Salty sweat gets into them
My eyeballs cry
They aren’t enjoying this game
Howsoever they try.
It’s so mean
I mean the heat
Outside and within
It burns like ****.
The sky bears no blue
And it has no clue
When rain will come
The cloud-pressed balm
To turn this hell’s hearth
Once more a soothing earth!
With my thoughts a seething mess
My mind in clumsy distress
I’ve no way but to hold on
My breath in the boiling cauldron!

You do know
To go
Beyond the dark line
To the forever sunshine.
Today
Your playfulness
Brought my face
Awhile happiness.

When the sun scorched the sand,
I went to Henry’s Island.
The winter came and left the shore
Spring was for a while and then no more
The rains beat the shingled beach
The soothing autumn was within reach.
Yet I spurned these tempting seasons
Couldn’t persuade myself with good reasons
To visit the island in fairer weather
And landed on it in the harshest summer!
The sands bit my feet like burning coal
The beach seemed alone without a soul
To the distant horizon my eyes could gaze
A fishermen’s boat hung in the haze.
The red ***** though found it a fun
To come out of hole to bathe in the sun
When I was close they were quickly gone
The beach was alive and I wasn’t alone.
The seagulls skimmed the waves for fish
The sea was all mine like in the dreamiest wish
Placing all her beauties at only my command
Gifting me a glorious summer at Henry’s Island.

The sky
At night
Can’t see her beau,
Her sigh
At dawn’s light
Drops as dew!

Under the sunburned clay tiles
Her face was a pond.

Sweats’ dewdrops on her almond skin
Keenly waited for the kiss of soil
And in the tree lined coolness of the thatched hut
She paused for me from her rustic toil.

Why do the beauties we deform
Bury the raw under heaps of vain
**** the eyes’ wild glowworms
Plant there a mascara stain!

A girl of toil a girl of soil she’s rustic bred
Never deems never dreams for beauty’s parade!

Her face was a tree lined pond
Her heart’s ocean
I never could delve.

Only know this much
Under the sunburned tiles
Her one fleeting smile
I would carry through the coming miles.

The golden tinge of the shy sun
Peeked onto her pinkness
The youthful night was full of fun
Leaving residues on her face!
Whole night the storm blew
That no cover could protect
Denser the darkness grew
Hankering for a ****** perfect!
It’s still there the bed sheet
Spotless without a stain on it
Gone is the storm with its rage
Pinkness stolen, she has come of age!

No more songs of sorrow
Lamenting things gone past us
Live today and hope for morrow
Hold tight the moments joyous.
Maybe the morrow will not find us
Our footsteps will not ring on the grass
We have only today for a fresh start
To live anew and love with all heart.
No more songs of sorrow
It's time to break from the past
Even if there comes no morrow
Live moments that fly away fast.

Here is where I must anchor my boat
There isn’t no place to go,
Here in this bay it can stay afloat
Sail upstream when the winds blow.
I needn’t a place better than this
I needn’t need a heaven to rest,
Here this bay brings me earthly bliss
There isn’t no better place to nest.
When the moon paints my bay in mystic white
My boat rocks joyous in her stream,
I know this place for me is just right
This is the place of my dream.
I needn’t a place any better or worse
This bay harbors me best,
So long I anchor here under the stars
I need no heaven to rest.

The mother cat is teaching her kittens fast
Leave them she must
In another few days.

Her babies are
Blindly following her
She knows her art of replays.*

Grow up baby till you have the caring hand
Grow fast to earn your place on this land
Not all you future can hold in embrace
Not all of you can survive find a place.

She teaches well her lessons are without flaw
She teaches you to use them well your tooth and claw
Yet not all can rise from fall make their way
Not all you can live up to the future day.

Learn fast child time runs wild don’t know when
You are grown and left alone with angst of pain
Learn it smart all her art of making it through
Know baby all her teachings are wise and true.

Her perfume fills the air
she is not that fair
next to me devouring my thought
sits the woman a harlot.

By my side in the bus
a traveler of different class
I sit engrossed in her thought
she's a woman then harlot.

I imagine in pensive thought
when a harlot what she's not
what's her lot to force a choice
to let ravagers in her rejoice.

A harlot then she isn't good
not decent is her attitude
she smells of cheap perfume
she reeks of ****** gloom.

I let my thoughts roam free
how otherwise she could be
what if she wasn't a harlot

*yet her body not mind was bought!

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!

She picked it up from the seashore.
He encouraged her,
Flattered her with indulgence
To bring back her dying flame.
A girl once again,
She brought it home
In whimsically ebullient innocence!
On the polished floor
In a faraway city
It found it hard to walk
With the load of mollusk
And made a funny sight!
It strained its ears
But there was no sound of the sea,
No saline smell in the air,
Instead the water was sweet and insipid.
It went thirsty.
The food was alien,
It went hungry.
Soon they polished the shell
And celebrated addition of
Another showpiece in their room!
The crab had at last
Found a new home.

Where the stardust sky kisses the black river
lies the hermit’s hut.

he lives there alone.

sleeping and waking with the tides
soaked in riverine dew
bathed in southerly rain
mellowed in winter’s shallow sun,

without love..

but for his cat

that unbeknown to him
sinks for his love
dying quiet death of dream

in the black river brimming with fish!

The ripples broke the moon into pieces
But her wishes elsewhere sniffed the air.

The night was fair enough though
To bathe in her beauty she wasn’t there.

Where broke the ripples the moon’s face
Reflected the water the firmament
She searched in dreaminess
Commotion of the slightest movement.

*One small fish would satiate her night!

every morn
she does me a favor

my gracious savior
offers me a steaming cup
of her love's flavor!

No, she isn't a poet
has never inked one
she takes off my weight
gets my things done

so I have enough time
to afford in a way
the luxury of rhyme
clever wordplay!

No, she isn't a poet
not written one line
clean is her slate
sees I'm fine

so I have enough space
and hour of my own
to indulge the grace
of thoughts mind grown!

No, she isn't a poet
no way she would be
she does her best
to see I'm happy

so my words run smooth
poems are easy born
truth and half truth
are spun night and morn!

No, she isn't a poet
cares not a bit
from her toil's sweat
my poems birth sweet

poems aren't her art
in the sun and showers
she grows from her heart
our garden's best flowers!

Hey girl
(you boy too)
before the thumbs gnarl
use for sweeter things to do.

There's a sky awaiting you
a cloud paused from sail
a poem in your heart overdue
fetus of one tale.

Hey girl
(you boy too)
leave the shell to find the pearl
before times flew.

There's a grass still growing green
in wind love's whisper
a birdsong to catch from din
before years stray too far.

Hey girl
(you boy too)
the hidden is for you to unfurl
color them in your hue.

Piece together each dormant word
on scrap of leaf in ink
pour out within's flutter unheard
before runs out time in a wink.

(1)
recedes everything
only i move forward
the unknown lies ahead.

             (2)
for me
she stands under the tree
wears photogenic smile.

             (3)
a home i'm going to
did i leave behind another?

             (4)
hardens my belief
i'm coming from nowhere
going to nowhere.

            (5)
in wind's embrace
hear it whisper
traveler seek no purpose.

           (6)
won't stop
till the end of day
come what may.

Raindrops wished them
colors seven
obliged sunflame
sliced heaven.

********

Far from hometown
day hangs still
last sun falls down
nimbus hill.

********

Reign they all day
changing quick
rain and sun play
hide and seek.

********

Skims she gaily
July shower
gathering merrily
wildflower.

*********

I see the King
standing on ruin
madly searching
where is Queen.

**********

Say her smiles
though places she roam

love end of miles
waiting home.

Heat holds stubborn
on the dreary day
till comes rain
and drives it away.

-----------------------------------

Every cloud has a silver line
we beat the cloud to reach sunshine.

------------------------------------

One cute hamlet far from town
catches eye
slows mind down.

-------------------------------------

Long stretch of green
water filled
here rained much
killed paddy field.

--------------------------------------

Chunks of cloud
loom overhead
color of summer
in rain will fade.

--------------------------------------

Leaps up dream in dancing beat
when touches soil
the weary feet.

--------------------------------------

You never have a sweet word for me
I tease.

she slaps me a kiss.

Ends another glorious day
on the highway.

From where the mountains kiss the blue
I drop a note
I love you.

The faded pink of her lips
blends with the radiant gold
the sun pours into the air.

My mind wispy light in joy
flies over the top
before melting in silence.

No words count here
in the quiet submission.

Julys have come and gone
in the hills of Shillong
and from the browned ORWO
the skinny boy with an oversized cap
smiles as if there's no tomorrow
but this moment
wrapped in fog and drizzle
holds everything within
the now filling life to the brim
making growth a needless shape
absurdly redundant
and never more real
than the eyes
peering from that shot of time
ecstatic in happiness
rejecting a future
too intangible
to be valuable.

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!

The travel is long and arduous
Any end of way is nowhere near
A slow witness to season’s fast rush
He treads the motion of another year.

Sometimes resting on nights dark and starry
He wonders why life needs to race in hurry
When like him by just slowing down the pace
Could be reached a piece of peace and happiness!

Men would mock him for his vast slowness
Absence of speed his lack of progress
How would they know he never grew the lust
To set himself a goal and try to reach it fast.

The more paths men travel the more they seem less
Like going round in circle coming back to same place
Forever dreaming an ascent aiming the peak’s height
Chasing a gain to attain a light at end of night!

He moves on in the way the soil patiently waits the rain
Never unhappy to be left behind never scared he might fail
Just trekking along with no end of way no destiny’s pain
In the embrace of his belief for good reason he’s a snail.

I fell badly* he says in painful groan
His hand plastered for the broken bone
*I didn’t slip nor in walk do I sleep
Or move in worries buried deep!

But still I fell in broad daylight
In clear view and clean eyesight
Without a pothole a hidden bump
Walking without a hop or a jump!

It’s painful though I don’t mind
God is so great He is so kind
He led me like a true guide
Ensuring I fall on my left side.

It's His way of showing grace
minimizing harm lessening distress
with my right hand working and free
my life is as normal as could be!

The old man tells the hours almost perfectly
From the length of shadows
Having walked the length of life
Without ever needing a clock!

He can smell in the air the coming rain
Knows the clouds that bear showers
Can closely predict season’s yield of grain
Needs no watch to measure the daily hours!

He can tell when his cow needs a bull
In her moos hears the urge for a mate
Though he has never gone to a school
His knowledge has stood him to this date!

He knows all the stars in firmament
Best way to till the soil for harvest
Has never needed a doctor for ailment
Knows the herbs to heal all infest!

Such is the man who has never been to school
Yet his wisdom can fill countless pages
Making instinctive sharp senses as his only tool
Has handed down his wisdom through the ages!

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 have no words for so many things.

when god's brush slips from his hand
his colors splatter over the sky
the joy it brings in an autumn morn
as swims gaily white rafts on blue ocean
I find no words

for then my emotions
leave me for the kingdom of mountains
of many shapes and faces
landing only when
the sweet waft of jasmine
reminds of the anchor on this shore
where my root drinks soil's nectar
when filled to the brim
rests in melancholic dream
under homing bird sky
for a home
away from this home!

My love, you are an agony
but for you
I would have been on the road
made the world my family

The sun and the moon you robbed
stars you made your countless eyes
but for you
I would have flown where eagles rise
made my home in the sky

My love, you are an agony
but for you
I would have gone down the flow
a speck of moonlight
in the sparkling shadows of night
hanging on a leaf like poetry!

her fingers tenderly feel
the alphabets on the mail
dusty from lying in the letter box

she was away these two months
and now is back to a home
cobwebbed in cold silence

crawls up her eyes
a terrifying tear

this day last year

*he was here

Fried brinjal rolled in flatbread
Her magic recipe of love homemade
What treasure they hold what charm unlocks
When sharp at two opens up lunchbox!

A sweet candy from the finest cheese
Made from cow milk a salivary bliss
I feel helpless and little can do
My belly when growls sharp at two!

I feel entranced in that magic hour
When smell green peas and cauliflower
She makes them fine rich butter spread
The toasted breads her love homemade!

She knows my bowel not makes it rich
Fine cut cucumber in soft sandwich
In all them I find her special brew
Of love homemade to be opened at two!

Though it’s never that I made her known
How sweetly relish her love homegrown
But when I open lunchbox at two
Wonder without her what I would do!

I have been to verdant hills
watch moonrise on sea at gloam
nothing compares to what it feels
when I am back to my home.

Have trekked faraway mountain pass
caravaned on rolling desert
gone to icy heights where grows no grass
coming home I found my heart.

When travel bug bites my feet
eyes beg for the unseen shore
I wander far but soon retreat
beckons me sweet home's door.

I roam the unknown in wanderlust
weary of the cramped furlong
but end of day in twilight dust
feel the home is where I belong.

Indigestible and bitterly tasty
most lovable is the brutal honesty.

Honesty is sheer *******.

dishonest preach it
honest suffer it.

We all dreamed to be something when we grew up

doctors, engineers, lawyers...

but none a poet

for even in youthful immaturity we knew

being a poet wouldn't do

the ones we happened to meet
looked such impoverished!

As now then too
poets were honey gatherers

seeking discerning minds
one read one lit up face
one sip of the nectar!

Most of us never achieved what we dreamed to be

it really didn't matter

the doctor could be an engineer
the engineer a lawyer

*but maybe one of us
in his heart of hearts
wanted to be a poet

pursued sunshine

sank in darkness!

If you're freely willing
to see your dreams grow root

take the honey grove route.

It's the name of a place
without a bee or a hive
where you arrive
if only you take a wrong drive

lose your way
on a forgetful day
to reach a space
of wide eyed face
where the children have never seen a car

or may be one or two
with wanderers like you
that once in a year
strayed this far
and to give their dreams a root

took the honey grove route!

Life remains ever so hopeful
For our wishes are unfulfilled.

Hope has no merciful face.
It bludgeons us harder
Than despair
To which it turns
When the result spurns
Our expectations!
Yet ironically
Most adored is hope,
A sauce for the sufferer
A spice to spruce up
The leftover
From the last despair,
Never really tidying
The ashes of shattered dreams
But staying back
Till our last breath
Goading us to hold onto it!

Here the horse munches the grass
little knowing the trots of yore
for time when lays the bricks with curse
unhinges the strongest door.

Here the horse is tethered to feed
little hearing the neighs of past
for time when crumbles sows a seed
grows new order from soil of dust.

Here the horse lazes in sun
little seeing the shadow's growth
for time when ends a period's run
buries in the walls a lover's oath.

Here the horse walks in a round
little feeling the earth's spin
for time when shrinks the highest to ground
kingdoms fall in heaps of ruin.

The horses feed on bat-moon meadow
their stone age stable now cobwebbed
hooves long rested from run
gone dusty by the wheels of metal
yet they paleolithic horses
graze in night’s paraffin-lit glow
smelling of stable and the wild run
and in the stillness finding
their world crumbled.

Inspector Jim was clueless about the case
The sniffer dog followed quite a long trail
Leading to everything but the criminal’s trace
Ending finally in an abandoned well!

He had second thought about the animal’s skill
Panting from the run to keep with its pace
At end of hunt not deriving a little
Left to ***** in the muddled mess!

The track was a meadow the season was spring
So much were laid for the eyes to feast
Birds and trees and all the best things
But Jim was enveloped in the riddle’s mist!

He was still stranded on the same ground
Fearing once again he might fail
This is where the body was found
The darned beast had led him back to the well!

There’s no escape it’s ever the life’s part
Breaks one storm the strongest of men
Leaves on its trail pieces of broken heart
Scattered ashes of an undying pain!

Even the toughest falls like a house of cards
With no mend on sight for the brutally scathed soul
No peace to be got from the wisest of words
Charring helpless in grief’s burning coal!

Each breath exhales fumes of the despair
When we’re on the path of this gloomiest travel
That faith can’t heal nor bring to repair
As the mind is sunk in the darkest of hell!

There’s no relief when such times ravage us
For the tides of sorrow with years hardly wane
With time though quieted and within heart hushed
Remain its scars as the forever lasting pain!

Her fur in the morning is deadening white
But how does it matter I slept the whole night
The chill stayed out I didn’t need to hark
Her unpleasant stories and frantic bark!

Her eyes in the morning are watery grey
But how does it matter she makes not my day
My quilt was warm till the sun was up
My day was begot with the brewing cup!

Her look in the morning was piercingly pale
But how does it matter I slept quite well
I locked the door and shut out the curse
Peace was all mine agonies were hers!

‘How do you do’

Stopped me the child’s voice.

Four words of endless span
Heart’s amulet
To me and you
Forever new.

I’m just fine
Finer now
By your sweet greet.

Oh child
Promise me now
You would never cease
Asking passersby
How do you do.

When you are a big man
Greet folks on the street
Thirsty passersby like me.

Promise me
Like that it’ll always be
Like you now tell me
In your lips now and then
Ringing true
How do you do.

Promise me child
They will never seem enough said
Never seem enough spent
Like you greet me today
Tomorrow, ever
From you
As now as then
Will ring forever true
My heart’s amulet
The most delightful words from you

How do you do.

after one euphoric kiss
you hardly notice
her weathered cheeks

she is a Venus
she's tenacious
her beauty sticks

it moves you to tears
when went the years
you didn't notice

she matured from teen
ripened her green
since that euphoric kiss

how it's so
her beauty's glow
breezed past you

it moves you to tears
though ripened the years
she was ever new

was it so far
you right beside her
yet gave her a miss

ripened her years
you now see through tears

the first euphoric kiss

A stupid question
With the answers

Luminous

It’s that long
What it takes
To unearth
All the love
Begot on earth
For you

It’s that long
What it takes
To travel the way
To know
You got more joy in giving
Than receiving

It’s that long
What it takes
To close your mouth
And wait in patience
To listen what’s uttered
In the silence

It’s that long
What it takes
To reach the point
Where you feel fulfilled
Without a visible gain
In your coffer

It’s only not that long
That you live

*In years

When I asked him how old was he
Giving a mischievous wink
Said won’t tell you straightly
But in a riddle to think!

If you add up the digits of that year
Multiply it by three
You would be almost there
But not there exactly!

Three more to it you’ve to add
And that’s my age no doubt
You would make me really glad
If can figure that out!

The two digits that make my age
Have a difference of one
You’ve enough clues to the maze
To work out my age with fun!

The digits added is short of ten
But from one too far
Would you now take the pain
To make my age clear?

Quietly you made, your way into my heart,
Without your knowing, without making a start
It was all my doing, only I knew
How to weave a dream that could never be true!
You never knew, my heart pumped quick
How could you, it was one way traffic
Without giving anything, you took it all
You couldn’t ever, it was my call!
I built the castle, it was on sand
I felt your warmth upon my hand
Only I could do it, you never knew
How to weave a dream that could never be true!

It’s dark foggy outside
And on this dull damp day
You’re lifting my waning spirit
With your season-less love poems!*

Isn’t it a miracle that you know
When is my mind down below
You need to rekindle the flame
Resuscitate me with your love poems!

How you know on this depressing morn
Behind doors I would shut out myself
In the bleakest thoughts scarred and torn
With only your love poems for help!

Isn’t it a wonder on this day
When my sadness spills out untamed
You see it from your space far away
Revive me with your lilting love poems!

How you know when it matters most
When I feel like throwing up the game
Pull me out of the abyss back to coast
Raise me up with life breathing love poems!