I close my eyes
And let my lungs heave in the toxicity
I shut them tight
As my thoughts take flight
And I push away reality

‘*** I know there’s a place with no binding ties
Where I don’t have to bend the knee
There’s a space, with open plains and clear blue skies
Where I get to run wild and free

I close my eyes
And feel a burning urge
From myself to purge
All those “how do you dos” and “no thank yous”  
All those petty pleasantries which are meant to woo

‘*** I know somewhere there’s an endless horizon of possibilities
And it’s devoid of archaic norms meant to rein me in
I know there’s a little spot above the urban din
Where I get to stomp away on all those bogus formalities

Yet society’s stirrups
Ever close by
Dig hungrily into my ribs
Walk on, walk on
They silently compel
As I step in a direction
I know all too well

Any capricious conduct
And swiftly the saddle masters’ whip gives a nip
To prompt adherence to custom
For my current behaviour is in bad form

In the end what to choose and pick?
Will it be the carrot or the stick?

Bitter winter winds may rustle my leaves
And shake me to the core
But I stand still
For my roots keep me grounded

Sharp shooting showers may pour
And drench my very soul
But I stand still
For heavenly waters only set my desire to persevere alight

In the end, when all is said and done
I stand still
For I am secure in the knowledge
That thou art with me

Clipped wings can't fly
They lack the momentum,the drive
To pound the ground
And reach out to the heavens

Broken wings can't fly I tell you!
They are battered
Bruised beyond repair
While the pain is too great to bear
So they fold in
And in time are frozen
Frozen in the that ,moment of angst

The worst kind,however,
Are caged wings
The power within them
Is akin to the gods
But it's use is restricted
So they just disintegrate
While never knowing
How high they could soar

When you look at “me”
What do you see?
Do you see my smile?
The one meant to razzle-dazzle and beguile?

The one which like the sun,
Is so warm, so inviting
But deadly enough to leave you blind
Ag my dear go ahead, look away!
Save your eyes for yet another day.

When you look at “me”
What else do you see?
Is it my charm?
Careful now, that can also harm


For, like a lake you skimmed my surface
Skimmed it and just stopped there
To look any further you didn’t dare
Why? Is it really such a scare?
Or do you simply not care?

Now you know that calm exteriors
Don’t make for tranquil interiors
No different than a volcano
People erupt from within

The next time you look at me
I do hope you see:
The shyness
The fear
All the insecurities.
But most of all
Genuine happiness
As I smile at you with my eyes

Buzzing away
Day to day
The worker bee
Scouts, collects and creates
Life-giving nectar is what she makes
To the benefit of all

Suddenly, who do we spot?
It’s none other than queen mother!
Proudly she sits on her golden throne
With one or two a favoured drone
Although a femme-fatale she might be
It’s thanks to this coupling the bee can BE

Could we not learn from this?
Hers to hers and his to his?
Separate duties, yet part of the whole
Everyone plays an important role
Then no one would have to be left
To float about on their own, all bereft

Oh why instead, do we sting one another with our words and deeds?
And continue to focus on our solitary needs?

An iron-born man
In menacing manacles
Told ME I'm the prisoner
Blindly I burst into laughter
Until he said
You poor, silly goose,
Is that a tie you're wearing?
Or a noose?

These invisible chains
I can't shake loose
For my light receptors
Have been gauged out
Two silver shekels
Stuffed there in their stead
Now the man in the shackles
Gets to be the one who cackles

i'll tread the path he knows so well
For the captive learnt to love her cell