halfway home from
that concrete-bowl arena
teeming (heaving) with
stinky-sweat-soaked rednecks
layered in sawdust and grease

      a messy blackface mob
      spreading spit tobacco
      over their naked bones,
      they sneak around
      through the drafty back hallways
      casually scattering
      dad’s old shotgun shells
      fresh cigarette ash
      mamma’s whiskey labels
      and let-this-be-broken pregnancy tests.

      rusty dogtags clink together
      sliding between camouflaged denim
      mocking quick African rhythms

      circular saws scream over
      the echoing footfalls of
      steel-toed boots padded with
      suspicious glances

and my lonely power lines
are laying lazy across the
sweet, forgiven sky

honeysuckle weep
as they hug the barbed-wire  

the sunset smells something like grace

They say Love is blind,
but I disagree.
It sees too much.

Consumed by maybe spite,
apathy perhaps.
Love
watches you destroy everything.

Omniscient; Love sees all.

As you consume yourself in flames of brokenness
and lose her,
Love watches.

And what is more,
Love does nothing to stop you.

Turn down the lights, turn down the bed
Turn down these voices inside my head
Lay down with me, tell me no lies
Just hold me close, don't patronize - don't patronize me

Cause I can't make you love me if you don't
You can't make your heart feel something it won't
Here in the dark, in these final hours
I will lay down my heart and I'll feel the power
But you won't, no you won't
'Cause I can't make you love me, if you don't

I'll close my eyes, then I won't see
The love you don't feel when you're holding me
Morning will come and I'll do what's right
Just give me till then to give up this fight
And I will give up this fight

Cause I can't make you love me if you don't
You can't make your heart feel something it won't
Here in the dark, in these lonely hours
I will lay down my heart and I'll feel the power
But you won't, no you won't
'Cause I can't make you love me, if you don't

Brittle the dust flew winding it's way through the hollows
seagulls winging songs for love
Fog horns deep the darkening storm rolls on
splattering waves of day begin
Pebbles running down hill
gathering shells, my cup to fill
hurry home my frozen toes
thawing by the fire
counting shells
and embers

Love
is the fount of abundance
of endless youth – which knows
only to give
but Lover, do you know
how to take?

to you she offers this-
the legacy of the Wait
employ it as you will –
as a bed of thorns or as a work of art
the choice is yours

when the current of time shall turn
your chance will come
to take from that fount all you want
but the journey is arduous
the climb-treacherous
many a pitfall may lie in your path
beware - stay steadfast!

pour all of yourself without hesitation
drop by drop into that sacrificial fire
as your ink depletes onto the pages
like Svaha meeting Agni
there will come to exist
the consummation of your innermost desires

- Vijayalakshmi Harish
   23.01.2013
  Copyright © Vijayalakshmi Harish

He is my guide, he is my guide
He is my light, he is my light
Of my passion yet he knows not
His tender gaze is all I've got

A lover he has in his arms
The one who can relish his charms
Oh I'm envious I'm so jealous!
How that news was so horrendous!

He is indeed all that I want
From his love I can never run!
But how is it to make him mine?
When to the signs he remains blind?

His eyes my song his lips my poem
His grief my cries his tears my doom
God make me his only princess
and his final future mistress

God I shall love and care for him
As sunset comes and day goes dim
'Till only death sets us apart
Shall I give him my entire heart.