From the dusklight emerged two shadows
Part with the money or you are dead
Then on him rained powerful blows
Danced thousand sparks in his head.

Stop I yelled loud in impulse
In rushed blood soared up pulse
Ran to the ruffians with raised fist
Crying stop you ugly beast.

The goons were caught in wild surprise
This sudden resistance they didn’t surmise
Never thought someone would be so fool
To not be deterred by their muscles’ rule.

The chance to be brave didn’t give it a miss
I yelled once more I’ll call the police
Stood before them like one tall wall
The worse happened after a moment's lull.

In the pale streetlight glistened the knife
Swooped down in a flash to ***** out life
I rolled down the road in a fall too steep
As he lunged at me and plunged it deep.

I woke up slumberous in the nursing room
Broke through my pain her words’ perfume
You’ll be alright my heart’s brave knight
Her face beaming in my eyes’ blurred light.

My moving lips brought close her ear
She strained it hard caught me whisper
*Till that day I never knew
Could stake my life to be brave to you.

I called the lone parrot passing over my head

from the blue
i won't fly to you
it said

forgot the love i gave?

but you made me your slave
to repeat your chosen line
to voice your chosen tune
my life was not mine

so from the blue
i won't ever fly to you

she affirms the parrot escaped

but i know one dull afternoon in March
she let the bird fly away
being too weary of the chosen line.

Nothing is there to see in the sea
except waves after rolling waves
breaking with monotony on the shore
swelling and succumbing to sands.

Nothing is there to see in the sea
except the colour of the water
ever changing in harmony with the sky
and the lives that come ashore alive or dead.

Nothing is there to see in the sea
except the thunderous silence of night
teeming with silvery moon's glow
and the sprays that kiss like a lover.

Nothing is there to see in the sea
except the one eternal picture of life
birthing in aggression and dying in submission
afloat on the waves of transitory desires.

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

God wouldn’t be one of them.

Your heart is not at the right place
Where your heart is
Lies a source of disease
Said the doctor with a long face.

You say of late you’re losing energy
Cold, cough, sneeze is on the rise
As to the cause of this persisting allergy
I’m left with no surprise.

For good reasons is said
Man shapes his own destiny
Go forward and have it made
Set those poor ones free.

If I had my way
I would have pulled his hair
But just managed to say
This is so unfair.

What damage those poor things can do
Other than giving good company
And I don’t believe it to be true
They are the cause of my agony.

Just because they can’t protest
Winged but still left lame
The doctor finds it best
To shift on them the blame.

Behind specs his eyes shone
His lips quivered in glee
As if he had chanced upon
One great discovery.

If only you earnestly wish
The prospect you truly fathom
Can find yourself a cure for disease

In exchange of their freedom.

Water bowl in one hop
two hops for a grain
life here is a full stop
in one ceaseless pain!

Inches flight is one leap
up and down sideways
eyes when droop in nights' sleep
forgotten are passing days!

All they have is two by one
space that's locked in grill
blessed are they when life is gone
death brings fulfilled will!

Their world is a 2 by 1 space
on this side am I fine?
in theirs I see my own face
their home is almost mine!

She was standing at the temple gate
Beside where hung the big padlock
Sorry sir you are by an hour late
The temple will reopen at four o’clock.

I had gone at the abode of the goddess
To be blessed by touching her feet
Forgetting she too needed a recess
After standing hours for the devout's meet.

My watch told me an hour was not too soon
And time would run out without seeing more
But the banyan’s shade of the early summer noon
In its sunlight and shadows held something in store.

The girl at the gate gave an all knowing smile
An hour’s wait sir would not go in vain
The goddess’ face at the end of the weary mile
Would make you forget all your travel’s pain.

Her smiles broke through the dark tan of her skin
The barefoot girl watching over that godforsaken hamlet
And as from the river the southern wind blew in
I decided to wait with her at the temple gate.

Then we walked to the river following the wind’s smell
She showed me on the bank the zamindar’s broken palace
Took me to the cornfields boastful in their golden swell
Before the hour flew us back to the temple’s terrace.

When I asked her about her school and standard
In her eyes I found rising the rustic river’s mist

*Doing it all by himself is for my father too hard
In the chores of worship he needs me to assist.

Like the sandgrains on the stretched palm
with the wind have flown the years
the tides rolled back the sea is now calm
It's biding time on this heavenly sphere!

Yet I've started loving this life more
more than all that spent up before
with a growing desire to have it fullest
sowing hope's seeds to reap its harvest!

Inevitable frailness though makes it hard
more than the yore I dream step forward
still seek the way to get through the dark
explore the mist on unknown embark!

I stretch my hands for the farthest shore
roam mind's cavern for still unlocked door
churn up the residues of time on this side
ride on the comeback of sea's one last tide!

I told her
But she wouldn’t believe
She would for life not believe.

I can’t stay back dear
I don’t belong here anymore
They know it
And they’re waiting
They too had a day like this.

And then I started to cry
Burying my head in her breast
Holding her tight

But I don’t want to go there
I can’t for your love
Leave this place
This house
This garden
These birds
These cats
The dogs...

I clung to her

Please do something
Tell me I’m dreaming
There aren’t none waiting
Your touch is true
My hugs are real
We stand here
Together
Bound in a fate
Nothing can separate

Time up they said
The more you stay
The more you suffer

She was weeping
I too

*Only she didn't see!

One little footstep and you reach beyond the fence
And see the unknown world touching your sense
There on the ****** soil softly land your feet
In a world unexplored you were so keen to meet.
One little footstep and you fly above the fence
In one magic leap to a remote distance
There on the untrodden path lie great secrets
Unseen spectacles and unheard sonnets.
One little footstep and you reach beyond the fence
To reach the mountain top and the ocean’s silence
Rise high and delve deep for the most precious find
That lies hidden down there inside your mind.

Between my awes at the centuries old sculptures
She was lost from my sight.

Maybe a minute only I thought
But why she should roam alone?
Against my wish I fought
To call her on the cellphone.

Should I go to track her out
Peeping through windows’ iron bars
But spoke in me a voice of doubt
Unnecessary she couldn’t be gone far.

108 dark holy spires
She could be under any of them
Caught in the winter’s desire
For a round of hide-n-seek game.

Sometimes a minute could be eerily long
For the shadows of fear to haunt you
What if the wait’s end never comes along
And she forever remains out of view.

Didn’t know when she quietly stood behind
Her nudge gave me a start

*I know what now occupies your mind
Those displays of the ****** art!

Merry revellers
cast one glance on me
before your mind wavers
throw me one penny

My eyes are deep in socket
but ears are sharply keen
catch jingles in your pocket
silver's pompous din

Pray not be too aloof
need a lil of your pity
a penny can't buy a roof
can buy a crumb for belly

It wouldn't hurt you much
for one less from too many
merry revellers before you rush
toss my way one penny.

I need one poem to take with to bed
I need one poem to stay in my head
I need one poem to read in dream light
One poem to survive when bows out the night.

He had to get it anyhow
But the sleepy Sunday afternoon
Found all the shutters down

He had to get it anyhow
But a sad figure on the empty street
His sighs in himself drowned

He needed to get it anyhow
But it seemed fortune didn’t care
It couldn’t be ever found

He needed to get it anyhow
But his tries ended in despair
A life could bow out

If only he could get it anyhow
That small thing now priceless
He would forever treasure

If only he could get it anyhow
It would prolong a heartbeat
Reviving drops he could measure

On the sleepy Sunday afternoon
In search of a one penny dropper
A man a poet a philosopher
Was thwarted came a cropper!

Traveler for awhile stop
Before on your way you go
Peep into my shop
See what’s on show.

For you prettily done
Of the finest stardust
Smile laughter fun
Faith care and trust.

The items let your fingers scroll
Choose what you really need
Under rainbow a leisurely stroll
Or only the devil’s speed.

There’s a brush too and the dye
For when you find clouds above
To make your own blue sky
Fill it with hope and love.

For you too a candle light
If your way is strewn in dark
A heart’s poem for vigil of night
When sleepless you embark.

Traveler for awhile stop
Before on your way you go
Peep into my shop
See what’s on show.

Mad Sital we used to call him
Sital in my language means cool
Though never found in him anger’s steam
He never followed any rule.

If someone asked tell Sital
What is your name
My mother knows it all
Pat his reply came.

What class do you read in Sital
What school you are at
His only reply was mother knows all
He would not prolong the chat.

He would be found any time of day
Never minding the sun and rain
Bare bodied standing on sideway
Counting one to ten.

If someone asked him to count ten to one
He fell into silence for a while
Not taught at school still left undone
He would answer with a smile.

We knew he would lead a bachelor’s life
Counting his days up to ten
For no sane girl would ever be his wife
With him on the bed be lain.

But Providence you know defies hows and whys
Discriminates not between sane and insane
If it hadn’t been so and happened otherwise
Would remain unmarried all mad men.

So there came the woman the beautiful bride
Her face glowing like full moon
In rapturous joy that he never tried to hide
He forgot his numeric count soon.

Mad Sital would talk to her all day long
Her beauty had him so bewitched
They lived happily ever there wasn’t a thing wrong
Never mattered she was deprived of speech.

Inspector Dork was not pleased with himself

he had interrogated everyone in the house
only to be knocked down by
impenetrable alibi

Spouse Susan slept soundly through the night
and was awakened in the morn
when the alarm bell rang in his room

Daughter Debby's room was a floor down
she was up with her studies
plugged to earphones

Son Simon was out for the night
he was at his friend's place
for a birthday party

Maid Maddie made his bed
when the clock in his master's room
was chiming ten

Butler Bill having served a glass of milk
closed the door behind him
and retired for the night.

Inspector Dork was about to leave the victim's room
when his eyes fell on the clock pendulum

it was not swinging

he knew who was lying.

My love never loses
for my heart it leaves
with the belief
it's meant only to give
and any receipt
is a bonus!

So on you is the onus
to choose
accept or refuse

*I cannot but win!

Had I devoted my lifetime writing on her
I wouldn’t have gone far.

*The loveliest woman she’s calm and quiet
Endures the tantrums of a none-too-good poet
She speaks so little her eyes are oceans
Silent demonstrator of the deepest emotions!

She is hardly heard on her demands are hard
Her secret dreams get no fanciful word
Isn’t a wife a mother she is beyond and more
A balm of burned heart a smile at the door!

She is the evening in the deep summer noon
Quench of soul’s thirst mind’s melodious tune
The rain on parched earth scent of the soil
The priceless fruit best reward of God’s toil!

She is the harbinger of all aspirations’ seeds
The carer the giver the nourisher of needs
She stands where seems the end of the road
Makes a life full a home love’s abode!

The child is smiling, sunshine surrounds her
Let sorrow never touch her, she has to go afar
The child is innocent, simple is her life
She will be a woman, someday someone's wife.
The child is smiling, her face a beaming moon
It doesn't stop here, a woman she'll be soon
Now she doesn't care, she is free and wild
But she has to grow up, can't remain a child.
The child is running, in gay abandon
Let it be like this, let her be on her own
It's in her nature, to become a woman
To make the world beautiful, in a way only she can.

how was life all these years?

I stumbled on her under drifting cloud.

they passed well,
a steady family
and all that comes with

and yours...

as good as it could
stable, solid...

if she was digging my face
I wouldn't let her
for she seemed quite unlamenting,
I wouldn't have her see
the void!

I looked up
she too

and only the cloud was knowing

the clouds they parted
in rains
rolling down...

there was now no hiding the pain!

Forty years ago
She wrote me a note
Insubstantial
But ending preciously…

‘only yours’

In fountain ink
On a scrap paper
Written surreptitiously
But passionately
On a break period
Delivered through a common friend
And there wasn’t enough privacy
So it seemed
To read it alone
And not enough strength
To unfold that first call
Till the eyes
In youth’s first thirst
Spread it
In the stolen reflection
Of streetlight
In trembling hands
Barest words
Yet infinitely precious…

‘only yours’

She couldn’t be
For she was
Destined to be someone else’s
And leave me nothing
But her everything
In those two words
Time couldn’t stale…

‘only yours’

She
Possibly now a grandma
With everything
For she left me nothing
But two innocuous words
Barest infinite
Her everything
Mine too…

‘only yours’.

She's in deep sleep
rests her head on my shoulder

I hold it light as treasured keep
years rewind to grow less older!

Every night on the divan divine
Beside her when I recline
In the comfort of that precious chance
My mind in the sit finds a hidden romance!

It may seem her eyes are glued to TV
But I know they aren’t but riveted on me
In her sensuous silence I don’t fail to notice
The charm of her cheek how they still entice!

I utter not a word love those times’ silence
Like an old lover never out of patience
Stealing from air her old wine fragrance
Just happy to be there clutching the romance!

O drifting clouds
please awhile wait
carry seeds of my love
shower on my beloved!

She is now too far away
pining without me
wash her tears this rainy day
pour her my heart's poetry!

Tell her o clouds as you pass over
bereft her my days are arid
wilted long her last flower
now my garden is only of ****!

Carry o clouds my tears for her
soothe her with my kisses' touch
tell her though she's gone from me far
I love her as ever very much!

Feel a scare
Every time I change the calendar
When on the last day of each month
I turn the page
Take it to the next day
Though today is still there.

I feel a little flutter
Seeing before me the next day
Only number content unknown
And mutter

*What if I ain’t there, hey?

I met the man by chance on that riverside town.

The only one around at the deserted strand
I asked him the shortest way out
after I had my fill of the river.

He told me about the fish market
where the fresh catches arrive every morn
and the place ten minutes farther north
where if I slowed down
could catch the magnificent spectacle
of the orange orb thirstily dipping in the river
and if I stayed back for the night
would surely go insane
when the moon sets the river on silver fire
but if I was really intent on leaving
a half hour's drive would get me the highway.

I was thinking of the amazing mathematical probability
of my traveling over three hours to see the river
and his traveling ten minutes on a bicycle
to fetch his son from school on that riverside town
for our once-a-lifetime meeting on the life's highway
and then having him a permanent visitor in my memory
at sunsets and moonrises over the river.

You quietly look down now,
Ashamed you were too careless
When you crossed the road,
Too keen to go the other side
When you had a weak sight
A falling vision
And an unfailing zeal
Never to look left and right!
You’re sorry it can’t be mended,
You were too careless
On that small stretch
That kept you off eternally,
Denying you the last few steps
To the other side of the road,
And you landed on the other side
Lamenting your prudence
Or the lack of it!

I sit alone on the pond’s ghat in this rainwashed noon.

Her ripples dead
She ruminates once more
In the deafening silence of the crickets’ buzz.

*Came the men to splash upon me
The women within me bared shame
Frolicked the boys in me carefree
Made me alive in their joyous game!

Swam on me hope’s stretched hands
Sunk in me the broken heart
Left over me the girl her hair strands
At the end they all did depart!

Now I must wait for the sun to set
To drown my memories of the noon
Dreaming the stars to open heaven’s gate
Wrap me in night’s ripened moon!

Just as I was folding it,
Facing temple his lips did pray.
I made a hasty retreat
So that my umbrella
Didn’t come in the way!

You thought
She was fathoming the depth,
The distance of the fall,
The final impact,
And the pain during the end.
You thought
She was having a rethink,
Weighing in her mind
If the end
Just a fall away
Was worth going thru.
You thought
It suddenly tasted sweet,
What’s past her,
And it didn’t deserve
What she was contemplating.
They weren’t, any of them,
She hung her head in shame
That overpowered any fear
of what was coming,
as it couldn’t be any worse,
than what she passed thru
in a life never hers,
that in all her years
she couldn’t make her own.
To erase it
Once and for all
She could easily make the chasm
Pull her in.

slosh of oars
ripples the night
of tremulous moons

the nightjar soars
on silver light
a sad tune croons!

tides up swell
lap the wood
in ceaseless kiss

moon grows pale
in deep brood
of broken wish

the misty haze
spells the core
spins a dream

mind in daze
forgets shore
drifts upstream!

On that windless day
Sultriness sat heavily on him,
A convecting hollowness
Grooved in his chest
Spread to the throat
He was gasping.

Words echoed inside
But couldn’t make their way
As he sank into darkness.

Around him
Crowd of oblivious men
was without a clue.

Remained unheard a garble
Speed…dial…2.

My father walked on the roof
at night alone.

He used to come to his son’s home
seeking summer’s relief
from his nine month’s home alone
at the Himalayas foothill.

But he couldn’t leave the chill out.

His seven decades of mind
defied his frail frame
as he hugged the plain’s winter
without a woolen
painting summer on my roof.

Rarely I would be with him
but when he came down
he would speak animatedly
the constellations he had seen
the milky way
about the quarreling owls.

Wish I were there with him
all his nights on the roof
making four wandering eyes
looking at constellations
marveling at the milky way.

Now on some winter nights
I go to the roof alone
without my son
remember father
my heart aching in the thought

One day my son too would come

**Alone

When the dusts settle from the last wheel
and the sickle moon stoops on the bamboo grove
the dead rise in the whispers of the southern breeze.

You may hear them splashing the canal's water
beneath the hazed halo of one quarter
by nocturne music of barn owl and crickets
in lights of glowworms from darkest thickets.

If you stop on the Rotwood Bridge
can hear them sing in gay abandon
though we're now all dead old spirits
the night can't make us anymore forlorn.

The twin moon may from the ripples broken
beckon you and if your spirit awakens
take a plunge for a joyous down go
amid cheers from the watery hollow.

Within the four walls
Below a roof
Busy with play of words
The poet is aloof.

The sky is breaking low
Pitter patter rain
Capture they must the flow
Of drizzles soothing pain.

Outside on a stretch of green
Drenched to the bone
A man with cracking skin
Hoeing from morn.

The toiler is tasked to ****
Paid by the hour
Must earn the precious quid
Whatever the shower.

The poet is lost in the toil
To grow his rhyme in shower
The **** works fast the soil
Growing hope by the hour.

Rows of heads droop in meditation
The journey is slow and arduous
Along same path to same termination
Boring and depressingly monotonous!

An unbroken dullness hangs in the air
Emits a feel the travail is endless
And the heads drooping are in silent prayer
To reach at last their destined address!

For some the travel is not that far
They disembark earlier than many
For the ones left to ride further
Is prolonged the meditative agony!

The ghostess was his hostess
in that wood apple tree
she flirted and she caressed
he was tickled merrily!

In the moonlight fought a mock fight
her nails she dug on him
he hugged her with all might
her bony frame quite slim!

He was bolder as he told her
where had you been all life
wooed her in whisper
would have made you my wife!

Her eyes then smoked in pain
trembled her voice
there wasn't a you among the men
I had little choice!

Two hollow face loved breathless
kisses floated in thin air
lone night owl stood witness
to the two souls laid bare!

My sweetest times were spent with them
They brought me here gave me a name
The only ones to be called my own
Now shadowy reflections in my moments alone!

His voice blurs faint as the years go by
Her face is a haze in the distant sky
I found from them an unmatched love
Living to this day in my treasure trove!

They gave me here a place to claim
Brought me here gave me a name
On this day of blessing and wish
I feel them within find a soothing peace.

Throw away girl the parasol
rain wanna kiss your skin
then seep slowly into your soul
settle in love therein.

You don't need girl the parasol
rain longs to touch your face
then take in your heart a quiet stroll
etch there for love a warm place.

Don't walk girl with the parasol
rain is begging for a chance
for your embrace he's blazing coal
burning to wipe out the distance.

Drop girl the parasol on the way
and see the rain's yearning stare
he is falling for your love today
with his heart for you bared.

On your poems I linger.

Long after they’re gone

Leave their mark
On my work

Residues of their thread
Buzz in my head

Deep they sink
To color my ink

Your thought
In me wrought

The way you bleed
The way you seed
The way you need

They get into me
Beget more poetry

Your pursuit of joy
Of pain
Of sorrow

I borrow

Fated to be forever indebted

I steal your tune
Like a roadside singer.

On your poems I linger.

The trees are dancing in red
And yellow and violet and pink,
Rebellious colors of all hue and shade
Though here will be gone in a wink.
Grab them these specters of dreams
Dip your heart deep and true
Surrender to the mad spectrum of whims
Before they fade and leave you to rue.
Let some of them smudge your face
Get inside and touch your mind
Bathe you in flamboyant happiness,
Once gone you may never again find.
Colors of Spring in all hue and shed
From the heavens on you they pour,
Dash of colors, that’s for you made,
Are calling you to open your door!

Below the earlobe
near the edge of the cheekbone
is a hollow
my eyes follow.

There hides her treasure trove
unexplored
waiting to be unraveled
by probing lips!

This zone
on the wrong side
is the right side
to find

*untrampled love!

Inside us lurks the vice
Seeking new ways
Finding new device,
To justify its need
And fallacy of virtue
It spreads like ****
Sounds like true!
We make a deal
With the invasive vice
Of our free will
We heed its advice.
Vice has a say
For whatever we strive
We need its easy way
We need it to survive.
Vice supple and smooth
Builds with us rapport
Virtue looks uncouth
Scary enough to abhor!

Our poems are fabrics

knit with the dreams inside
laid out in the open
so may a passing eye
grant a glance

a pausing mind
decides for a fleeting moment
to wear

thinking them their own.

Ours is a happy family.

Hands wave at the gate
when we go out to work.

Sometimes after a quarrel,
I don't look back
momentarily angered.

Then as I turn out of sight
I feel deeply saddened.

I shouldn't have spoiled the happiness.

Those days seem longer
and back home
I see pain in her eyes.

We hug and talk and make up.

We often don't agree,
I'm often stubborn,
but sooner I think
I shouldn't have spoiled the happiness.

Oftener we forget and move ahead.

It's so easy when I blame myself.

I won't repeat
but by this time you know
what I think.

Ours is a happy family.

We argue and quarrel and fight
but soon when we are out of sight
the engulfing sadness
makes the day longer.

Buoys up she from the sea I sail
What poetry can’t address
She serves me well.

The sailor’s misery she knows
His journey’s perilous waves
A rope for me she throws
Dragging to shore she saves.

Watches over her caring face
Suffers the navigator what distress
Resuscitating with her sweet breath
The mariner dying from illusive myth!

This way she rebirths me
Down on earth from the high sea
And till is regrown the sailor’s wings

We talk animated of life’s small things.