Cockroaches, I can understand that
if you had our ears, you would
run at the screams of my little sister,
who screams like she had seen a monster
crawling on the walls of the washroom
when instead she had just seen you
strolling in the late evening
basking the glory of tubelight.

But me, I come from peace,
I’m not disgusted by your existence.
I do not get flabbergasted by your
occasional flying skills. Infact I,
say hi to you when I come to brush.

But you, you go haywire in fear.
Do you sweat? Is there something
equivalent to that, that you do?
You needn’t, I wish I could talk
and tell you that I love you, and that
I do not want to **** you.

He was named tubelight,
cause he  comes to understand everything after few minutes.
9/2/2020

Brittle bones,
knackered backs
look where have we been,
steaming
bickering
all within,
faltering legs slipping through the streets,

this man;
would you still greet?

Ashen lungs, falling through
bruised hands;
brimming of stench
been home late,
lately—

this man;
would you still put arms around?

old shirt pieces,
spectacles of destiny
uttering broken-frames;
for a new sweater
weaved into his soul-born.

this man,
would you call a miser still?

Look at those fingers,
go across the keyboard—
Look at the tubelight
light those eyes up
all night.

this man
would you still smile for?

For once,
let me know—
this man,
and his tears;
would you bear upon your lap?

To you,
Your mind goes blank.
You become like a tubelight,
The bulb in your brain blurs,
Or it takes some time to light,
By that time the person you are supposed to greet has already left.
It happens to me often,
I realise later the person was talking to me ,
Smiling at me as she passed by,
Or has stopped to talk to me
They feel I am arrogant,
It has soured some relationship,
Now I make it a point to phone and apologise.
I am a simple person,
I am happiest when people's
eyes twinkle when they see me.
6/2/2023