The journey within
And the undulating path
River of time flows on

Shores travel along side
All the way long,
Before offering their very existence
At the altar of life
Along with the flow of time
Fabric of ocean is all consuming
All consuming cosmic design

My journey too
Churned in travails of senses
Some times I sink
Some times I surface, in little bit of light
Gasping for breath of life
Some times I wander, helpless
And some times totally lost

Slowly, under my feet
The road disappeared
Am I the destination?
__
Om Namah Shivaya

The silence of my room
Loosing its peace
Over the noisy rain call
Shouting outside
Deep forest behind
Shakes off its dirt
Dances with breeze,
In fresh green trees
Cold thoughts fall softly as raindrops
Holding on to my tattered blanket of life
I watch my memories and winter pass by

The milky way in the night sky
Lost its way
Comes down in torrents of rain
To ask me for one dance
Clouds
Took off the cloaks of my shadow
Running arms wide open
On the wings of love,
I soar to distant stars
While, in the puddles of rainwater
My little ego fish, finds its greatness
Buddha smiles, lotus pond waits
To bring me back

Mind exists in it's own world of passion
Possessiveness and touch
Fleshy wounds, senses dirt
The power of the dusty path
Is not in the eternal wait of life's traveler
But in bringing the end of
Karmic shell
The lightness of being to be released

One by one, pain stripped off
My wanting, my needing, my attachment
Slowly Buddha reached out to me
Lying tattered on the path
Revealing
Invisible bundle of pure love and joy
Covered in rags of past
Buddha, is that really me?
As I prepare to sleep
In my cold lonely shell
_____
ॐ नमः शिवाय
Om Namah Shivaya

The night went on and on
Some times in words
Some times in thoughts
Some times the silence
Took over the lightness of our being
And soared above our dreams

A life time to spend
A life time to walk
A life time to share
And a life time to talk

The night’s window
Fluttered open
The gate way to our stars in the sky
The Milky Way bridged the night
To the morning light
And she said to wake her up
To say good bye
How sad it is, that I did

Now
That hug
And our clasped hands
That took her away
Still lasts in me, eternally
As my heart echoes, on and on
Don’t go, my love, don’t go so far
_____
ॐ नमः शिवाय
Om Namah Shivaya

This poetry is one of the collections of poetry I am writing, called “Kalina” about a small girl and her world, her feelings her thoughts. ‘
____

As she walked ahead
In her enthusiastic little hop, skip and jump - steps
I fell behind, in my own thoughts; old and aging
Yet keeping pace with her fresh world
That turns in, with a burst of rainbow
On every turn, flying like a butterfly
Across her little universe of wonder

Now she stops; the deep forest
Climbing up the steep incline of the mountain
Has her attention; complete with one hand under her chin
And I know, she knows what to ask,
With a sweet little smile behind her knit wool gloved little hand
And stump me with her wide charmed eyes

“Why those clouds are leaving the mountain alone?
Do you think Grandpa, Peakoo* will be happy without them to play?
Do you think they are coming over to play with us?
Can you give your extra blanket to put them up, in the attic for the night?
Grandpa, it’s very cold now, you know, they will shiver

Before I could think an answer and say,
“Kalina, lets go now, it’s going to rain”
She has already moved on
Playing with the soft cold breeze, moving up from the valley

With her hands out stretched, running, almost flying
Like the autumn leaves, that joined in to play, in her wake
__
ॐ नमः शिवाय
Om Namah Shivaya

This poetry is one of the collections of poetry I am writing, called “Kalina” about a small girl and her world, her feelings her thoughts. ‘Butterfly’ was submitted to ‘One Stop Poetry’ for the competition “Through a Child’s Eyes” and was selected as one of the finalist. Click here to read to read the article…

I have edited this one below after submission; hence here you have the latest version

Butterfly
_

Look, there she is
There on the window pane
A new friend from the dreams last night
She promised to teach me
How to fly, where ever, whenever
In sunshine or rain

How bright and beautiful, she is
Pinker than my ma’s cheek
Her little wings have so many colors
Like the rainbow
I painted last summer, for my Pa’s Birthday
Before he left for the war,
You know, to make money for us to eat

Tell me butterfly,
How does one eat money?
How does one go to the war?
I don’t want Pa to go to the war;
I don’t want any money to eat; At all
You know, whenever I hug him,
I don’t feel hungry,
God Swear, not at all

Oh! Butterfly!!
Why are you flying away
Going so far?
See, out side, the day is still full of light;
Sure you can wait a little more?
Promise, Ma will be back soon,
From her nightshift,
And, sure she will let you in
Don’t you see, I can not;
I am in the bed,
Too sick to let you in

Butterfly, my dear Butterfly,
You really have to teach me how to fly
Before you came in my dreams
I promised Pa - a hug tonight,
I know where he “wars” now;
Ma showed me the other night,
When she cried,
“There, Kalina, there he is, in the sky
That beautiful bright Evening Star”

You know Butterfly;
I love him so much,
Much more than I love Ma,
Really!
You must teach me to fly,
As I have to go today,
Yesterday, Pa told me
Its time now
Here you see
My Ma does not even smile much
Now

__
ॐ नमः शिवाय
Om Namah Shivaya

SWAN SONG
(–noun the last act or manifestation
of someone or something;
farewell appearance)
_____
Lotus pond
Waits
Silently
Lotus flowers too

Pink petals -hesitatingly
Unfurl, heron silently stare
Life unfolding,
In the morning mist

Boddhi tree floated, a message
Of life,
In the falling leaf
On the temple floor

Breeze stood still
Music of Flute stopped playing
In the bamboo grove
Swan has started singing its song

Life, lives in little steps of love
But love bleeds life
In little steps, too
Falling, leaving and dying

Swan is singing
Its swan song
Time does not know,
It has come

Deep in the temple
Buddha Smiles
Nothing is forever
Forever is nothing
____
Om Namah Shivaya