Because we do not say what we ought to say
It's slipping out of our hands, life is going astray
Afraid to speak our mind, the truth bitter and harsh
We have found peace that compromises with the curse.
Because we do not act the way we ought to act
We have got a peace that keeps devils intact
Afraid to raise our voice against the evil's might
We bargain for a peace that perpetuates our plight.
Because we do not dare the way we ought to dare
Light is snuffed out, we live in nightmare
Afraid to battle out the monsters that loom
We settle for a peace that leads us to doom.

The sodden sky was ominous gray
Halted wheels on fruitless span
I knew I had lost my way
When from earth shot up one old man!

There he was by the broken bridge
With soiled hands face smiling
His long white beard hid agelong crease
And bar him the road had no one thing!

I asked him the way to the old fort
For rolled the wheels in vain too far
He caught me up in quick rapport
As flew in the winds his monkly hair!

He told the story when the English came
And how they struggled in the hostile clime
Built the bridge got the river dammed
Now broken pillars of ravaged time!

Twenty miles he said need to go
Till you reach the fort now a rubbled pile
On the left with you would be river’s flow
That’s half an hour with a forty mile!

I have so much to tell about this place
The English bridge and all the story
But I know he said with time you race
If only you could spend an hour with me!

In that blindest lane
I had gone in search of a door
When on the glass pane saw written
Cadaver Store!

Stood there awhile awed
Rubbed eyes if seen it right
My sight wasn’t a bit flawed
In that hour of perfect light!

Don’t my mind fervently pleaded
Walk through that ominous door
My curiosity left it unheeded
Pushed me in Cadaver Store!

Luminous lights reflecting on mirrors
Caught me in my own stare
Bar my fear’s pulsing tremors
There wasn’t a living soul there!

Haven’t for long been needing this help?
Spoke from the glasses an unseen voice
A deserted place to meet your self
See what have made it of your own choice!

Looked back at me corpses of seasons
Laughing mocking hating on my face
For always finding enough reasons
To let them die in silent distress!

The winds couldn't blow it
The storm couldn't uproot it
Rain couldn't drench it
Sun couldn't bake it
Fire couldn't burn it
Despair couldn't strike it.
It remained on the wall
Little faded but neat
Unruffled by the rolling years-
January 1961…
The Road starts here!

You can call it reliance
You can call it faith
When two souls span the distance
Stick as lifelong mate!

You can call it miracle
You can call it a chance
When four eyes joyous sparkle
Beginning with first glance!

You can call it fate
You can call it nuts
Only they know the secret
In love united hearts!

Call it by any name
Its reach is boundaryless
When touched by its warm flame
Springs fountain of happiness!

My waking time
in the narrowest part of the creek
chases spots in the shadows
a streak between bushes
thirsty tongue lapping green opal
cautious cotton on the fallen leaves
the priceless prowler in the morn mist
or in the dusk
the graceful glory
in the hinterland of my heart.

From the moment you’re born
You get a lollipop
You **** on
Till it *****!
For sometime you lick the stick
Before turning to Him,
the ultimate candy of sweetness!

I met her just once

still in my heart she shines
in this mind bred in the city
grinded in urban complexity
she is one finger pointing the firmament
I never though made her a commitment!

With women have spent oceans of word
with her stayed ten minutes or so
what in me she stirred
lifetime in my mind would glow!

Can someone tell me the mystery of emotion
that makes what's seen in one seen in none
love's ten minutes' silent revolution
in a span of life is never undone!

I met her once only
finger counted moments awhile shared
in my thoughts she remains heavenly
her memory brighter time weathered!

It took
One frown
To undo
All my sweet gestures!
In a moment off-guard
A slipped word
Undid
All my good deed!
It’s so hard
Though a lovebird
I can’t always find,
The right look
And the right word
To sit firmly in your mind!

I steal a look at you,
And I steal the blue
of your eyes.
For a moment,
Your frame is mine
Your lips shine
The moment is spent.
I steal a look at you,
For a moment
Your wheatish hue
Is all mine,
Your warm smell,
Eyes of gazelle,
Seem so divine.
Thus my eyes dart
To catch your frame
In a game
That makes you my part.
But I can't steal your heart!

Can you
recite from memory
your own poetry?

Run child run
beckons you the sun
the bowl of sky over the grass
are waiting with palette and brush.
Run child run
away from the popcorn fun
the deceitful idiot box
that so sadly chains you in locks.
Run child run
barefoot on the pearly dew
away from the virtual fun
to the loveliness waiting for you.
Run child run
far from the cyber fun
before the setting sun’s crimson hue
forever misses you.

It sensed
My lens,
Flew away.
Pity
It hates
Captivity!

rained heavy on the forlorn
white stone

April dusk had stood still
on deserted lane

iron gate to the lawn
showed mossed sleepy graves

tiptoed on the overgrown grass
for epitaph hard to read

Expect great things from God
opened eyes to more widely catch

Attempt great things for God
couldn't ruin it the ravage of years

outside tombstone waited a world
in the drizzle echoed the missionary's deathless sermon.

Before the night paints the world dark
Daylight surrenders to the evening and fades
A carpenter digs through the dead tree’s bark
Before nightfall a hole has to be made.
A hole has to be made before nightfall
There isn’t any place else he could stay
Since he can’t make the night stall
He must fast dig the passageway.
He must fast dig the passageway
Make for him a warm space
Till the sun gifts him another day
He once more gets back his happiness.
He once more gets back his happiness
The thought drives him in the cold night
It’s enough if he can just dig a warm space
To hold on patiently for daylight.
He must hold on patiently for daylight
A rewarding time until dawns darkness
A warm space he must dig for the night
Therein lies the woodpecker’s happiness.

Rise high
Their eyes
Scan the ground,
Spend in toil
If on the soil
A cadaver is found.

It’s not what I thought
Youth wasn’t all carrot.
Once past its peak
I was shown its stick.

O wind she is far though
in thy blow whisper to her
to find me on the horizon's glow
read heart's script on the first star!

O wind when thou pass by her
ask if she sings the old song
its notes make her eyes blur
aching for the lover missed for long!

O wind when thou play on her hair
and she feels the touch of my hand
strum the tune softly in her ear
I'm pining in a faraway land!

O wind when her cheeks thou kiss
wet them with thirsty lips' touch
speak to her my only dying wish
to let her know I loved her very much!

It's so hard to make, harder still to maintain
So easily it can break, may never be built again!
For heaven's sake hold onto it
The slightest crack can rip it apart.
A thing once so dear, a thing once so sweet
Can go astray and break your heart.
Just one hurting word, the smallest frown
A little loss of patience to understand,
Like a card house it comes crashing down,
With one unguarded blow of your hand!
Be careful, the castle is built in the sand,
There's dark cloud, gale and thunder
Hold onto it with your heart and your hand
Let it not for heaven's sake come asunder.

I awoke in the morn and walked to the shore
But the sea was faraway, could be seen no more
The abandoned beach stretched far as the eyes
None else was there, it was lonely sunrise.
There was no wave crowning the beach
The sea seemed vanished by a vengeful witch
My disappointment I could barely hide
I was supposed to be on a lovely seaside.
The wind though swept my face
As if to soothe and calmly redress
My discontent at the barren shore
Seeking a sea that was there no more!
Though crestfallen I was not homebound
Rolled my trousers, climbed the sands’ mound
And then I heard the casuarinas whisper
‘We’re here as the waves’ murmur’!

off the asphalt
five miles down south
she catches prawn

her skirt the catching net
feet quietly feather weight
she looks a muddy heron

beneath sky grayish pale
swimming wind with fishy smell
on her no man's patch

intent on her solo search
head bowed down cutely arch
she must have her catch

streaks of mud on her hair
only what she does care
a bunch of wriggling store

fire it up when day is dead
have the catch thinly spread
and nothing more

The spider was watching Cathy finish her cake.

Thank God, it thought, she hasn't seen me
green me hiding in the green grass, it was grinning.

Why are you so scared of me, Cathy?
do I look ugly, mean, harmful?
once I saw me in a dewdrop
on a blade of grass
the reflection was quite majestic
my eyes were dark as the deep sea
held only peace and no malice.

You too are so cute Cathy
a butterfly in the meadow
on the sky a sparkling rainbow
and how I would have loved
spin my web right there
in the thicket of your hair.

Cathy was singing.

It needed her one glance
to see the spider dance.

I wish
It rained fish
Not cats and dogs.
I could fry
This gift from the sky
Burning logs!

I have enough reason to grouse
For the cats in our house
Can’t catch the mouse!
My family is quite panic-stricken
As it runs amok in our kitchen
That little brat!
Each thing it gnaws and nibbles
Quickly hides cleverly dribbles
Nowhere are the cats!
It’s irksome it plays so cool
As if our cats are bunch of fools
The mouse is a real genius!
It has made the kitchen its hearth
Run and frolic in mischief’s mirth
Make look our cats genuine ***!
Lapping milk gorging fish
The lazy cats never wish
To go after the mouse!
If you ask we rid it how
‘Go get one mousetrap now’
Says my spouse!

My lens intruded into their privacy
Two butterflies in mating symmetry
Lured, my camera froze the ecstasy.
I never knew when they parted spent
I only have the frame of that moment
And the guilty conscience of catching
Two enamored souls in the act of mating.
Are they still there the two butterflies?
Paired even now in heavenly guise
The tree where they mated is long gone
And the like of them I haven’t come along.

Gyrating in its own web
Spinning up and down
It hangs perilously
Like a circus clown!

Its swim delicate in the air
In silent graceful motion
Striving to have its way
In a rigid instinctive notion!

The slightest stir by chance
It freezes in its dance
Swoops on the prey

*Lives another day!

Shaving the heads the barber he belongs to the same faith
For him it’s some money he celebrates each death
Celebrates each death the barber he earns from obvious fate
Shaving the dead’s loved ones will earn him at any rate!

The barber isn’t afraid of death for he has watched bereaved guys
Heard too many wails in life death doesn’t surprise
He goes through emotionless motions knifes clean their head
The more he bares the heads the more he earns his bread!

They bow their heads before him he blows their hairs away
In the aftermath of death it’s always him that holds sway
His eyes glisten in death’s joy before death he’s not craven
His work is justly finished when each head is cleanly shaven!

They mourn the departed ones shed grief’s copious tears
The barber remains unfazed perhaps chuckles in furtive cheers
A death in someone’s family a great loss for years to harbor
But for him a cause to celebrate fears not death the barber!

The music plays on,
He lies motionless,
Sedated forlorn,
End looming on his face.
There isn't a trace
That he did ever embrace
Life and love that fulfils it,
But forever lying on the crumpled sheet!
The music plays in his head,
His fingers faintly move on the bed,
Now from death no more immune,
They celebrate the symphony of one last tune!

In the dark their eyes glow
Shadows emerge from shadow
Cruel fangs they bare
You freeze where you are.
Now in the lonely zone
Phantoms from dungeon
Evils you slaved and fed
Would be glad to see you dead!
You can do little but stare
Praying an end of nightmare
Knowing it's too late to choose
They're already on you let loose.

From the shadows you emerge as shadow
The night darkens howling winds blow
Seeking prey with endless greed
Upon fresh corpses you madly feed!

From the knoll rolled the meadow blue brown and green
The silence of the Spring sky shielded the distant din
Winds blew in a dusty peace bought mind a soft solace
First star on the meridian chimed in the evening’s grace.

Atop the knoll came the call for once to break the race
Hear the hushed whispers of dreams long suppressed
Stand there hugged by those moments’ forgetfulness
No need survives for going back there exist no address.

The chance in that trance wove a blithesome spell
It’s here that you belong for you is made this dale
Drink in this heavenly whim hidden nectar of the mind
Unshackle from the chains of an illusion left behind.

The sky was soon illumined by the monstrous city light
Faded the meridian’s first star stillborn was mournful night
Atop the knoll dawned darkness the meadow was a distant blur
It was time to retrace downhill to forever nurse a scar.

I hold breath before the expanse.

Past the ups and downs
and struggle for air,
the magic of the blue lake
the barren mountains rising around
root me to the ground.

Lovelier than all the dreams
I had of her
all the colours
I painted my imagination with
she arrests my heart
in the way
I found no word for.

I feel her once
and she remains fulfilling for ever.

The day thins out
my eyes blur
in the thought of her.

Come friend take my hand
Let’s go where the chariot of our childhood stood
To find out there if those times still stand
The ones we think are lost for good.
Come friend let’s retrace on the sand
Our imprints we think are lost for good
The times may there in wait for us stand
Where our yore’s chariot stood!

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!

when anger speaks
her glowing hot rose cheeks

i turn not so mean
as to lose my grin.

when her efforts fall flat
she smiles back
at this Cheshire cat.

Forty five years it took me to get back to that lane
The street name is changed grown olden men
The girls I flirted moved out to unknown
The ones not born are now ones full grown!

I try to find one window neath a roof of tin shed
Where sat that lovely girl black curls on her head
I wondered why she needed long hours of read
And not glanced once at me cared for my need!

I look for that patch of space where we used to play
Heartbroken returned to studies at end of day
And the girl who nightly returned to haunt me in my dream
But never ever would love me take me in her team!

I search for the red bricked house with green painted door
Beyond which lay all mystery all forbidden was in store
And that cot under which the two of us used to hide
In its darkness took the two minds unfathomed pleasure’s ride!

Not any of them I can find out all have sunk without a trace
Even the house where I stayed the child’s first address
And the girl upstairs don’t know how it crossed her head
She would say when she grows up only me she would wed!

I can’t get it back, never again
The fantasyland, the windowpane rain
The azure patch, a shrub of green
I’ve lost them all, you know what I mean!
Taken away, my mid days alone
Living my whims, in a world of my own
The galloping horse, looming monsters
Braving it all, the witch’s dark curse!
The dimple cheeked girl with little red curl
She was a fairy with a heart of pearl
By a magic wand she turned to angel
It was no dream, no fairytale!
I rode the horse, the one that rocks
Time flew by, old grew the clocks
Beckoned by the sky, I wish I could soar
Just to get the child back, and live it once more!

Every time I unwrap a chocolate
I think of Shil Grandpa.

The thin and tall man forever in a long coat
Towered over the sandstone roads of the sleepiest town
Where only steam hoots broke the silence
And a lone tree on the ground of Ghost Bungalow
Still spewed smoke of the thunder that burned it!

His house was at the eeriest corner of the town
Too large for just one man to inhabit it
The hush on its tree lined walkway was deafening
And the garden uncared just grew like wild!

He would stop the moment he sighted a child
Dip his hand in the sweet mystery of his coat pocket
And by magic wand would appear a chocolate!

Sweet tooth child don’t ask for one more, he would say
There are more to give, all the children coming my way.

In the steams whistle his words would fly like a song
In the afternoon’s shadow an old man gone wild
Sweetening his void with the joy of a child
One more still many more before he was free
His day was done and pocket empty!

Whenever I unwrap a chocolate
Grandpa Shil comes back to say

*Stop before you put it in mouth
There’s a child coming your way.

I wage a losing battle.

if the stray pup survives

one more dog on the street
one more hungry mouth

if I let it die

one more death for my conscience
one more compromise to
only the fittest survive

I make my choice.

In the name of Darwin
I can't let the pup die
under cold night sky.

The ebbing sea had retreated when I reached the beach
She was afar though the ******* lured me to reach
I had no choice but to cross the lagoon
Half-merged in water wading in the rippled moon.
What delight it was when I was on the other side
Behind me the channel before me the silvery wide
Above me wispily spread an ethereal band
I stood on the cushion of softly sparkling sand.
I could joyfully die holding them in my eyes
More I couldn’t take more I couldn’t surmise
The agonizing beauty was an unbearable sight
There seemed nothing more to live for beyond that night.
In turning back I knew would be no rejoice
But I had to retrace I had no other choice
Afar waited faces in the waning moon’s shadow
My feet were heavy in the return tide’s flow.

If ever you think religious tolerance is at its nadir
Inter-religion integration or world religion a utopia
Stand before the sunned domes of the Christo Mandir
Where the Christ’s name mingles with Hare Krishna!

Call it anything a temple a church
No different is our walked road
The church’s spire or the temple’s arch
Cannot be God’s encaged abode!

Christo Mandir the Temple of Jesus
In many veins stand out one leaf
Hollows my perceived faith and class
At its door I cast aside my belief!

Drive fast must get outta here
Run back to the city’s lights
Daytime beauty hides the scares
Can fall prey to the swallowing nights!
Still hundred miles time running out
Rush back to the known comfort
With darkness here monsters sprout
Don’t expect with them any rapport!
Day’s golden innocence so alluring
Vast expanse winds’ endless blow
Magpie robins from treetops sing
In praise of the drunken river’s flow!
You feel tempted to fall for it
Crave for a while’s silent pause
To smell in soil a fragrance sweet
Be drowned in the bliss of serene repose!
While in the breeze the cornfields sway
The sun tilts west makes the sky crimson
Your uneasy mind wanna call it a day
Move away from there forget emotion!
When darkness falls it dawns here quick
Monsters loom in shades unknown
Fear gnaws your senses go weak
Your timid mind finds fears grown!
Though stars twinkle on milky way
The crescent moon anchors in sky
You feel you should’ve foregone the stay
And not stayed back for daylight to die!

Drive fast must get outta here
Leave them to fade in the rustic night
The hundred miles you must steer
Reach where you belong the city of light!

Skyscrapers are leaving no holes
skydrapers are leaving no holes
like asphyxiated moles we would die
gasping for a piece of sky!

I have a recurring dream.

We two would sit in the same class
he beside me
learning physics che (mystery)
history philosophy
from common teachers
common lectures
and find
who reaped it richer
be better than the other

but when I try to sell him
my dream

doesn't approve, my son!

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.

To give their face a facelift
on the lip and around eyes
invented was lipstick
extracted from dyes.

Ah a woman’s lips
have held for countless age
her mind’s secret tips
love, hatred, rage!

Her lips parted pursed
speak the subtlest lines
of a relation gone accursed
or one in glowing shines!

It’s not when lips do part
but when she’s tightlipped
the silence breaks man’s heart
the strongest one gets ripped!

But sure her puckered ones
they invite you to a bliss
sparkle like thousand suns
when land on you as kiss!