The tin can rattled and rolled
Breaking the dead silence of the night
The street child lonely strolled
Without fear, without fright

Two months ago, his parents died
He was left alone
He was helpless, but naught he cried
He lost the will to mourn

Two weeks ago, he was running
Snatching, robbing, pick-pocketting
Living in the metropolis
Without joy, without bliss

Two days ago he slumped on the floor
Crumpled like paper
Clutching his stomach
No one noticed

Two days ago a boy walked here
Kicking an empty can
Now he lay silent, unmoving
Still, no one noticed

Two hours ago someone found him
People came, from all directions
Murmuring, whispering,
Beside the boy, a lighted candle.

The fields are heavy of rice grains
Planted during the monsoon rains
Billowing clouds rolled overhead
The golden summer bed

Farmers and their curved sickles
Bare skins with deep wrinkles
Straw hats and sweaty faces
Marched onward on steady paces

I went outside and ran uphill
To where the acacia stood still
I climbed her rough branches
And sat on her broad arches

The flute found its way to my lips
From the strap that was on my hips
I placed my fingers on the note holes
The music of thousand souls

The hymn to the farmers of old
Of long forgotten stories told
Melodies of sharp and mellow
Ranged from joy to sorrow

Under the bright sun as they went
Stiff limbs and backs bent
They heard the song and slowly halted
And turned around with faces twisted

Into smiles and laughter and bright eyes
From weary souls to harvesting rice
They waved their hats into the air
And the wind played with their hair

Father with his broad shoulders cried
Cupping his hands with all his pride
A good harvest this time awaits
Of twining souls and music fates

They say I am the wind, always passing by
I couldn’t agree more, I heave with a sigh
Some say I am the sea, roaring in turbulence
Or the highlands serene with all its prudence

But some know me as a prince of a clan
Yet some remember the image of an old man
Or a beggar by the street in the hot summer days
A little child playing by the sun’s golden rays

I am the flowers of May, the nymphs once said
I am the shadows and gray, said the undead
The fire of a torch in the darkest dungeons
Or the spike of an ancient ****** bludgeon

The truth is I am all that you see
I am all that you touch, everything that is free
I am crawling with life, I breathe, I feel
I am very long dead, I am the unreal.

The dragons breathed fire in the core of my soul
I smell of rot and decay, as that of a ghoul
I am the cold blade of a knight’s heavy sword
What am I? For I am only a single word.

Praise the mind, the pen and the paper
Oil in the lamp, the fuel of wonder
Everything comes alive, with the softest whisper
Many have failed to render the answer

Read this twice in the 21st century
The following clues are never a mystery
From here, count your footsteps back in time
You’ll pass the guardians of the holy shrine.

Keep in mind that I linger all around you
I am the enigma of the lines which grasp you
I feel you, and touch you and see you
Read again and you’ll see me too.

Cherry Blossoms fall
As we pass by the stone bridge
Hanging pink curtains

Fishes in the pond
White, black and clean red markings
Making small ripples

Mother’s kimonos
Of red flowers and grasses
Were velvety silks

The sparrow perched here
On the wooden window pane
Pecking on the grains




Winter came slowly
I strolled by the frozen halls
Blowing on my hands

Spiders spin their webs
Sakura watched quietly
Her eyes glowed dimly

Snow covered rice fields
They climbed Fiji with Father
They did not come back

The window pane fell
Ice melted on the stone floor
They all ran away

My fingers galloped
Water froze in the fish ponds
I weren’t afraid

The drums of the south
Pounding hard with pride
And strings of zebra tails
Would produce notes
And high tunes
As the natives danced
Up and down
Sideways
Around the fire

They brought my eyes
To feast on colors
Of bright canvasses
Bursting vividly
With dark strokes
And light spots

They made me march
Barefoot
On grape barrels
And tomatoes too
Squishing the juice
And producing syrups
Of putrid but sweet
Flavors of wine
And sauce
Of the Mediterranean soil

I marveled on the sight
Of sculptures
On wood and stone
Gods and goddesses
Stood in pace
Still figures
In frozen grace
Strong and exquisite
In complete forms
Of war faces
And grotesque clothes

A girl with dark skin
And pearly white teeth
Offered a drink
In bamboo cup
I thought it was juice
From ambrosia
It was honey water
The sweetest in the world

A gong’s sound echoed
Deep in the halls
Of a stone temple
The villagers ran
Inside huts
Then emerged
With fruits
On top of their heads
They raced to the forest
In winding buffalo paths
I followed

Fruits of the tropics
And fishes
Meat from hunt
Laden in baskets
And bamboo poles
Were laid on the floor
Facing the mountain
Where the god lived

The altar flames rose
Tendrils of fire
From torches
And oil lamps

The rituals
Of sacrifice
For their deity


They bowed low
They chanted
And painted their bodies
With mud and paint

They drank wine
And danced in a circle
Of a stone kept fire
In the stone temple

A trumpet of a beast
Of incredible strength
An elephant
Marched in
On its back was saddled
A man
And a woman
They were wed last night
And they rejoice
And danced
With their people

After a week
I was on a plane
Gazing on the canopies below
The continent
The heart of the world
Of cultures diverse
Simple ways
To enjoy life
And the wonders
Of this world

The table waited
For the father and mother
For the merry children
For a splendid dinner
Beside the fire
Where memories flickered
Of roast turkey
And hot cocoa
And a puppy emerging
In a bright parcel
Of red and green
The festive colors

The walls remember
Candle lit evenings
Where stories were told
Under warm blankets
The children would snicker
And laugh in glee
And excitement
As the mother kissed them
And the father said good night

The porch reminiscing
Bright summer days
Where the family
Played joyous games
And sang with the guitar

The yard misses
Seeing the children
In clean uniform
Marching off to school
And coming home
With tired smiles

And the rusty old car
Creaks his hinges
As he weeps
Remembering the father
Who polished and cleaned
During dusty days

And the curtains were weary
For they wanted to move
To let sunlight in
To recapture moments
When the family
Would chase each other
Around the house
Playing hide and seek
Shrieking and exclaiming
In happy voices

The old tree so ancient
Bent over the house
Missing when the son
Would climb his branches
And when in night
He watches them in silence
Camping under his leaves
Huddling each other
In warm plump arms
And when the tree
Peeks in the window
He would see the daughters
Gladly dressing up
For birthday parties

And the doghouse
The wooden old doghouse
Falling apart
Looks at the past
At a little puppy
Licking at his bone
And then coming out
With dozens of other puppies


And the dusty floorboards
Weak and brittle
Will creak at night
Remembering footsteps
Entering and leaving
The grandiose proud door
With a bronze doorknob

And a chandelier would clink
When the wind passes
Filling the house
With flashbacks
Of a new baby
Of graduations
And weddings
And then of noise
Noises of fun
And laughter
And giggles

They cannot remember
The blind day
When everyone vanished
Not a letter of goodbye
Not a wave of the hand
No words no memories
Nothing
Sadness and peace once again

They all sighed
As the sun vanished
In the edge of the neighborhood
They all wept
For the old wood
In the middle of everyone
Waiting for the family
The sad dining table
With ashes and burnt chairs
The table waited...

The once fragrant flowers exhaled toxic fumes
The once sweet melody played tragic tunes
The once warm palm of a friend, now bitter cold
No breath could be heard, no arms to hold

Thy comrade fell dead in the sea of people
The sea then fled, in a turbulent ripple
Thy comrade who fought in pen and ink
A life is lost in an unguarded blink

We mourn today, in black and white
The clouds shed rain, ‘twas a forlorn sight
The shovel struck the earth, my heart pounded
Filthy as the dirt, a man’s voice sounded

“He was a good man” he said faking his tears
And then he added, “We’re good friends through years
But as a true friend I know the truth in my heart
It was his own bullet who’d **** him, right from the start

He was sealed in the ground, separate from the world
The world he fought for, with his life and word
In my hand, his pen was pulsing black tint
To fight for human rights, no one has a hint

I lay atop the hill sighing with the breeze
The scent of grass almost made me sneeze
Daisies and daffodils all around me
Like a bird out of my cage- I was free

The old willow spread out her arms to give me shade
Like the clouds, my troubles seemed to fade
The river, a silver snake that slithered below
Fishes glittered as they went with the flow

Then far ahead, I heard a melodious tone
I wondered and thought if I was alone
I followed the song for it was enthralling
The voice was haunting as it was alluring

I climbed a tree and took a peek
And saw the thing that I truly seek
A maiden and her harp in the middle of nowhere
Golden hair and a skin so fair

I brushed my eyes for I thought I was dreaming
A royal maiden alone in the clearing
Butterflies fluttered and danced around her
Flowers have grown and bloomed beneath her

Awestruck, I fell from my perch
My head throbbed, my stomach lurched
I looked up to see her taken by surprise
Frightened curiosity flashed in her eyes

For a moment we just gazed into each other
My heart pounded and it banged faster
It was her and me joined by destiny
A thing so strange that it overwhelmed me

Her hands in mine, it was suddenly night time
Fireflies glowed against the light of moonshine
We smiled and moved to kiss
A stupid thing, a moment of bliss

I opened my eyes everything seemed still
I found myself on top of the hill
A ridiculous dream, but why do I feel
That just somehow, part of it was real.

I saw you today
Wearing your school uniform
You saw me and called me
I came to you
You just smiled
At school you said goodbye
You left me again
And so I waited
Later you arrived
But it seemed like destiny
Was bound to separate us
Because you went away
With somebody I know
It has been like that
For years, and years to come
You come, you go
You smile
Sometimes you would frown
I would watch you go home
You don’t even say goodbye
You can’t even say Thank You
But it’s alright
There are still many others out there
Waiting for me
People like you who need me
I know your name
Your friend’s name
Your favorite color
I know what scent you wear
The way you comb your hair
The way you walk
And talk
But then I know
That I need you and you need me
Always crossing roads
Hoping you’d call me again
Hoping that one day you’d smile
That one day you would know my name too
Though that chance may be vague
For our ways are different
And you might not care at all
I’m always here waiting
And still I am hoping
That one day you would appreciate my existence
As a mere pedicab driver.

Dead leaves rustled along the sidewalk
I looked around
The chilling breeze made me freeze
To where I stood
I bit my lips hard
It bled
Warm blood dripped to the stone floor
Shadows and mist hovered overhead
Then I saw her
A frail figure inching towards me
Pale as snow
The frightening face of terror
I screamed
No voice came from my mouth
I couldn’t move
Her eyes pinned me to where I was
And as I shake in fear
And panic
She stretched her arms
A hideous grin was sculpted in her face
A glint of metal in her clasp
I know I have wronged her
And she seeks revenge
I fluttered my eyes
I opened them to agonizing pain
A blade quivered on my chest
Blood
I fell face down
She let out a wicked laughter
I felt a stab
Swift as lightning
Nerissa
The black witch of the earth
Tore my chest apart
Pulled out my heart
A clean sacrifice
In the stone temple
Darkness flooded my vision
Bitter death
In the hands of Nerissa
My mother
The black witch of the earth.