The canvas of our lives, a year of shades,
Of stormy hues and shadows deeply laid.
But through the tempest, hand in hand we stayed,
Our love a beacon, fear and doubt allayed.

You, my artist, with colors bold and bright,
Painted resilience, bathed our world in light.
Your strokes of courage, turning darkest night,
Into a dawn where hope and love ignited.

My sweetest addiction, your soul, a vibrant hue,
My strongest inspiration, forever seeing you.
There's no mountain high, no challenge we can't subdue.
As long as you are mine, forever and anew.

For you, my love, I'll climb the highest peak,
A loyal guide, the work my heart will speak.
My best friend, my confidante, forever meek,
Whenever you may need me, I will never forsake.

I'll cherish every moment, every whispered phrase,
Your laughter, your tears, the love that softly sways.
Each passing day, my love for you ablaze,
A fire burning brighter in a wondrous haze.

The world may dim, but with you, my love's aflame,
Chasing shadows, whispering your name.
A dream come true, erasing every pain,
My sweetest addiction, forever and again.

I'll hold you close, my love, a tender embrace,
Never letting go, this love with find it's place.
In every sunrise, every moonlit space,
My love for you, a timeless, sacred grace.

Morning sunshine wakes me from my slumber,
The first thing I see is you,
The first things I touch, I feel, I hold...
Is you.

My heart sings with the warmth and joy, a melody of compassion,
A love that you have so generously bestowed upon this old soul,
A smile that fills my face, my eyes wide,
Capturing every beautiful detail of your face.

Sunbeams form rays to light your sleeping form,
Tickling your cheek, sparkling through your hair,
The first thing I reach for is you, caressing your cheek with the back of my fingers,
Brushing the hair from your eyes.

The first thing I smell is the enticing scent of a woman,
Peach blossoms and rose oil fill the air,
The first thing I kiss is your soft pouty lips; blushed and supple,
The first thing I see .... is you.

The glint in your eyes
They speak a thousand words
In unheard languages
I am yet to comprehend
Or atleast allow me my pretense

So what is it you will have
A joy de tour on springy boards
Hastily in out of bound outskirts
Battled passion beneath pristine white
For the cleaning stewardess to find

Or the dance in silence
Where I am waltzed against walls
By invisible hands in caress
Love tumbled and awash
Still held upright by your eyes

Will it be the war of words
When the tongues all they want
to explode in a tango the lavish
The lust felt wrapped as love
While we debate on rights and wrongs

So tell me how would it be
All laid out as business pleasantries
As we conclude profound debates
Not a word heard or registered
The only take away the glint
An undying lament in sheathed eyes.
- - - - -
Seema Jayaraman, Mumbai,17Nov2015

Upon a cold night in an ember month,
I watched from a higher ground two lovers quarreling—
His voice, a thunder. Her voice, another thunder in the night.

The night grew older in minutes and Gradually their voices quiet down.
They fought and they calmed, and they sat together
On a concrete bench under a tree whose silhouette was created by the streetlights some walks away.

Moments later I began to hear their laughter—
His voice a melody to her, her voice a melody to him after the flame.
There was nothing more beautiful to me that night.
I felt relieved and told my friend “this is how it should be.”

Oh my rose in bell jar!
From time to time I watch you from afar,
Keeping you in my peripheral vision
avoiding the precision
to acknowledge your decaying red;

But I notice
You've become more lively
in this unbearable gray time,
Tell me
is it your favourite crime
to mock my remaining solitude?
Isn't suggesting doubtful hope
to a dying person start of a cruel dispute?

Ah! I've known that cruelty you're trying so hard to resurrect,
You were the witness once
And You know he was the only one
That ever charming prince on a white horse
Seemed like a promising escape from my fancy confinement, eh?

With a swooning smile he bought my hospitality
And I fell in hope,
He claimed he had never seen such a beauty
Oh I wish I told him then
this beauty will last
till her awaited twenty first;
Forbidden to leave the cage
doomed with a witch's rage;

That could've spared me
from this additional catastrophe
of heartbreak;

Let me continue;

Soon shy smiles and secret glances
bloomed into hearty laughs and sensual dances
And I had never felt more beautiful in anyone's presence;

My gloomy fort now welcomed these festive winds
And I giddily waited for my blossoming spring ;

But somebody should've told me that nothing feels bitter
than the failed exchange of hearts ;

You see,
I gave him colours
but with that he painted another visage from his past,
Love rekindled in his heart and it was me left with burns and scars;

But instead of blood there were sparkles
that kept my vision lighted and filled my imaginary with scenes from dreamy novels;
And I got addicted these mocking hopes again;

So, my dear rose in bell jar!
Tell me are these imaginations bewitching you too?
Are you blushing or are you angry? You're being too red to give me a  clue;

I'm frozen,
And I can see your spirit fade away
The liveliest shimmers of all I've seen,
And I can't do anything;

My heart burning,
Trying to melt my surrounding ice
giving a last try
to catch your glimmers,

Then it gave up
Because it apprehended to be late,
So struggle breathed out;

Then I don't know how long I slept
Maybe hoping to see you in my dreams,

Where we'll go to that street
where we always wanted to be
My rosy flush and your musing gaze
As the wind swept past the starry horizon
with the sparks of pure amaze;

The sweet scent of that blossoming love
I still remember
I watched it go away with my heart surrendered;

Now,
I'm an icy embody;

Witnessing only the passing times,
without hope;

Who could've thought that not getting over means
there's no hope?

Not that I see miles away;
Even if I try to
These icy flakes blocking my way,
I'm too cold to be resurrected now;