Amidst all the wars fought
Drenched in recondite thoughts,
Solace she sought
Only to find nought

'Smile and be merry', they said
But hey,
Do they even hark
When it's too dark?

Taken by fright,
Wondering what's right
It took all her might
When she dared to fight

Lo, and behold!
As the bright new scenes unfold
'A heart of gold,
And a woman so bold!'

#firstattempt

Beckoning amid the mundane chaos of all and sundry
I heard a whisper – ‘Take a deep breath. Be.’
Along a hidden guise, the voice lingered:

Sit by the old campfire, roar at their repartee
Go, revel in joy. Be!
Bask in your gradual siesta, lolling on the settee
Vision dreams black, white and hued. Be.
Revel in the white Christmas joys, or stare into the forlorn sea
Through peaks of joy or hollows of misery. Be.
For no act is more profound or tranquil,
Stay. Breathe. Be.

A ruffled heart, an unsettled soul
The Almighty's kept her off the dole
'Why are you silent, mighty Lord?
Assure me, the universe acts per your accord'

She sauntered slowly down the street
Smiling at her loved ones, keeping life's misgivings discreet
She could feel the pain gently seeping in,
A scathing body, and a dubiety-clenched heart within

Of lost love and dead men they talk
Her agony of vacillations is why then put in a dock?
‘Smile, my dear heart’, she cried
There ain’t no world for the dreary-eyed

As the achy moments turned into uncurious days
Like mayflowers, new truths radiated
In her anxious ears, He gently whispered
‘Told you so, my dearest; T’you I shall always give the best’

Her heart triumphed, as His misty aura slowly unblocked
And slowly she rejoiced with every new truth unlocked
On fresh green lawns, she now runs
Ahoy! See there - a fortress of faith and new spring suns

Perched on a hill-top, I straddled that noncommittal thought
Loafed under the sun next morning, with my mind still whimpering –
“Why that battle be fought, hands down which is lost?”

To the beach I headed, deeming this would bring peace instead
The swirl of the waters, only churned out more fears –
“What do I want mended? Did I forget again, there was nothing even to be fended?”

My darling, they don’t have an inkling -
Resolute we are, even with the doors of the heart left ajar
A million recollections in the brain singing, with them all I went mingling

That night came unannounced, gently without a sound
As I looked up the vault of the skies, a million stars gazed into my eyes –
I wish I knew - the universe is a tad too profound
Forsooth, my mortal thoughts that day were left spellbound

It is 6:45 am; weary eyes stare into a wall – unfocused and aimless
Each blink heavy; every breath filled with void
Dodder down the passage, meeting folk who couldn’t care less
Hark to their pleas of ‘Keep hope!’ and Alas! Thou art decoyed

Hope will aye usher in a new world, sure
Of bluer skies, greener lawns, and merrier smiles
The perfect silver lining to rose-tinted eyes pure
And stay there thou shalt, yearning for golden times

It will deflate one day – the delusive scheme called ‘Hope’
Dreams now shrapnel, will cut through tenderness of thy being
Holding heart wrecks, a scathed soul will mope
Albeit thy life be torn asunder, my dearest, bypass the hope swing

As I gently treaded on the meadow this cold morning
With warm clothes, a hot mug, and a mastiff cuddling
You stood there – sturdy and sublime
On thy peak, silvery snow and lustrous sun shine