
barring the crackling sound of fireplace
offering some solace on a dark cold night
incessant bouts of unforgiving pain linger
tears blur the vision cleansing his cheeks
barely pausing at wrinkles
streaming into his mouth
so he could  taste his own pain and sorrow
she left a week ago consumed by covid
leaving behind sadness
like death by a thousand paper cuts...
hope is  seeing  light  despite  darkness she whispers
though life has fated  we never cross paths again
I will never let you face this world alone
this bond of life and death
is unbreakable .

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

‘It was a day or two ago
or was it three
when the bright little purple flower
bloomed In all its glory
and the birds and the bees
and the butterflies
danced around it
as if in a trance
the sun shone white and bright
and brighter and warmer
and hotter
till the bright little purple flower
dwindled, collapsed and died  
‘cause it could bear it no more
but not before
as if as a part of its divine duty
bequeathed a bunch of seeds
from its ***** to the hot air
blowing over its dying body
delivered into the arms of mother earth
some other place
some other land
and the bright little purple flower
would rise again like a phoenix...
Circle of life