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.

Soft blows the Heaven's whispering wind
Saying nothing yet still something's heard
Like notes of a once -elusive Spring
Warbled by Winter's solitary bird.

And sudden my mind in gay abandon
Trolls the paths of a distant day
When twice five years -not a moment more
Innocent upon these shoulders lay.

There was, then, a summer's place
Daintily nestled upon a hill
Where many an hour of pensive thought
I'd spent it's 17 hoursIn silence warm and still.

And nights hazy mists remember
Dwelt on street lights dim and low
With old men safely picking steps
Along gently sloping roads below .

Silent tiptoed the nightly rain
On sloping roofs and tender eaves
Entranced I'd see the pine trees sway
Sigh to their moist rustling leaves

I was fashioned ,to me unknown
By Grandfather -stern and tall
Whose tales of ghosts and djins that walked
Would hold my nightly hours in thrall.

In a verandah bare of face
That gazed upon a leafy vale
Of bards and poets and heroes brave
He told me many a moving tale.

Shadows danced on mountain paths
That wandered lost into the glade
Where nestling pines defying the sun
Cast a softly scented shade.

We knew along those winding trails
Many spots, most quaint and small
Where from the bustling crowds we'd flee
That thronged the town's central Mall.

The summer days were mostly warm
But sudden the thunder darkly rolled
Shivering along those neon lit streets
Stood silent doorways wet and cold.

And when the summer skies were spent
And lightning's flash no longer flared
Like mushrooms from the forest floor
The windows popped and people stared.

Prudence sought a moment's stay
But with that evening's siren call
None waited for the roads to dry
It brought the crowds onto the Mall.

Many spirits of past generations
Daily meandered thru' the town
And people dressed in Sunday best
Traversed that road up and down.

They came to see and to be seen
Boys and girls- the young and old
The warmth from seeking eyes dispelled
The damp and sometimes chilling cold.

When the shops had shuttered down
The dark bade 'night to man and beast
The music played in private rooms
Of friends gather'd to dance and feast.

Lightheaded from the evening spent
Before the first light of the morn
We'd sing to all those silenced streets
And await the breaking of the dawn.

Dreams oft born of that haze
Left many cheeks a blushing red
Hands were held, some glances shared
Some words heard without being said.

Oft the highpoint of those months
Came when Auckland's fete was laid
With rosy cheeks in neat discipline
Stood girls in brown and yellow plaid.

Many a smoothened cheek that day
Was with fragrant cologne splashed
Many a heart that day was captured
Many a hope that day was dashed.

Many an hour was later spent
Designing chances again to meet
Many a tongue learned by rote
Words a chosen one to greet.

Another place no less famous
Lay some distance from the Mall
Whose quiet greys with hints of red
Adorned the girls of Tarahall.

Just glimpsed faces, names unknown
Drove the boys to patient wait
Roads that somehow chanced to pass
By Auckland's or Loretto's gate.

Many a summer there was spent
Away from cares of school and books
Many a moment cherished still-
Stolen touches in secluded nooks.

I grew to manhood in that town
Of carefree summers bright and free
It's many summers since last I went
Its people and its sights to see.

The ghosts I left still roam the hills
Some wizened -others grey but well
They seek another lad of ten
Their spells to cast -their tales to tell.

Oh Lord, Your Child needs now an heir,
Just one bright star to guide us where
Wise men gather, not mere fools
Content just being the Devil's tools.

You'd sent Him once this world to mould
Thru' words of love and tales He told.
I had no chance His hem to hold,
No time to watch that dream unfold.

For I was born a shade too late
Not to His world but one of hate.
Where man with man with violence deals
The poor one starves, the rich one steals.

Truth is crushed and lies are told
The honest cower, the corrupt are bold.
Where ideas born of shameful birth
Make deadly mayhem a cause for mirth.

Where teachers teach the tomes of hate
And men decide each others Fate.
Where rapes become a daily game
Played by men in your name.

Where wounded streets scream in vain
For a healing touch to dull the pain.
Of man's assaults in the name of God-
Where children play with gun and sword.

Where crystal skies are staunched in grey
From funeral pyres and life's decay.
Where Earth bereft of flowering seeds
Just holds the graves of man's misdeeds.

Where widows wail in stark lament,
Their men are dead their lives are spent.
The mother seeks a long lost child
Amidst a ruined world turned wild.

Tormented, lost her anguished eyes
Gaze in horror as reason dies.
Its place usurped by Hatred's flame
Lit by men who chant your name.

Scarred by horrors they see and feel
Those broken souls before you kneel.
The ****** earth with tears they mark
They seek the light caught in the dark.

Tattered shrouds a silent quest
They call to you for final rest.
Oh Lord let them His face behold
Lend them now His hand to hold.

Night's shadows on blinding sunrays ride
White-maned the moon betrays the tide
The sea in still'd splendour sleeps
Dry eyed fulfilled emotion weeps.

The ghosts of past breathe life anew
Lost words in thoughts their strength renew
Lips strain to speak, there's nought to say
Dull eyed ache holds the world at bay.

Tormented season storms a changing land
Summer's snows they say are close at hand
O Autumn your bloom in mischief peeks
While Spring forlorn her flowers seeks.

Winter garbs the earth in shimmering heat
And lies the truth disdainful treat,
The dirge its merry note extols
Death roams the land, life fettered crawls.

As frenzied mothers their dryness curse
Young children will their parents nurse
Prison bars are freedom's last refuge
Tyrants weep to hasten the deluge.

Smile then you Gods your game is played
And tomorrow's awakening today delayed
Sober man now to the womb returns
Still-born the Child breath mutely spurns.

Gentle blows the wind and ruffles my hair
As from my perch on the hillside
Back to a solitary tree I gaze
Across roof tops and open plains
Blissfully Listless.

There is calm and gentle musical magic
In faint rustlings of green leaves
And the soundless songs of butterflies on roses. Nothing stirs at noontime
When the world is drugged by the Summer sun.

On a remote hillside
A solitary tree casts its shade
Tailor made for my dreaming body
Shadows move and lengthen
And ever so seldom I shift a toe, a finger,
Cool in the shade.

In an azure sky
Faint specks of clouds the sun defy
Effortlessly I train my ears
To trace the flight of a bumble bee
Flitting among the flowers by the pond below me.

Even the waters are asleep and only faintly disturbed
By the wind from the bee's wings.

Far away the faint sounds of traffic
Futilely seek to intrude upon Serenity.
Mirrors of my soul,
Still waters among turbulent times.

Ever so silent the shadows lengthen
And the clouds defiant cluster
Like a child traces patterns
On a wall with a flickering candle
Expressions are traced on the green grass.

Patterns of the clouds' jesting
In shapes of cats and dogs and serpents.
Child and cloud are one – Nature's pervasive spirit

On a Summer's day-
Cloud, I, still waters, and still bodies
Gently ruffled leaves and gently ruffled feelings
Each touched by its own breeze
In Harmony
Different – yet manifestations of the same whole.
Nature.

Perhaps the morrow at last shall bring
A dream, a hope, a lightened way
And old songs, tone weary again shall string
The broken chords of another day.

When dark despair, the morning's light eludes,
Days, dusk to dusk, the dawn's betray,
Then illusion's green the winter's blight deludes,
And beholds a Spring's flowering spray.

Muted lips that stifled, soundless stayed
In whispered breaths mouth tomorrow's prayer
And lost Hope that once had endless strayed
Rests at last in eyes that sightless stare.

Hearts heavy, forlorn burdens done
Light airy moods again grace the day,
Yester nights foreboding shadows shun
Walk by my side – walk along my way.

Peaceful slumber closed lids shield Dreams.
Jumbled memories, flashes of the future
Create a bewildering kaleidoscope of colour in my mind's eye.
And I see myself stark naked amidst swirling mists,
Each particle a symbol of past events, of future happenings.
Uncomprehending, incomprehensible.
Unknowing, perturbed by what may be,
Outwardly I sleep,
The epitome of serenity.

In distant lands, my day's labours done,
When darkness o'er the vale holds her reign,
Like darkened trees to moonlit stars whisper,
Softly yet again I'll murmur your name.
Of wintry nights on snow laden eaves
The fading embers cast their eerie glow,
By the hearth memories surround me
As days come rushing back from long ago.
When along darkened paths I walk alone,
Imagination brings you to my side,
Grasp your hand lest evil chance befall,
And ****** from me this moment's delight.
My time is come and all is past and gone,
The flesh decayed, the mind with age grown lame,
Yet a single ray of hope lights my life,
Perhaps somewhere you too murmur my name.

And still turning away I cannot stem memory’s tide.
I sleep fitfully, seeking escape not rest.
But sleep too has failed to blot out
The haunting image of your face.
And unconscious too I seek your closeness,
Like a moth seeking certain pain kisses the flame.
And like a picture aglow in bright colour is etched that night
Like a prisoner's scar thrusts angrily against all covering,
And ceaselessly he relives the moment of branding and smells again The abuse of his flesh.
I too am prisoner to the thought of you,
Waking, sleeping and ever.
It was a dark night I recall,
A dark night by the river as clouds sought to veil the moon's beauty,
Yet could not stop the crest reaching up for another kiss of moonbeam.
We sat holding hands, lovers, seeking bliss.
More words were heard than were spoken,
And the heart learnt the language of the eyes and bared itself.
Soft weeping wind in rainy droplets washed away all pretence
And I, ever voluble, was struck mute
By the words I heard unspoken by your eyes.
Do you recall?

Smoke from chimneys heralds the dawn of evening,
Warm fires light hearths, as the day draws to a close,
And I watch, solitary, from my pinnacle,
As men hurry home, their daily pursuits over,
The noise of cars, raucous shouts recede in the distance,
With the dawn of evening.

Each with his secret dreams, his hopes, his sense of futility shields.
As the deepening shadows encourage his imagination.
Between office and home lies a world of make believe,
When clerks become officers, and officers ministers.
When the weak become strong and the strong almighty.
Till the home is reached.

Familiar sounds shatter into bits all hopes and dreams,
The warm hearths, the smoke from chimneys,
The smell of food, the signs of reality,
Increase man's frustration as he prepares,
For another day of his humdrum existence.

The day is done, the night descends,
And I watch the morrow bring another –
A further realization of his impotence.

I remember now when you and I,
Would try to study side by side,
And of the hazel chocs I'd buy,
To bring you a moment's sweet delight.

We'd laugh and talk of everything,
Except what we were there to learn,
And I'd try into that room to bring,
The fires that within me burn.

I'd transform that little room of ours,
To show what we from life could take,
And clothe us in dream laden flowers,
To bring back to you what you'd forsaked.

We'd dream together and laugh aloud,
And when you were gone, my heart was glad,
That for a moment I'd burst reality's cloud,
That  had made your eyes so sad.

To show what I'd give to you,
Of life's freedoms that you had shunned,
And when I dreamt I thought you knew,
It's in dreams that life's deepest passions burned.

And when I was alone at home or where,
My sight could not your face behold,
No clouds of anxiety hovered there,
Your love would warm the deepest cold.

In lonely moments when I cried,
Your love with me will stay forever,
I knew not envious Fate's decide,
When and where Love's bonds to sever.

Yet no sadness mars my moments now,
What we have shared will ours remain,
You spoke of parting – in your eyes I saw,
The fires within us burn the same.

Love's gentle embers that once had flared,
I'll let passions breeze fan anew,
While you with Logic's dust have dared,
To colour your morrows in a darker hue.

Grieve not that this world has tried,
To make what you weren't meant to be,
Tho' smiling lips your dreams belied,
The pain was there for me to see.

I think not ever love let me down,
For we dreamers must change each day to night, Else how can we our Times transform,
Into a moment's fond delight.

Dusty spring days when blue skies are veil’d,
And life's songs on falling notes are scaled,
Seeking refuge then from lost desires,
A man into sublime unconsciousness retires.

Closed in by walls of thoughts on rocking chairs,
His loneliness with a glass of beer he shares,
And musing, drifts into silence no sound can rent,
Of memories, to days long gone, erects monuments.

And the froth bubbling incessantly,
Creates images and forsaked thoughts he sees,
That, shedding their ethereal existence,
From his mind into his room descend.

And soft words, uncontrolled, tumble from his mouth,
In drunken stupor lifts bleary eyes and shouts –
That beauteous rain tho' dying kisses flowers
(Reminds me of tears and lonely hours)

Which pitying heavens in sympathy have sent,
To help me this foreboding gloom transcend.
And that bird singing in the trees,
Reflects its own beauty in all that it sees.

While I, seeking solace in golden beer,
See this, yet my eyes still shed their tear.
In anger then his bleary eyes are clear,
Glass shatters and spills golden beer.

He walks *****, his feet stumbling still,
But moonlit raindrops a new courage instill
And changing shape the crystal drops he spilled,
Have now a new way for him revealed.

Lifts shutters and gazes at skies above,
Trembling fingers now light another smoke.
That rising leads him by the hand,
Guides him, stumbling to another land.

Where spring skies of dusty clouds are rid,
And budding dreams in smiling flowers are hid,
Bright birds in open splendour sing,
Crystal raindrops new songs of joy bring.

Where peace in gentle silence abounds,
And despair its knell no longer sounds.
In rapture shouts to heavens blue and clear –
"At last my freedom here is near,

For I have lost – there's nothing left to lose,
And the crossroads are here for me to choose.
To build monuments that perforce must crumble,
Walk roads where I perforce must stumble.

Or caress flowers that dreams untold,
In vivid colours shyly unfold.
To smell and breathe free air and sing,
And shut out the thoughts that despair bring.

Here can I that Spring leave behind,
Whose tortured memories scarred my mind.
For as Nature's children forever know,
There'll be springs again to come and go.

My peace is here, where from human sounds
Life abstains – but loneliness resounds.

In the loneliness of night
Amidst the rustling of the leaves,
Let me savour life's delights,
Here in solitude and peace.
As I walk by lonely roads,
The heaven's cast their mantle down,
Of sublime mists and with loving fingers,
Dress my land in darkness's gowns.
A lonely rickshaw pulls along,
There a scooterist honks his horn,
Tho' there is nothing left to beg,
Yet the beggar chants his song.
Along darkened paths by India Gate,
Those majestic trees lovers shield,
And still waters amidst rolling banks,
A mystical awesome magic wield.
Here I hear a frog call out,
It must be a lover's call he makes,
There a serpent slithers on,
In eerie silence not a leaf he shakes.
The sounds of humans here are strange,
Amidst these silent lawns and trees,
I wonder what that bird is thinking,
As this human being he sees.
Am I then a stranger here,
Was this not too made for me,
Grant me just a moment now,
Here to stand and again to see.
What you and I have lost my friend,
Grant me a moment more to savour,
Amidst these darkened lawns and trees,
Here to taste life's real flavour.
Take heed my friend, and look around you,
Moments such as these are few,
When hand in hand by silent waters,
We glimpse the paradise we knew

At last the day to night has turned,
Havoc wrought – Fate to its 'bode returned,
It's calm, yet a muddy wash remains,
Where angry winds in frenzy the sea had churned.

Strange I'm depressed, the air is clean,
The Artist's brush again portrays the scene,
That vivid in memory is now relived,
Through blurred eyes a distant rainbow's seen.

Is it pain or despair that drives me then,
To shut out all thought and seek my pen,
Or is it you from far away,
Who pierce the gloom with another ray?

It rained – And I walked alone
Along darkened streets till the kiss of dawn,
Awakened hope that long I'd thought was dead,
And dreams of another Time I'd known.

My eyes were wet – Was it tears or rain?
As I chose my steps to cause no pain,
To Autumn leaves who in the streets lay down
To rest – In beds of gold and brown.

Each drop that fell was like a chord
Of a poem I read, a song I'd heard,
In chorus the Rain its music lent
From far your voice the words murmured.

I saw again that path of brown
Your hand in mine, your eyes cast down,
Yesterday was gone we had our today,
That through all morrows would with us stay.

Doubt's torrents ebbed, torment's fires that burned,
Are now to smouldering cinders turned,
Blind love that groped a forgotten way
Is home at last, and come to stay.

Ah would the night its spell maintain,
And darkness' languor with me remain,
Closed eyes that these sights behold,
Shun morning's light and reality's pain.

As I sit beneath this tree,
And look as far as I can see,
Sun drenched lands rolling fields
That a bounteous harvest yield.
The farmers move behind their ploughs,
Toil and work with sweaty brows,
Then as tapering stacks they raise
Of long stalked wheat or golden maize.
No other sight so lovely
Than this, my soul, can ever be,
And a longing fills my heart,
To turn to dust become a part,
Of these magic fertile sands,
Of my land, of my land.

Now I watch with heavy heart
All those sweaty backs depart,
For the darkness now draws near,
In a sky of crystal clear,
I long to sit here all night long,
To listen to that koyal's song.
I trace their steps homeward bound
And listen to the haunting sound,
Of the flour mill by the creek,
As it chugs without a break.
The road is narrow, the road is dark,
As it winds along the park,
Where graceful trees the moon do seek,
And whispering winds to flowers speak.
A humming bee its day is done,
Now flits and frolics full of fun,
As it darts from flower to flower,
Sings a lullaby this hour.
The darkness deepens, the skies are clear,
As the foothills now draw near,
How stern like sentinels they stand,
O'er my land, O'er my land.

In the distance a chimney's smoke
(Gray'd the sky as it rose)
Where it goes no one knows.
My home is come I leave behind,
The sleeping flowers, the whispering wind,
The chugging mill, the humming bee,
And as I sleep, I shall see,
From beneath a towering tree
Gazing and wondering what more could be,
Beyond those sun-drenched fields and sands,
Of my land, Of my land.

I often try some way to find
To tame the rioting in my mind
They’re all gone -those dear to me
None left to listen-none to see

So who’s to know what lies beneath
Unseen- where anguished torrents writhe
Born of a choice i made one day
That’s left me alone along my way.

There was a time when i was free
And smiled at whatever i could see
Waiting  for that moment’s call
When deep in love i would fall.

I turned and sudden she was there
The vision that left  me unaware
Of everything and everyone
Radiant as the smiling sun

I lived  each day and each night
Waiting only for her sight
Till the day she took my hand
Said she was going to a distant land

I tried but could not make her stay
She said she had to find her way
It had been nice, the time with me
But now she needed more to see.

Its decades now- but i still wait
My gaze fixed upon my gate
With still a hope that i will see
Her smiling -coming back to me.

When Winter's nights seems dark and never ending
And heavy snows a white glowing mantle cast And howling winds in frenzy drive Man and beast to shelter.
And the Heaven's deluge this earth with tears
And nothing stirs.

Then warmly clothe yourself and shut out all sound
And a covering blanket around your shoulders throw
And an empty place set aside
With gentle touch a candle light
And in its flickering flame shall once again
My eyes gaze upon you
And then-think of me.

And when the Summer's winds parch the land
And you seek refuge by the waters
And frolic in the sands
Spare a moment.
And when the night is dark and the moon is high
And frosted waves in frenzy beat upon the shores
And roll and ebb
Sit alone by the waters as they touch your feet And as the tide to the heavens reaches
Within shall my passions live and roar
And in every wave that touches your body
Shall my lips caress you
And then-think of me.

And when the skies are angry
And in grey colours shade your life
And when the rains come
Remember far away a man bare chested
Screams your name
In defiance of the Fates
That deny his fulfilment
With every drop that falls upon your window
In its ****** shall you hear my words.

On clear nights, a gentle breeze,
And the moon high and bright
Sleep in peace by your window
And in every moonbeam that caresses your face
Shall my fingers seek to recapture
Past moments of Love
And then-think of me.

And when Autumn comes and the trees are sad
For lovers parted
And in sympathy drifting leaves
Create a russet carpet for your steps
Go out alone and walk barefoot
And reach out your hands
And I shall come soundless from the trees
And walk by your side
And then - think of me.

And when your Spring is here
And a bright golden sun kisses the earth
And trees blossom heavy cannot bear their weight
And bend and bow in your path in greeting
And once proud blushing roses shameful hang their heads as you walk amongst them
Then laugh out aloud and remember
Somewhere I smile, content in your happiness
And yet again – think of me.

Hope, heavy on despairing wings, struggles
Melancholy takes a tentative step
From a long-shuttered closet, encouraged
By emotions,
Reluctant hostages to the mind,
Straining for expression in the timeless sanctuary
Of a smoke-filled room.

Silence steals stealthily along neon lit corridors
And only the clamour of turbulent thoughts
Rents the tranquillity of forgotten time.
Still'd, silent room and vain anticipation
Of the shrill telephone's jarring note
That today would substitute for melody.

Nicotine-stained fingers endlessly count
The minutes of disappearing hours
Since last daylight visited the gloom
Night, yet not night, haunts the shadows
Temperate moods briefly exult
Between hope and despair.

In gestured futility, solitude's compassion
Claws at the walls of the mind's unbarred prison
And I watch wounded morrows' plummet
Impaled on yesterday's barb
When carelessly unthinking, I had heralded
A transient dream as my angel of joy.

A quiet place nestled upon a hill,
A garden, chairs, moods soft and still,
Sat musing, lost, yet somewhat aware,
Of a stray, nagging care.

I sensed the first faint footfall sound,
I closed my eyes and from around,
Mirth, naughty, chuckled through the trees,
Light-footed rain danced on the eaves.

O'er hilltops delicate graceful weave,
The clouds in ritual begin to cleave,
To trim her star studded gown
And daintly clothe a sleepy town.

Walk soft - Night now claims her way,
Her dark ushers the day away,
Muted light silhouettes the stately trees,
I heard her song upon the breeze.

Quilted shadows, sleepy flowers turn,
Dreamy eyes with strange passion burn,
A sudden fragrance lent it voice
I watched them with their Night rejoice.

I held her words before they fled,
In gentle tones to me she said
"Others, today, in festive mood
Celebrate- Why alone do you brood?"

"Let's walk together my secret way
'Cross hill and vale where done dare stray"
She beckoned – I yet held my place
Distrusting of her smiling face.

"Behind me, look, do you hear
The sounds of joy and of cheer"
I said, watching from afar,
Gaiety hostage to that hour.

Through frosted panes the candles glowed
And talk and laughter freely flowed
Then her mist reached out to me
Blurred my eyes I could not see.

Drifting, gliding o'er time and space
No longer rooted to one place
"Pain, Sorrow, revelers of the Day"
She said "Here they dare not stay"

She said " 'Tis time for us to walk
Across to see and hear their talk
I've given you vision to see and know
Passing comforts of the candle's glow".

Within me a sudden joy was born
Of knowledge that what Day had torn
Night's touch would mend -make it whole Cloister a lost, troubled soul.

"They seek the false pallid
And try and keep out the Night
With fading lives and laughter short
They live afraid, Fear is their lot".

We strolled together, I and Night
To that door, well out of sight
A table clad in rust and red
She chose – the candle wounded bled.

One, protective, with his hand
Shaped a vain, trembling band
Around the flame – Night looked and smiled
I watched, unseen, as he tried.

To keep the gust from wounded flame
Night went on with her game
Her companion breeze raised the stake
To help her the fragile band to break.

To shock his hand to chilled retreat
Abandon candle and his seat
The dead candle lay where once it glowed
Talk and laughter no longer flowed.

Night said "They are creatures of the Day
Unworthy with dark Night to play
They shun my caress, they fear my hold
Dulled senses and with spirits cold."

"I've shown you what there is to know
Some lives, brief, like candles glow
I've chosen you to walk with me
Awakened senses and with spirit free."

A parting smile, she turns to go
Shimmering, fades in a rustling flow
I watch a new dawn break the sky
And brush the dew drop from my eye.

When now my weary days are long,
I draw a chair, await her song,
The garden's quiet, moods soft and light
As we embrace, I and my Night

I’m  sleepy but the night’ s awake
With sounds the days just  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 through a cheery misty glow
Gently at the noon of night.

Many  figures around me lie
Enjoying  carefree the starry sky
They spot me and just  crowd around
Whisper soon the night will die.

Their faces morph one becomes the other
One starts to speak as if am the other
And easily having still'd all noise
Leans to embrace  my silent voice

Grow in peace, grow in grace
A lioness-yet soft as lace
A somewhat serious smiling face
Glory and a song to last

Sorrow smiles to hide its face
Remembrance is never past

My day’s done;the night begins
With narry a star in my sky
Of dark clouds and memory’s stings
Harkening back to days gone by

There was a time ,still’d by thoughts
When rythmic words did easy flow
Some spoken and some silent kept
The treasured hoards from long ago

No turbulence could hold its sway
Dawn and dusk both wore a smile
Dark shadows heard a silent prayer
For lingering dreams to last a while

Alas the pen that once could craft
Words -that made  passions flare
Now lies dry - like an aged man
A withered tube beyond repair

Yet I try with care and skill
Just a drop of ink to find
To write of laughter and of joy
And still the torments of the mind

--There was a fragrance in the air.
Always - when you were there.
Now I breathe  and seek  to find
A whiff recessed deep in my mind.

You're gone- the darkness spills
And shadows clamber over the sills
As I strain and strain your face to see
Amidst jumbled memories  left for me

I'm aging but still try to walk
Wobbly  feet and knees that knock
They no longer heed my will
Command me ‘sit’ and just be still

The  shadows say touching my cheek
You no longer see nor do you speak
They say that soon it will all be gone
The despair, lost hope, the daily dawn

My heart beats; its still quite strong
Awaiting the lilt of another song
That'll lighten the temper of my room
Rid of the shadows and the gloom

But sure it's told me, old man
The time's near; I'll do all I can
But it's  getting somewhat rough
Keeping you alive is getting tough

And then one night I hear a sound
That I sense  within me resound
A quiet sigh— then all is still
Life's gone; like a shadow on the sill.

A new morn and the sun's alight
Children play, charming and bright
They dance on a flat piece of ground
I lie inert with nary a sound

There's company here of others too
Who lived lives- like me and you
We often talk of days long gone
In comfort— ‘cause we're not alone

I keep asking myself-was it real
The Time that you and I were together

Or was it merely a quirky gambit of  Fate
Whose cup, tho' full, needed a drop.

Lord just take my memories away

They wont let me sleep – they ruin my day

Let me be blessed with a baby’s mind-

Gazing only ahead —with nothing behind

Sometime, with a thoughtless flick of the hand
You plant a seed in the soil--and it grows
Like the huge mango tree in my back yard.

Over decades it blooms, bears fruit,
And grows tall and sturdy
A resplendent umbrella

Beneath which to rest a tired soul
With a sigh of joy-and wonder
At the experience that permeates your being.

But the God's are envious that
A Creature fashioned by them
Can sigh in joy-More than once

A bolt of lightening incinerates
What you worshipped
And as you watch the scorched roots, burnt leaves and ashes
You find yourself wondering--

"was it  ever worth the value you placed
on the result of a thoughtless moment
-that fashioned times of intense beliefs
and emotions blessed by  nature

Yet left you alone with the carcass of your dreams

NOTHINGNESS

I look often at tomorrow
Sensing a deep darkness
In the heavens and below

I search through my past
For that one little light
Just a moments soft glow


To end this nothingness
I wish time would hurry
But it too moves slow

The wounds are still open
And the blood still pools
At my feet-Defiant and aglow

Soundless stirs the morn, in deep slumber fed
And nudges awake the frost that clothes the night
Anxious, the drowsy bird tests its wings
Lest the night's torpor's robbed it of flight.

The first radiant sunbeam launches the day
Proudly gloating, thrusts aside a stubborn star
The mellow chirping notes of the Morning song
Penetrate the consciousness-tinkling afar.

Dreams with clutching fingers strain to hold
Dissolving colours before the unseeing eye
Yet softly, like melting snows touched by Spring
Leave blurred images no reality can defy.

Curtains flutter, flustered ghosts flee the room
To distant lands, in exile for the day
There to sulk in gloom 'till twilight's kiss
Heralds the hour is come their games to play.

A touseled head lifts, a tentative hand emerges
Groping directionless rubs an eye in peeking wonder
An uncoordinated foot for a slipper searches
(Eggs and bacon wafting) –  
and Night's Kingdom's rent asunder.

Todays bleak, the morrows unknown
Increasingly I dwell  on the past alone
Memories now shape a comforting space
And give me strength each day to face

Mirrors mock lost dreams of a distant night
Deepening frost tempers the haughty brow
Quiet patience befriends Time's eternal chain
A darkening vigil guards the morrows now.

Silence endures an agonised moment's cry
Barbed memory stings, still drawing blood
Anxious lids in vain, despairing try
From prying eyes to shield the surging flood.

Sorrow exploits dumb Silence's willing trust
As faltering smiles attempt the world to cheat
Trampled emotion now seeks a healing touch
Despair and Hope in equal measure meet.

In passing, callous Time looks back
An indifferent glance, yet something holds it still
Perhaps it hears the anguished call
Of a Dawn searching a Night to ****.

A remembered grace tortured limbs embrace
Fatigue a moment steps aside
Listless fingers the worn fabric caress
Another smile gestures to stem the tide.

Turn away from me if you so wish
I’ll hold on to an  empty space
Togetherness is strictly time defined
My solitude’s cloaked in  eternal grace

It’s many years since last I saw
Another’s smile light up my room
It’s many years since last I walked
Paths where wild flowers bloom.

It’s many years since last I reached
And felt the grasp of a friendly hand
It’s many years since last I wept
Watching a garden turn to sand.

It’s many years since last I raised
My voice against what bigots preach
It’s may years since last I searched
For a Truth that I too could reach.

And as I mulled over my life
Nature watched then quietly said
There’s much still to be done
Use your heart- since reason’s dead

Rise and stretch those tired limbs
And let your voice roar loud again
For those whose lives are shackled still
For those whose days are full of pain

Though life be short, the soul persists
Dwell not on years that are gone
One day the heavens’ll  sigh- relieved
That through you a new hope was born.

Within I hear a myriad sounds,
I forget—
It’s loneliness  that resounds

The day will come-I know well it will
When dark shadows crowd your way
And you in vain will try and  fight
To glimpse again the light of day.

Distressed you’ll question “Lord why me?”
The Heavens are silent- and no answer give
For they know you had made a choice
Of the kind of world where you would live.

From within a silent voice demands
Look o’er your life- each year, each day
And balance the little good you did
Against the evil that marked your way

There was a time when pure of heart
You reached for those who’d fallen down
But then the shadows that crowd your way
Of greed and lust, within you were born.

And sudden an array of faces swirls
Of those whose lives were drenched in pain
By you and those whom you corrupted
In a sordid quest for personal gain.

A haughty head with falsehoods crowned
Today disheveled lies in the dust
Time moves on with no patience left
For your repentance, though repent you must

And those whom you called your friends
Stun you with silence -not a word they say
As you wait for their hands to reach
And lift you to live for another day.

The judgement’s passed, you are done
Just a body and a guilt filled soul
That’s lost its chance to repent
And can only hide in a lightless hole

There is a lesson from your life
For those whose lives are yet to start
Choose well the path that you will walk
And never from that path depart.

Dusty spring days when blue skies are veile'd,
And life's songs on falling notes are scaled,
Seeking refuge then from lost desires,
A man into a silent world  retires.
Closed in by thoughts on rocking chairs,  
His aloneness with a glass of beer he shares,
And  drifts into silence no sound can rent,  
Of memories, to gone days, erects monuments.
And the froth bubbling incessantly,
Creates images and all he’s lost he sees,
He walks beer soaked stumbling still
Rests himself on the window sill
Gazes at flowers smiling bright
In the raindrops glistening light

Soft words tumble from his mouth,  
In bleary stupor  he looks up and shouts –
"That laughing rain  kisses flowers
(Reminds me of tears and lonely hours)
And that bird singing in the trees,
Reflects its own beauty in all that it sees.  
While I, seeking solace in golden beer,
See this, yet my eyes still shed their tear."  
Just one thought now plagues his mind
Why could I true love not find
People came  then left my life
Burdened with more emotional strife

In anger then his bleary eyes are clear,
Glass shatters and spills all the beer.
He walks *****,  his feet are stumbling still,  
But visions from his window a hope instill  
From his window he  gazes at skies above,
Trembling fingers light another smoke.
That rising leads him by the hand,
Guides him, stumbling to another land.

Where spring skies of dusty clouds are rid,
And budding dreams in smiling flowers are hid,
Bright birds in open splendour sing,
Crystal raindrops new songs of joy bring.  
Where peace in gentle silence abounds,
And despair its knell no longer sounds.

In rapture shouts to heavens blue and clear –
"At last my freedom here is near,
for I have lost – there's nothing left to lose,
And the crossroads are here for me to choose.
To build monuments that perforce must crumble,
Walk roads where I perforce must stumble.
Or caress flowers that dreams untold,
In vivid colours for me unfold.

My peace is here, where human sounds
Are silenced  – just loneliness resounds.

Estranged from midnight
The hour tolls.
Amidst broken thoughts
Scurry soft patters of sleep
Persecuted by demons
Of orphaned moments unlived
Deserted in their nascent innocence
And the hour tolls.
Night measures its stride
While the mind charts terrains
To extend its journey
And accommodate the tortured paths of elusive rest.
And the hour tolls.
Shadows deepen
In imagined frenzy that dusky night
Will divorce their fading charms for a fairer escort.
And the hour tolls.
Dawn's altar solemnizes the union of Night.
A ceremony drowned in deafness
Of grieving shrouds against the Day,
Nursing me to a restless rest
Till, finally, the hour tolls.

Just a hint of clouds clothes the icy summits
As they send down a cool breeze
To proclaim the Spring.
And trees and grass that heavy hearts Behind Winter's doors had sheltered
With flowery smiles bend each way
And greet their mates.
And bow down to me bemused,
As I wend my way among them
Drawing deep breaths of Spring's messenger.

The sound of laughter fills the air
As roadside waterways in merry cadence roll away
Having fed at leisure on the melting snows.
And a sudden flash of white arrests my eye
As a paper boat dances on the water's crest
And sinking in a trough vanishes from sight
And is gone an unknown way.
And looking up I espy its elfin creator
Whose sparkling eyes today cannot perceive
How much his life is to be like that boat's journey.
Riding each crest before a trough its presence reveals.
And at the end no crests, no troughs Just Eternal Peace.

And now the night quietly creeps up upon the world,
And I sit here musing
As the sun in a blaze of glory is going away
But yet, with a golden finger stretched across the skies
Beckons the wayward moon to share the day.
And like a bridal ****** from behind her veil
Casts her lover a fleeting glance,
The heavens with cloudy cover shield the Moon
While I sit here longing for a glimpse of her radiant face.

Go on, my moon, play your games with me,
I shall wait patient till your longing is as great as mine,
And you, blind behind heavy veil, not knowing if your lover is gone or waiting,
Cast aside all pretence and reach out your hand to mine.

There are many who sleep tonight with thoughts of tomorrow
I'll savour again the scent of today.
How we humans in vain endeavour seek our Morrows,
When the Presents are still here to stay.
And how soon we forget that Yesterday was once Tomorrow,
We were looking ahead, it became the Present,
And ere we realized – It quietly slipped away.

Perhaps the morrow at last shall bring
A dream, a hope, a lightened way
And old songs, tone weary, again shall string
The broken chords of another day.

When dark despair, the morning's light eludes,
Days, dusk to dusk, the dawn's betray;
Then illusion's green the winter's blight deludes,
And beholds a Spring's flowering spray.

Muted lips that stifled, soundless stayed
In whispered breaths mouth tomorrow's prayer
And lost Hope that once had endless strayed
Rests at last in eyes that sightless stare.

Heart's heavy, forlorn burdens done
Light airy moods again grace the day
Yester nights foreboding shadows shun
Walk by my side – walk along my way.

I hung that one last moment
Low down that lethal rope
As the noose squeezed away
My last and fleeting hope

I wondered what had happened
Had Blind Justice lost its way
Could not that  gentle Mercy
Stop the dawning of this day

Last night was never ending
Lying numb in darkened space
I heard my daughter's prayer
For the dawn to hide its face

They said that I was guilty
I know I was guilty too
Could  they not see I tried
My wrongdoings to undo

I returned from where I'd fled
Back to the home I'd known
-that home that I had wounded-
For my actions to atone

They say that time is fleeting
One's life with dangers fraught
I cursed the steps I'd taken
That turned my life to naught

I told them what I knew
Of the actions that were taken
By others of faith and family
That left my spirit shaken.

Was I just one of them
Or was I of different mould
Could  not they tell the difference
From all that I had told.

A father and a husband
Counting seconds of his life
Now asks for peace and honor
For his daughter and his wife.

Peaceful slumber closed lids
Shield Dreams.
Jumbled memories, flashes of the future
Create a bewildering kaleidoscope
Of colour in my mind's eye.
And I see myself stark naked
Amidst swirling mists,
Each particle a symbol of past events, of future happenings.
Uncomprehending, incomprehensible.
Unknowing, perturbed by what may be,
Outwardly I sleep,
The epitome of serenity.

I remember now when you and I,
Would try to study through the night,
And of the chocolates I would buy
To bring you a moment's sweet delight.

We'd laugh and talk of everything,
Except what we were there to learn,
And I'd try into that room to bring,
The fires that within me burn.

I'd transform that little room of ours,
To show what we from life could take,
And clothe us in dream laden flowers,
To bring back to you what you'd forsaked.

In lonely moments when I said,
Your love with me will stay forever,
I knew not envious fate's decide,
When and where Love's bonds to sever.

Yet no sadness mars my moments now,
What we have shared will ours remain,
You spoke of parting – in your eyes I saw,
The fires within us burn the same.

Love's gentle embers that once had flared,
I'll let passions breezes fan anew,
While you with Logic's dust have dared,
To colour your morrows in a darker hue.

Grieve not that this world has tried,
To make what you weren't meant to be,
Tho' smiling lips your dreams belied,
The pain was there for me to see.

I think not ever love let me down,
For we dreamers must change each day to night,
Else how can we our Times transform,
Into a moment's fond delight.

I often try someway to find
To tame the rioting in my mind
They’re all gone -those dear to me
None left to listen-none to see

So who’s to know what lies beneath
Unseen where anguished torrents writhe
Born of a choice I made one day
That’s left me alone along my way.

There was a time when I was free
And smiled at whatever I could see
Waiting  for that moment’s call
When deep in love I would fall.

I turned and sudden she was there
The vision that left  me unaware
Of everything and everyone
Radiant as the smiling sun

I lived  each day and each night
Waiting only for her sight
Till the day she took my hand
Said she was going to a distant land

I tried but could not make her stay
She said she had to find her way
It had been nice, the time with me
But now she needed more to see.

Its decades now- but  still I wait
My gaze fixed upon my gate
With a hope that I will see
Her smiling -coming back to me.

I kneel on sultry nights to pray
Lost songs to lead my mind astray  
Reason resides in a distant land
Emotion's realm is close at hand

Sensuous thoughts on 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
Awakened feelings by feeling touch are sparked
Rapturous eternity knows no tide or ebb
Ensnared in a magical passions 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   does   past   regret
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   the  day   shall   mourn.