I’m sleeping but the night’ s awake
With sounds the days never make
Hear Sighs and rustles I can’t define
Born of thoughts -I think just mine.


My body sleeps ;the soul delights
Sensing a world out of sight
Seen in a misty cheery glow
Gently staged at the noon of night.

Many figures adorn the night
Laughing in a carefree way
Some seen-some out of sight
I long to wake and to say.


You morph- one to the other
A private self and a public face
I want so much to be like you.
A different Me for every place.

I kneel on sultry nights to pray
Lost songs to lead my mind astray
Doom Reason to walk a distant land
Emotion’s realm I sense is close at hand.

Sensuous thoughts in language of their own
In quiet tones the darkened room adorn
Bright sparkling eyes sudden muted feel
Entrapped, transformed, haunted, still

Tumultuous silence frames a lingering touch
Shy fingers tremulous fleeting brush
Smiling lips sudden are gravely etched
Restraint, by unshackled senses stretched

Perchance a truant spoken word
Repentant flees, unheeded and unheard
The gossamer touch of drifting fingers felt
On naked arms and legs, a straining breast

Unguided, instinctive, their path is marked
Aroused feelings just by touch are sparked
Rapturous Eternity knows no tide or ebb
Ensnared in a magical passion’s web

No music, yet lilting notes entreat
Joy’s songs this languorous spell to greet
A distant flute the silence softly graces
An emboldened tongue a lover’s lips embraces.

And hands that ere could scarce believe
Their power – in caress now relieve
Yester fears – Tomorrow's hopes are born
The heart of its fading memories shorn

No earthly thought dares be so rude
On such sacred moments to intrude
Just Silence in Silence's womb is born
Night's fabric by no morn is torn

I've oft in lonely moment sought
Such nights to hold, and felt distraught
As morn's light the lingering star chases
In sad retreat the unearthly spell erases.

Lazy mists o'er mountain peaks are raised
Nature's touch a rejoicing world has graced
Kissed by the pallid lips of regret
Tomorrow's dreams on yester grave are placed.

Wet eyes a million lights reflect
Where a few have shone- so do past regrets
Pain's moment to everlasting pain transform
And joy's songs to dirges turn through neglect.

I raised my eyes and the Heavens in crescents shone
Like Halo'ed flowers ****** brides adorn
Angels chorused- my mortals ears had heard
With Autumn's breeze, my Spring blooms have blown.

Passing fancies by friendship's name are known
And, in passing, past ties disown
Love's words, though, in soft memory'll linger
Come night – each alone his day shall mourn

Dreaming as the sunset kissed the sky
By the lake I heard a lady cry
On my question "Alas" she wept aloud
With each sunset a little of my youth will fly.

Oh gentle lady by the lake
Why weep you here for beauty's sake
A lost youth your eyes in the pool can see
From Time's gaze a shelter of dreaming make.

For even as the koyal in the trees shall sing
And blossoming flowers herald the spring
The ale from our barrel will drip away, my love
Fill now your cup- some cheer to bring.

Come, come my love, leave behind
Your whims and fancies, your troubled mind
That youth and beauty that a mockery make
Of life-their crippling chains unbind.

In dreams did my mind reveal
Life's truths-and in mute appeal
Beseech me-let youth and beauty bye
Her laughter did all that knowledge steal.

It didn't begin-it could not end
Just endless hours somehow to spend
-E'en as mornings turned to night-
Telling tales a haunted soul to mend.

Once, just once, upon a Dawn
By my window, a bird forlorn
Sat singing wisdom's song to me
I rose and grasped-and the bird was gone.

So I clung on to what I knew
Must surely die-just like the dew
With morn-Time's callous winds destroyed
My laughter as over my life they blew.

Yet, still, I seek those moonlit pools
And worlds where bold Folly rules
Seeking paths some more to stray
My skies ablaze in radiant hues.

Not yet the tide of war is spent
Red stains the Tigris's timeless flow
Death's haze cloaks my lovely skies
Stark my temples smouldering glow.

My mothers carried in their wombs
Old spirits of an ancient land
Today my children's pride is torn
By a cursed invader's hand.

Imbued with a stubborn faith
For years I watched each day behold,
-Tho' hostage to a callous world-
My children's spirits strong and bold.

There were days when hunger struck
And ills had found no chance of cure
I saw my children , young and old
Still keep their faith- fine and pure.

My name adorned so many a verse
And long , my gates, the traveller's sought
My glories they could scarce divine
Whose souls by dimes and cents are bought.

I thought those tales of ancient times
The renown that once I had known
Would stay marauding guns and tanks
And let bloom the seeds that I had sown.

I thought there was still the hope
That Time had taught most men to feel
The anguish of the orphaned child
Watching Death its parents steal.

They seek to wrest from deep within
The essence of my children's life,
Their falsehoods born of grasping greed
Condemned me to this ****** strife.

Now will they strip this fallen prey
Like vultures gathered from afar
None sought to hear my anguished cry
Or stem this accursed tide of war.

This ancient land will nurse its wounds
In silence- nor lament the day,
But nightly my desert winds shall curse
Those hands that dared upon me lay.

Tomorrow, Tomorrow -I'll be there
When my tormentors long are gone
So Mother grieve not for your child
Await with me those to be born.

They'll nurture till the end of time
The seeds of anger and of hate,
Raise to the skies my hoary head
And roar defiance at my Fate.

Such thunder will the Heaven's rent
The stars avenging orbs of light,
As ancient spirits across the land
Chain foes to dungeons of the night.

I'll rise again, tall and strong
Eternal as my desert's sand
Nourished by the coursing blood
Of martyrs of this Arab land.

Tell them another morn is here
One of joy and hopes galore
Not now on shadows past to dwell
New life has entered thru' your door.

Tell them no gloom can dull the day
Time's wasted writ is grey'n faded
Tell them of all new senses born
And ****** aside the old and jaded.

Tell them you saw the blossom reach
Towards the sky from barren sand
Tell them you saw the bird in grace
Soar high o'er a desolate land.

Tell them that now no rivers run
So dry- your tears alone are wet
Tell them now by rolling banks
Life and Laughter again have met.

Tell them among the stars you count
Many who enriched your day
Tell them the memory of those times
Still echoes all along your way.

Tell them from deep within this earth
The voice of countless souls is heard
Tell them to heed with due intent
The wisdom couched in every word.

Tell them you seek your rightful place.
Your own amidst the milling crowd
Tell them you chose to walk alone
Fearless, honest, free and proud

Tell them about your journeys stops
Etched in memory -big and small
Each a choice which way to turn
To walk on or stumble and just fall.

Tell them the morning's call is clear
And night no longer holds her sway
Tell them you'll never seek the dark
Nor shun the dawning of the day.

When daily Nature's story's told
With chirps that gently nudge your sleep
Remember that this gift of life
Is yours to cherish, yours to keep

I look at you and I wonder
Do you see what I see?
Do the echoes of my thoughts
Resound in your consciousness?

Do the hues of life burst forth in splendour
Disdaining dark shadows of the mind,
Is reality real -or merely a transgression
Upon the promise of tomorrow.

Do you look ahead and cast not a glance
At paths traversed to reach today.
For they are just memories –some cherished, some best forgotten.
Of what you were - not what you are.

Does solitude's shield of isolated dreams
Guard against the meaningless clamour of mendacity
That arises from the multitude of nameless faces
Seen through your window.

Despair and hope dance endlessly
Clinging to the rhythm of our moods
Does Winter give way to Summer
Or is there a Spring somewhere ?

The rustling of gentle leaves
Portends calamitous storms?
Is it but the fleeting brush of fingers
Reliving more intimate moments.

Doors open and they shut
Those ajar are left untended
Those locked -knocked upon
With unrelenting intent.

The circle of life
Daily completes itself
Day and night-neither
Is shortened nor lengthened by wishes.

In the dark lurk glowworms
Left unseen by the day.
So are we-between our dreams
And waking hours.

Do you steal moments just to be.
Or does the forced rush of life
Leave no space nor time
For such luxuries.

Spoken words bridge distances-
Creating a union of questing souls
Seeking fulfillment and understanding
In a shared moment.