"Department of space' a signboard shouts aloud
to my perplexity of that moment, it adds
before mind's eye I see the great enigma personified
and try to reason,"Oh! fathomless vastitude, mostly dark
what need you've this quaint building, that before you
would be a frightened Indian bride at her first night?"
Yes, the puny little "department" is not all space, it implies,
has a purpose limited than how it sounds: grandiose!
one doesn't even has any inkling,
what all these means, but a scribe, I have  a thing
with all these seeming inanities, that's the funny part.

Marveling it's esoteric architecture and mulling over
the concept of bringing the limitless to the minuscule,
just enough for a department of government to deal with,
I wait for bus, a personification of impatience, curse the circumstances,
fear reaching late for my appointment, with an eminent scientist.

Fuming against the haphazard, public transport system in this town,
while appreciating the red brick architecture, acts contrary
and make me a bundle of nerves.
Then she 'happens', that's the word
wasn't I looking for an escape from it all?
Freeze, i did, she, to be precise,  her figure was
nothing less than  a show stopper,one should admit.

Her dress, gladly left nothing to guess, and those dark eyes
from the other end of the bus stop eagerly sought me
as if I am assigned officially to pay all her pending bills!

From all round swarms of humming birds, eager admiring eyes
were chasing her, the moment  was an explosion of chrysanthemums ,
for me,  she and I , two spirited dancers on a stage,
(a scene fashioned in my mind, unfolded there ,it seemed)

Am i not to honor commitment as a responsible journalist?
an appointment was fixed with the nuclear physicist,  
with great difficulty it was done, on the way my car conked,
at the nick of the moment, i am here eagerness and anxiety
combined , fighting many demons at once, give me a break..

Yet here i am, finding time to fall in love, like yet another accident,
how fickle is my mind, I'd make any one submit
in an argument, but this red, ripened lips,are alluring
infest my thoughts, those dark eyes plead for love of course,
makes me feel like running to her, true love  may appear even here.

at that moments of dilemma I was another Buridan's ***
wants to do both but can't do one even;
and precisely then  my cell phone rings,
on the other end the nuclear scientist sounds apologetic,
my heart started to pound in my ears, does she want to cancel
the appointment for the day, postponed to another day?
I didn't listen her words, those eyes were scorching me alive.

moonshine overflows
from night's infinity pool.
rare are such delights.

fathomless cosmos,
is in an ecstatic trance.
we are in its dream!

Maudlin       mOOn,
    sitting                      all alone,
                                                          in a brooding
                                                           ailien  sky
                                                    ­                   lost
                                                            ­                in  the thoughts  of,
                                                   ­                        t                              
                                 ­                   s                                  a          ­              
                                                  ­                                                r      
         ­                                                                 ­                                  s,





                       ­                             starless sky makes her feel let down,
                                                     not even a piece of white cotton cloud,
                                                    she can't  even wipe the drops of tear
                                                            ­                                                t
               ­                                                                 ­                             h
                                                                ­                                               a
                                                                ­                                             t
                                                               ­                                           
                     ­                                                                 ­                         f
                                                               ­                                                   a
            ­                                                                 ­                                           l
                    ­                                                                 ­                                       l
                        ­                                                                 ­                                 
                                                                ­                                                        
        ­                                                                 ­                                                a    
                                                           ­                                                                 ­    s

  
                                                                ­                                                         d
                                                               ­                                                             e
  ­                                                                 ­                                                               w
­                                                                 ­                                                                 ­   d
                                                               ­                                                                 ­        r
                                                       ­                                                                 ­                 o
                                                               ­                                                                 ­           p
                                                               ­                                                                 ­           s
                                                              
                                             Over hills, dales, woods and grasslands, incessantly throughout the night.

She was correcting
one
       by
           one
all the mistakes of her past
with an eraser and pencil
sitting in a bleak room
painted  clinical  white.

What moon means to me, how would I put it in words?
she has a power over me, yes, she is the cure for all my ills,
when my heart aches she knows, her beams , like rare herbs
just by a touch, makes me forget  my woes,
my beloved is jealous, isn't she just a village lass?
possessing me, to her, is a quaint way to express love.
I just would  laugh it off, she would join, later when she sees her folly.
My sweetheart, saw me climb the stairs of the night,
to reach moon's lovely cottage, just above the hill, our rendezvous,
when we met, I noticed,  her face was raven black
with anger; the moon was smiling at this caper,
as she knew how to make my love laugh, in moments.
The moon sprinkled her silver dust,  moon beams shone on us,
that was pure  magic, who can resist it ?She jumped like a child,
On the sandy river bed my love and I danced
moon, in all her splendor, came down on still water plane,
to play with us, as we bathed together.

A leggy lass, showing off,
in a short, red dress
in no mood to hold back,
her excessive sass,
rubbed him in a way wrong,
as if by chance.

Everything for sometime
went haywire,
his long held views on girls,
on what should they wear,
the oomph factor
and its upper  limits
the matter of taste in make up,
all those he thought
no focus of men folk
were shaken to the root.

How strange he feels,
when he now looks back
every single piece,
fell right in place,
in his jig saw puzzle,
that reminded jumbled
    all that long.

a scuba diver,
stunned by coral display,
forgets his way back!

Tall avenue trees, so lush, standing either side of the road,
heads bend inwards playfully, to touch foreheads together,
were  in a blooming contest, a riot of colors wherever one turns,
no wonder, remember, this is Bangalore, the city of countless gardens.

The noon sun eager to  join  the mirth, is generous with light,splash
over the flowers of many hues, violet, red, butter white, yellow,
and the many shades of green of the thick crown foliage make,
with a rare delight, never displayed, in any other time of the day.

A midday lull pervades, very few people on the street,he was
relishing the mood, smiling to himself,but the lone girl, full of cheer
walking towards him, decided to respond, with equal fervor,
just then, a sudden wild wind shook the trees, as if it was pre -arranged
causing a shower of pollen,drenching her all over, she stood stunned,
in response he ran forward, hoping to rid her of the profusion of pollen,
what  at that moment she needed was a hug; he gave it to her quick,
they stood looking eye to eye, certain dreams happen in broad day light
even forgetting that one is awake;before they realized they became
day light robbers, robbing each other's heart, in an idyllic moment,

1.Forgone
learned languages:
silence speaks!
#
2.Forgot logistics;
transcendence
rings bell.
#
3.Transgressed limits
accidentally;
how fortunate!
#
4.Dense darkness
highlights
the starlight
#
5.Expected silver
got gold;
dissatisfied!

Song bird,on the branch on the top,
of my tree of life, you wake me up
with sweet twitter, each day a new one,
to my bitter sighs you give your ears,
day and night and remain my true comfort,
in every change of weather, may it be
monsoon torrent, winter freeze or spreading gloom

Little bird you know this well
never ever would I take you for granted,
you are the spirit that bring me cheer,
keep my nest such a quiet space for peace.
take the fledglings,under your sturdy wings
keep your glad eye on my desires that
seldom sleeps day or night, till it's told.

In this nest, it's your hallow that fills, spills out, too
in every twig of this nest we built, is the mark
of your efficient beak, that worked to move it there!

Petite you are,but it's so deceptive
my talisman and shield, none but you are that,
if my songbird's eyes by chance fill,my heart bleeds!

1
Bark, say, those who probed its meaning deep,
is a complete dog language;
but many others argue against;
say, this idea itself is nonsense.

when you hear the bark of a dog remember, meaning is not the same every time,
either happy or sad is every bark!
some could well be shouts of protest.

breaking the ruminating silence of the young night
in to hundred tiny pieces,
a dog, count him a vanguard, barks,
over and over again, like he/she is possessed.

sounds like a long pending complaint,
to the heartless master,
insistence on not restricting the rights

"Let me be off
from this leash
for a while"
a dog's days are painfully  long,
but even meager demands, mercilessly neglected.
that's a dog's life perfect!

the love showered on occasions,
and care taken, excessively at times, come with riders.

2
Now two dogs, with throaty barks,
compete to outbark each other-
(...to settle an acrimonious dispute,
going on for how long,
who knows!)

'kind souls, at your dinner tables,
please intervene,
even dogs deserve their peace'
the bark goes tapering in to the night..

3
A woofing predator- like dog,
with a bark that easily could startle, any heart,
suddenly falls silent,
like all his engines have failed!
what ever has happened, one can't guess!

4
A sleeping dog
(his barks suggest that)
breaks the lull again,
barking harshly at a dream,
that threatens ,(perhaps)
a sudden bark, like a bullet,
catches the opponent unawares and hit.
(the foe, howled aloud,
till the moment falling dead,
one imagines!)

5
The bylanes are now littered
with, many kinds of barks,
mutilated, dissolved,
vanished, floating in the air,
quickly  forgotten, as it's harsh;
swiftly passing dark night,
with the help of sweeping  winds
collects and packs,
all barks
in to a bag of silence
and walks on quick.

6
Top dogs do not belong to this club,
they are always noted for their
braided silence;
none ever hear their barking sound,
--such a secret, not even a growl!
they are known for their bites,
each one  is different.
                  OOO

Mind
your
waist,
        It is
   survival of the slim waist
        always.

Blue roaring river, green seething sky;
everywhere he follows her on the sly
fully undressed in less than a minute,
she jumps in to the river and dives down

a woman's secrets in water gets a life
the protector in him is instinctively aware
not every action is prompted by a thought,
she finds him there, a fish in the depth,

getting in to her, twisting his tail, through dreams, 
of recurring red blooms of desire, fertility rites.

A voice whispers
my name like
the swish of silk,
at the dead of night.
When I broke away
from sleep's long,
sweet embrace,
those nails
painted blood red
seek my hungry skin
that craves for
her tantalizing nips
on every bit of its spread.

I bat both eyelids.
She attributes motive and winks.
The right moment to think!

I plant trees, then forget; never turn back.
I am not a rooted lover, plunderer or penitent,
just a wayfarer, dissolving cloud, call me a seeker,
still they blame me when the trees doesn't bear fruit!

A boulder, black granite, love oozes  in its core,
but none would believe the truth, it slept,
hearing the foot steps of passing millinnia,
birds and butterflies on their journey
took it as a shelter and sat in its shade,
beasts sometimes, sharpened their claws on its corners,
big cats bit it, in a bid to make it submit and surrender,
warriors in their frenzy to eliminate enemies
sharpened their war axes and swords on it.

None saw love pulsating inside,  even without a heart,
or asked it how it felt, when treated
like just a stone without future.
It had love in many depths, it never regretted,
being a stone, formed with  ingrained lack of love,
the journey became tough, as it just began.

It needed to bear it, make the dark core melt by its
acquired sensitivity,  through experiences-
it comes across; every bird, bee and butterfly was its teacher,
in its longing to break in to grains of sand and fertile earth
begin a new cycle, that'll take many millenniums.

One day a blue bird sat on its shade
looked at it as if it heard something and asked"Are you listening?"
heart of the stone was overwhelmed, "My dear we were soul mates,
I never could imagine, you 'd come searching for me-
in my cursed state.Sing, so that your song could melt me to life"
And she sang about billowing clouds and copious rains,
love, its magic and songs frozen in stones.

The stone melted when love poured over it,
it was a new beginning; stone to fertile earth.

though her face was inscrutable, like a cloudy sky,
deceptively calm she was, in her grief.
at the poet's funeral his girl didn't sob or even flinch,
true love in his life was his poetry, it was evident,
"If love is passionate, beyond all  limits like his
it would be fulfilled only in death" she said and fell mute.
when her words gushed out like blood from a ****,
they missed the firmness in her voice, that ringed aloud,
it pointed to this:  her crazy love for her lover , leaves her no choice.

In the costume drama of the universe,
there are no roles we haven't donned,
we ruled the seas, land and skies,
in an oblivious flow beyond eons.

A million years ago, one morning,
I stood here, a Neanderthal, naked
facing an ebullient sea, ecstatic,
in the frenzy of creation.

On a tree branch you sat, near
a bird with colorful plumes,
that sang for my heart to rejoice,
the tune had something ethereal
that transformed me to a handsome pagan, so sudden,
tears streaming down my cheeks, words eluding, I promised
to pay you later, for that invaluable gift, magical
you waved your wings and said, "See you later"

Today,
you flashed your smile, and I remembered
the song, that transformed me to a man
on my winding road to evolution.
Now, you sit looking at my eyes, oblivious of our past
an alluring lass, a bird from paradise,
touching my heart yet again.

You said, "As I saw you in the crowd,
some thoughts, mysterious rushed in
as if I know you, some time, perhaps a life before?
*"The truth is " I murmured in  to your ears-
"One million years, aren't that far"
you might not understand, but your heart did answer
those eyes unfailingly told me at once.

a lilac sends scent,
an orchid, elating winks;
love speaks through us all!

Night is the poet,
Of eloquent silences,
In darkness and light!

Don't walk,
protected
by shadows
wearing masks,  
                         when streaming light,
                         gleaming sword drawn,
                         comes to annihilate,
                                                     ­     evil shadows
                                                         ­ with vengeance;
                                                      ­                               *where would you hide?

in a huff night left,
how darkness still lurks around?
monsoon slyly lies!

The bee I did like,  buzzed around me in circles,
with a nice tune, and  tried her best to impress,
as I wasn't a flower, just bloomed and could'n't offer
nectar even if I wanted ,because I have exhausted all by now,
such devotion, I guessed is because of misplaced affection
or result of some confusion, so  I prepared
to say good bye to her.

                         but I did underestimate a  bee's frustration
she  came direct to me and stung with all her vengeance
left a thorn in flesh that spoke of unfulfilled desires in general,
But the pain I thought, I deserve though could plead
not guilty in any court. Oh! her sweet vengeance is an enigma,
let her feel good about it, leave me to  nurse my paining spot,
no more  friends with bees as the season of flowers come to a close.

a white whale in sky,
fought with a dark octopus;
west wind erased both!

Pollinating  a red flower in a frenzy, a blue butterfly ruminates:
"This act,a prompt, nature coincides with time,is hardly appreciated"
"You tickle me, in a way I haven't known ever,Yes, I love it"
twitching involuntarily the flower seems to hold on to that moment.
" After all, we couple in the interest of  posterity, let's not forget"

When they brought
the tent down,
with a sudden thud,
neatly packed the things
in their haversacks,
hurriedly in silence,
resumed the journey
on their separate ways,
he couldn't let go
of her smile
she gave him
the moment she found
they were in love
with each other.
Only a memory,
an image of what was
in a glowing moment of the past,
became more real
than the reality,
staring now at his face.

The girl
                 sitting across my table
                 holding a strawberry
                                    tenderly
         ­                                      between
                                    her pursed lips,

                                    has her wanton eyes
                                    resting on mine.
            
                                   **I taste strawberry in my mouth.

Nearing night, lovelorn evening sky blushes, turns crimson.
Her face, brushing his, trembles with uncontrollable passion.
The sea, clearly is impatient, descending sun so expectant.
Her lips inches closer, his passionate heart is ebullient.
The heaving burden of night, weighs gently upon earth,
The sands of the beach, give way to her lithe body's weight.
Together they savor the wonder, that single moment brings.

Eternity eavesdrops my heartbeats,
does she know, it's my love notes for her tonight?

Polishing her long dark tresses,
night spoke to me
in her celestial codes;
twinkling lights, silver, red and amber.
mesmerized, i fell mute,
she was eloquent.
our hearts exchange every nuance
without anything lost,
aren't we lovers for eons?

when i grow weary,
with my head resting on her warm lap
I sleep, even dreams are strangers to that sleep.

"Will i be in your mind,
when i leave for ever" i ask her.
She smiles, in copious meteor showers
"Where would any one go
without holding my hand?"

night lights whisper in a  doleful tone, i notice,
I love that voice of eternity laying in wait.
"There wouldn't be any change, remember,
we would be lovers as ever" i hear her
And go in to raptures!

The pool glistened
in wet moonlight,
wearing a  haze
like in an ***** eater's vision.
the deep blue waters
that lay still
has something to tell
one would think,
he was glad to see
such clear water,
that reminded him
something vague

"Answer my questions"
from the pool intoned a voice
"before stepping in to this water,
your ablution can wait a bit,
would you like to taste
this water, and find out
its origin, if you could, then step in"
"Why not" he replied with confidence,
"I am enamored by this sight,
such loveliness makes one
forget pain of every kind
now, let me know it a little better"
when his tongue touched
the water just once, a flash
struck,  remembrance came
rushing towards him like
the curse of  tsunami waves,

her pearly tears it were,  collected
on its own, for many years.
he sat by the pool, guilt ridden
torn apart by grief, cruel vultures,
till the moment his eyes fully dried,
he was let out from the house of pain.

Predatory hate  patted her face
and said"You are a nice morsel for
any beast of pray,prowling in hunger,
in this campus, see them roam around,
in many enticing guises, to touch
the likes of you with a dangerous longing "
she heard the murmur in the wind
and sent it back as her  messenger,
"The moment you touched me, fiend
the pollen of love that did spread on your fingers
started to change you from inside,
you won't be able to hate any more,
take it as a gift, magic of love and  it's collective
though  a curse to debilitate, power of hate"

a garden unkempt,
she took him,made an attempt.
he is more than real!

Lightning sets fire,
Thunderclaps rattle dark clouds;
Rainstorm declares war!