Category: A03 — POEMS

When I’m alone with myself,
It pains more.
with a forceps in hand,
I go deep into my mind
and picks up a thorn.
It bleeds, as the thorn is big,
Strong and deep rooted.

‘Let it bleed,’ I tell the wound,
And spread to act as a lotion
To soothe you and me.
Haven’t we both, carried the thorn
In our bosom all these years?

I throw the thorn with the forceps.
Thorn is gone, the bleeding stopped
But the wound gets sceptic
Pain increases, unable to bear
I weep.

Tears falls down, wets my chest
Seeps down inside, reaches the wound
It’s salty moisture, slowly,
Slowly heals the wound.

It pains again, another big thorn,
Again another, all over my mind
Many many thorns.
No forceps, not even big knives,
Axes could pull them all out.

Lord Agni, only you can do it
Burn all the thorns
And clean my mind
As you did with my mother’s womb
Before spreading a bed for me.

Lick and purify my mind and soul
With your long and burning tongues,
And make them fit for my journey.

Let your tongues be the wheels for my chariot
Let your tongues be my flag and fan
Let their glow brighten my path
And lead me to my Master.

No thorn will prick me, there,
No pain will suck me there!

we often ignore the one who longs for us
And be after someone who doesn’t belongs to us.

The one who doesn’t belongs to us
Will never belong to us.

And the one who longs for us
Will be lost for ever too.

Thus we become lonely
To help then, God only.

But, how God, whom we ignored Him
At a whim?

He will, as He belongs to us
And He longs for us!

Everything is on move’, they say
yes, I know, as my mind moves.
I see my health moving, wealth moving
Don’t ask, ‘up or down?’, but they move.

I see ants moving in a row, in a hurry
‘Where to?’, I ask and follow them
They rush as to get something
And return doing nothing.
‘Why go at all?’, I ask; they go again.
I know to return, with no gain.

Birds fly in a hurry, perch on a tree
Return doing nothing
‘Why fly for nothing?’, I ask
They come back, to go again ?

I see a little squirrel, running in a hurry,
Climbing a tree, coming back,
In speed, but doing nothing.
‘Why?’, I ask, ‘follow me,’ it says,
‘And enjoy the fun in returning
Doing nothing.

‘Everything is on a move’, they say
Yes, I agree ; I see my mind moves
But how sad, my mind is not
An ant, a bird or a baby squirrel
To go and come back doing nothing.

My mind moves to harass, To harm
To Steel and even kill others.
I’m sad, awfully sad.

When will my mind
Become an ant, a bird
Or a baby squirrel to run
And return just for fun?

Master! Make me an ant, bird or baby squirrel
Then call me.
Let me run and return
Just for fun.

‘I have a plan,’ said my Lord,
‘To make you a forest stream
Come to me smiling, singing,
Dancing, absorbing the lush
And blush of the trees, birds, ants
and squirrels.

Why go back when
Your memories are melodies ?’

Don’t know it’s name, so what?
It is lovely and it is a bird.
May be a robin or may not;
Eyes don’t see name boards,
Only art!

Dropping from nowhere
Swiftly and elegantly,
Perches on the railing of our deck
Looks for the feed to peck at.

Turning neck left to right to assure
No humans around, she bites and flies
Leaving some for others who crawls and flies.

What attracted me more
Her color shawl or coyness?
(Yes, for me it is ‘she’ now)
By her prudence
And care for others.

Not an ornithologist me to worry
Bird genetics or genders
But I love birds.

Loving birds, animals,
Flies and squirrels
Is a gift.
I ‘ll be rich even
When I lose my riches!

The dance of leaves and murmur of air
I can enjoy if my eyes loses its eyes
and ears their ears
And even breath, it’s breath !

‘Wralk’, when I say, my legs should walk
They do now; I’m happy.
‘Talk’, when I say my tongue should talk
It does, I’m happy.

Many are not that lucky, I realized,
Still I want wings.

‘Dipping in Ganga for Moksham?’
Asked someone from the bank
‘No, praying for wings for me’
‘Can you dip me in the waters?’, he asked.
‘You too want wings?’ I asked
‘No,’, he wept,
‘I want legs to walk’

The birds have to come down for food,
I don’t go up for that!
The sky pours down all I need,
Sun shines, stars smile.

And what a fun there, up!
All I can watch from here
The clouds in fancy dress show
A granny walks with a stick,
A maid with a mud pot on her head.
An elephant raises its trunk,
A lion roars.

Clouds clash and dash their head
Like mad elephants
Lightning flashes
I enjoy through my window.
Still I want wings

The stars convey their secrets through smiles
The Moon, knowing all, laughs!
A night bird flies down to tell me the secret:
‘You have everything here; your life starts now’

My life starts now; have everything here
‘Walk,’ when I say, my legs walk
‘Talk,’ when I say, my tongue talks.
Why wings when God lives in me
As wings, air and space?

Wild winds roared like hungry lions
Flood, furious fire, all at once.
The roof was about to fly, the home about to flood
Pitch darkness, death howled like wolves at backyard.

Raising my paining head, I pleaded,
‘You are the Maker and Master
Who can face your ire?
Be kind to agree for a swap’

He roared; bending my head, I said
‘Be kind, carry me, leave my life behind’

He carried her away like a garland
Leaving this Kasipu behind!
‘Rascal!’, I cursed, but who cared ?

Spring came, soothing wind, flowers bloomed
Stars and moon glistened.
The doors and windows became gold
The roof silver.
Angels danced.
I pushed aside my inner gloom,
Laughed like a newly wed groom.

Came again, the Man-Lion God
Shaking his bushy body, bushy head.

‘You Lord, here, to carry me
or cut my stomach?’ I asked.
Placing me on His laps
He cut opened my belly
Did some tricks; walked away.

‘Someone has shifted your hiding hyena
To a safe place,’ said my doctor,
‘If not, you would not have been here
But with your garland’

Now my doors and windows are gold,
Roof silver.
Angels are dancing, the aroma of fresh flowers
Seeps into my soul; but,
Silently my soul weeps
For my old garland .

After an amazingly break less sleep, when I got up this morning with full vigor, I realized that there is no dearer friend or closer relative than sleep and penned this poem as a tribute.
No other woman can take your place
Incomparable is your grace
Don’t know from where you land
With feathers of peace and floating dreams!

Coming close when I rest
You hug me close to your chest
Like a mother feeding her sprout
With her milk, love and health.

Unbearable is your absence
Even for a night
So strong is our bond
But never saw your face !

Never saw your face, albeit
A moving shadow of your black veil,
But the fragrance of your breath, I enjoy.
As you come closer and closer.

Never saw your hands
But their silky smoothness, I enjoy
When they move on my body
Spraying flowers .

You give me solace now and then
And later, when time comes, will absorb me for ever.
Sleep, my dearest friend and closest kin
I adore you, admire you, my mom!