how do you go about it
when you write a poem
scribble on a piece of sheet
then think about a name?

or do you just tap the keys
seek a clue to start
your way to save the trees
yet find a vent to heart.

do you sit tightly stiff
intent on the screen
or shuffle in the strong belief
they would pour the way you mean.

how do you find the time
or do you have enough
to betwixt work catch a rhyme
grab the thoughts by scruff.

do you write all alone
without a soul around
in a place quiet to the bone
but for your clicking sound.

or you have but little choice
to be by yourself in a room
yet bud a poem from the noise
grow it to full bloom.

my mind ponders the questions above
but the least I can do is to brood
how you pen a poem of love
that makes me feel so good.

when a boy finds a girl pretty
his mass of love gains velocity
and in that moment(um) of trance
he sees a chance for romance!

when a girl finds a boy attractive
though she first plays a little evasive
can’t hide for long her cheeks’ blush
in the growing velocity of her love’s mass!

the rooks glare at him
his pawns are all dead
on his neck roars the queen
crown trembles on his head!

smells his fall the neighing knight
hangs on thread his fate
crown would go and so his might
war over the bishops trumpet!

his army of pawns are nowhere seen
the king feels so alone
his chosen war he failed to win
about time he leaves the throne!

victory at last the pieces sing
we have the king checkmate
behind the new face the same old king
readies to wear the crown’s weight!

I dipped my toe
in the inviting shallowness of the creek.

her muddy water
gurgled in joy

she stoked the fire of my desire

wove me dreams
with moonbeams

and I waded far on her

till the water rose
above my nose

death seemed close and nigh.

I didn’t die

drifted away on her

going stronger
growing weaker.

(so they say once you dip your toe
soon lose your way
in the muddy creek’s flow)

November mist wraps a wet blanket
as I walk the falling day’s labyrinth
beneath neuronic trees of a waking forest
along a river dying in hyacinth!

the boatman sings a home going song
floats happy at the end of the ride
the river is narrow a few furlong
and his home is on the other side!

oil lamps flicker from the bank huts
winds carry their laughter and cries
grow darker tree barks as darkness shuts
all but the sky’s heavy sighs!

I hasten to escape this melancholic gloam
an alien in this forbidding night
the boatman must have reached his home
and the river is lulled in starlight!

If I say
I don’t believe in God
I would be incurring enemies.

God wouldn’t be one of them.

to tell you a secret
where my eyes roamed
while in the forest
where my eyes homed

if I can tell you without fear
and the secret you don’t take far
it was not the wild deer
my eyes were seeing her

to tell you a secret
what my lens caught
while in the forest
what pictures it got

if I can tell you without shame
and you rightly guess the answer
it was not following any game
but kept on catching her!

Hush descended on the birds of the valley
a horned owl hooted on the hill above me
emerged from the mist a pale blue moon
you know in the jungle the night comes soon!

Nocturne shimmered expectant still
the king had arrived to claim his ****
his shadow moved with a low mutter growl
stopped in its hoot the lone horned owl!

Thirty feet below neath the yawning screen
on the big oak the tallest on ravine
it so seemed but only a few pace
within the reach of the king’s embrace!

The two only knew who were in the war
one to be witnessed by the langur sambar
cries of caution they all would sing
not least bothered arrived the king!

On its track stopped the wind afraid
as the risen moon showed the king’s head
his paws advanced eyes fixed on me
for three days the king was going hungry!

Licking his **** he took an apple bite
birds took flight night froze in fright
to shoulder must raise my rifle on knees
while the king ate his dinner in peace!

His eyes glimmered in pleasure’s full glow
my fingers closed and inched up slow
but what I did over the valley rang out
cupping my hands gave a full throated shout!

It echoed in the hill such loud was the blare
the king ran for life with his tail in the air
and so long he lived couldn’t recover from daze
of being driven by a weakling out of village!

I chanced upon an ethereal sight
there she glowing in falling sunlight

heart wondered
at the mirage in the forest

eyes couldn't ponder
and let go waste!

The masked man would come to my window
but never crossed the grill to be inside
he seemed to fly while talking of tomorrow
what he spoke took me on a dark ride!

I see you child progressing to be a man
moving places running races knowing need
reaching farthest far and beyond till the span
feels too long and you’re weary of the speed!

I see you child going on a long trek
falling down getting up roaming wild
find a heart make a home and then break
in that wilderness sob like a child!

I see you child wide awake in the night
burning for pride hollow vain
while flickers out the last candlelight
darkness drowns the gathered gain!

As my fever weighs heavy on eyes sleepless
the dawn seems mercilessly slow
I know what he meant by a child’s progress
the masked man that came to my window!

aren't real.

Love is only an ideal
a belief we live
and never achieve.

But love stories we need.

Only its conjured spirit
makes some sense

of our existence!

In the wispy glow of dusk
he came

mazing through years of husk
memory groped his name.

Then I remembered.

Though drew us apart fate
once we were very close

inseparable classmate!

Seemed so empty
even an hour without him
more together more the happy
we bonded too in dream.

Shared we two
same liking and taste
loved to do
living without the rest.

I have come to close a deal
in his eyes was sadness spread
hope you remember still
the promise we made.

I remembered.

when we last met
he said

*let’s seal this with trust
must come to meet his heart’s pal
the one departing first.

The doctor probed my eyes
stethoed to feel my lung
had my mouth wide prised
got rolled out my tongue!

He gave it deep long mulls
hmm was all he said
in his grip throbbed my pulse
beating fast afraid!

Hmm he muttered once again
there’s no problem specific
but for that undefined pain
that you say is making you weak!

More apparent is the darned thing
that has really blighted your face
beneath your eyes the black ring
you are counting stars I guess!

May I know what keeps you awake
why you find sleep bothersome
keep tossing on bed till daybreak
pray tell me don’t remain mum!

Poor doctor how he would ever know
best time for poeming is the night
when crystal dreams in moon glow
pour out from heart with might!

I had no meaning
till you picked me up

your tongue rolled
turned me gold

Me a mere word
till you first noticed me

and since that dawn
held to me tightly

You made me your part
saw I was spread

with me in your heart
you grew unafraid

As in you I was grown
healed your inner scar

you ceased to feel alone
when found me within her

On my wings you fly high
hardest wall you can break

reach the far end of sky
go on mountainous trek

Yet it hurts me real bad
when I see world battle torn

then I ask myself why
can’t you use me as weapon

There’s a new visitor in our house
Ghostly noises it’s making in the night
Not a bit bothered by our grumble and grouse
It preys on our nerves keeping out of sight.

At wee hours is heard all the weird sound
But it’s silent when the light’s switched on
This invisible guest is not seen around
Before the bulb’s flicker it’s gone.

Now this creature is giving us nightmare
Making its presence felt at odd hours
Wreaking our sleep and vanishing in thin air
Holding us helpless victims in its powers!

A queer thing has happened since it began
By no stretch of logic could we explain that
Not one of them in the vicinity remain
Gone from our house is all the cat.

Crispy leaves winter brown
crackle neath her feet
she looks good out of town
her eyes are playing sweet!

A little haze morn at ten
the place is real peace
on my lips desires rain
wishing stealing kiss!

She knows it quickens feet
maybe she wants too
her eyes when my eyes meet
read the twinkling cue!

Just we two froths a brew
none to find and look
blushing lips’ crimson hue
knows only that nook!

on pond water
clear as glass

blooms lotus
three quarter!

In my office was a guy
This’s how he made his mark
He would raise a hue and cry
When he did the smallest work!

Though there were quite a few
That performed more than him
Only this man knew
How to raise the steam!

Not a chance was missed
To harp on smallest feat
To come to fore noticed
And reap the reward sweet!

There’re guys that brag and bark
Their own drums loudly beat
And men that make their mark
In noiseless quiet retreat!

Fourteen paces apart
They stood face to face
The place was Belvedere
In death’s close embrace!

It was morn at half past five
Air thick in rivalry
On stake was hung two life
They were bitter enemy!

As it lies all evil’s root
False ego and vain pride
Squabble and dispute
Demons men can’t hide!

That hour was eerily lull
Birds stopped to chirp in trees
As glistened the two pistols
And none could afford to miss!

Damp was the August clime
Time perched on rested wing
Zeroed in the scheduled time
Broke out the starter’s ring!

Francis fired first
But preordained was fate
Though loud went the burst
He badly missed target!

Pierced his powder’s stings
This time was there no miss
Found his mark Hastings
Fell to the ground Francis!

He muttered I’m a dead man
Hastings ran to the spot
Uttering as he ran
Good God I hope not!

The day turned golden bright
Mist of smoke dispersed
Revealed the glorious sight
How his enemy Hastings nursed!

I could blow to smithereens
the wealth of the rich
could play a rob-in-hood
**** and steal
to give the poor a fair deal
could hang all the glib talkers
from the highest post
feet up head down
publicly displayed in the town
break the iron walls
bulldoze the palaces
pull them down from the throne
where I sent them
put an end to their dastardly game

but this mind’s wrath
this hand’s gun
can’t pop even one bullet
can only ink
a dawn pink emotion

of Revolution.

On the sides of the road
they’re sleeping shutter down
on this cold dead’s abode
alphabets rusty brown!

Some moment time of year
bright minute dark hour
you cannot remember
all the wind blown flower!

You were crying at the time
yet wove a joyous drape
bleeding heart spun a rhyme
found a vent some escape!

Through the ache wrote a yarn
while breaking all the while
played a fiddle on the burn
wore a woeful neon smile!

Walk once more the dead’s abode
show a light dust the page
read the lines on the road
your poems that would never age!

here’s another cat poem.

When the orphaned black kitten is shrinking
and sinking
and these hands are too inadequate
to stem the slide
and writing poems seem far easier
than filling the gap its mother left
this heart going through another break
another trek
downhill
for an uphill job
and as I lift it
feel its heartbeat
slowing
to a few grams
so putting it down
return to keyboard
feeling a little guilt
a little shame

as you rightly say
to write another cat poem.

Pleads her mint blue eyes
Thank you for the patting touch
If I crave for a saucer of milk
Would that be asking too much?

Of course you have the right to ignore
And throw my way a vacant stare
Signing me to move away from door
Pretending there’s no milk in Frigidaire!

But I beg you to act humanly
Be ethical and firmly fair
If you got some milk for your tea
Surely you’ve some for me to spare!

Parting a few drops wouldn’t make you poor
My blessings would give you manifold back
You would feel far happier and I’m sure
Sky won’t fall if your brew is more black!

Well if you still ignore I would move away
With dignity I would leave your ground
But don’t blame me when comes the day
You feel a void and I’m not around!

'neath spotless grey sky
the doel croons
winter's coming
its mournful tunes

does she feel my ache
hear heart's break
or it's all in my head
to sing she's made!

Her monstrous tongue
spits fire

before her ire
the demon cowers

his limbs sloth
before her fiery wrath

by her annihilating eyes
no more can he rise.

Returns lull

*when she wears his skull!

Your hair was then
an ocean

Your feet
nimble emotion

Your skin
rice bran gold!

Now you’re as old

as undiminished sunrise

in my eyes.

The most uncommonly heroic
goes by the name

common man.

the lone heron
splits the moon
in marsh light

a blurry swish
***** the fish
livens night

hushes ploops
the moon recoups
shimmers bright

refilled want
ends the hunt
catches flight

My only weakness is a woman
A woman is my strength
Without her I’m a half man
Longing to be full length!

A woman fills the half of me
Without her I just can’t do
Sans her I’m half empty
And know she needs me too!

Her only weakness is a man
A man is her strength
Without him she’s a half woman
Longing to be full length!

A man fills the half of her
Without me she just can’t do
Sans me she’s half empty
And knows I need her too!

A poem a day
Keeps the doctor away
Two he may need to be called

Three poems a day
The doctor’s on his way
No way could his coming be stalled!

Four poems a day
The doctor has to stay
Five and tough is his work

If the number are six
The doctor’s in a fix
How could he stop the flying spark!

Poems by the hour
Is beyond the doctor’s power
Poems by the minute is his bane

It’s where he loses self
Badly needs a help
To be declared utterly insane!

Quite a child
she makes me one
mind windward wild
flies gazelle run!*

On the shore
she’s something more
than picking pearl

opens door
once more
she’s a little girl!

She picks seashells
of sea she smells
she looks alien

free she sails
in her spell
i’m child again!

On the sea
wild carefree
she paints me joy

make hills on sands
small grow my hands
i’m again a boy!

That hour made me busy
questions were easy
not yielding a moment

he was sitting glum
peeping at my diagram
of Michelson Morley experiment!

I could hear his sigh
from the corner of my eye
could gauge he felt bitter

all he had read
had quickly fled
clouding him in ether!

It was all in mist
what those darned physicist
had theorized in vain

no lover’s tryst
but a paper of physics
an agonizing pain!

My worst fear
was remembering the year
when the experiment was done

for once did it Michelson
then with Morley redone
was it ’87 or ’81!

That boy behind me
was thinking bitterly
worrying in fright

soon the time would be spent
without his writing the experiment
on the wavy behavior of light!

Tense was the air
when I heard him whisper
push your paper to the right

in his voice was despair
bothered little to be unfair
quite visible was his plight!

*With all my toil
burning the midnight oil
how this I lost sight

covered all nitty-gritty
of magnetism electricity
missed the chapter on light!

Here the autumn makes
prettiest place for me
a quaint placid lake
with wind’s lullaby!

A cloud mirrored hush
thicket’s lone butterfly
spell stricken grass
in awe of the sky!

This sight the autumn makes
seems so wispy to my feel
like flying pollen flakes
catching dreams by the jhil!

The feathered bloomy light
on this day by the lake
soon would melt from my sight
leaving trail as an ache!

would have been unbearable
but for
our beliefs and assumptions!

They call me a workless guy
What they mean is worthless
Envious they’re and that’s why
Don’t like my leisurely pace!

I ain’t the one to run the race
Make do with my small needs
I hate to wear a worried face
Bear a mind where darkness breeds!

I don’t wanna run a race
Where the end ever recedes
Hate to be for the time pressed
Yet finding needs increased!

I give a **** taking it too hard
Love to run my time as own
Penning a poem feeding a bird
Watering dreams homegrown!

** will never write poetry
His senses are too occupied
With his surround’s passing scenery
Holding them in gaze wide eyed!

** has no time to think and write
Letting so much meanwhile pass him
Not counting the sleeping hours of night
Eyes’ plenty to fill him to brim!

** can’t spend whiles typing away
While the sky turns her blue into red
Can’t afford to waste an already short day
Counting words creating riddles in his head!

** is too busy to set his mind
On begetting inky wordy ***** poem
With nature calling him to see and find
The beauty of the morn in sun flame!

If at all I reach that age

would I retain my faculty
my vision to read a book’s page!

If and when I reach that time
would my mind be still that keen
could this hand pen a few more rhyme
this ink could some tales spin!

Would you still surround me
light my path like north star
or leaving me with my poetry
you would be then gone far!

How would I feel at ninety
contented fully fulfilled?
or sitting alone and empty
only death each breath would will!

My finance is getting no better
Fast is thinning my purse
My pocket is now a deep crater
Where money is growing sparse!

Spending what came was my craze
Bucks pouring in didn’t stay
Blissfully forgot the adage
Keep aside for rainy day!

I spent my earn on what not
Bought everything catching eye
Possessed by the only thought
Should spend last penny fore I die!

It had gone like this for years
I went on a spending spree
Till one fine morn in tears
Bade me goodbye the last penny!

Now in old age and low spirit
With money dimming too faint
I can no more be a spendthrift
With my purse’s meager remnant!

Laments soul my unheard muse
If only you had paid me heed
Put all those money to better use
And not just cared for own need!

Some poems are better not birthed
be locked with the key never found
their scripts be seen by no eyes on earth
like the sigh’s dewy tears on the ground!

Some poems are better not carved on papyrus
be hidden in the deepest nook
unworded pains nurtured in hush
flowing within like a brook!

Some poems are better not shown daylight
be buried neath sorrow’s growing pile
unvoiced aches lost in the night
dawning in the morn as a smile!

Some poems are better not ever revealed
be breathed on the lonely walkway
living in heart feeling fulfilled
dying when the days die away!

We turn blind in faith
war for religion

stick stiff
to own belief

give gods name
invoke them

and our dogma goes so far
as to turn us

executioner.

For some days
placed you on the pedestal
of goddess.

Today
mere straw and clay
with the ganga

your skeleton flows away.

Woman,

hands that worship

immerse thee!

Still with me his memory stays
A boy I knew in childhood days
On street corner he bore the sun
From rain emptied road didn’t run!

They called him ******* up bit insane
His skin was numb sense felt no pain
Else why he would just aimless roam
Most of time outside of home!

If asked his name in whispered hum
Would say I don’t know knows my mum
What’s two plus two if asked some fool
His answer was not taught in school!

To a school he was though never sent
His class was road book firmament
All he knew was that syllabus
His own riddles and plus minus!

He was known as good for none
Except for pranks and some fun
Ill clad uncared like an urchin
There wasn’t a home with a boy like him!

Woke me one night footsteps and shouts
In a neighborhood house fire had broken out
Amid billowing smoke and leaping flame
The crowd was crying out the boy’s name!

He had gone in there without a thought
The fire’s fury he was afraid not
It seemed so silly this heroic feat
But the boy you know was too ******!

To this day it haunts me to know
Why he did that what to show
I heard the buzz rumors were rife
He had gone in there to save a cat’s life!