It's been long my friend

It's been long my friend,
Hiding in the mirror
That we had a talk

You seem so lost
Trying to fit in
The formal clothes
Not tailored for you!

Over years have you changed much?
Wrinkles on the forehead
A few grey hair?

A hobby lost
Full of dust in the old garage
Waiting to be rekindled,
Reincarnated to life

A passion doused -
With ashes flying in the cold winter air
Waiting for it's phoenix
To rise

It's been long my friend
Reflecting in the mirror
A glorious past
And a grey future

As time stands still
And fear engulfs,
A little sparkle of hope
Feels sunshine

So clean the mirror
And see me again
For its been long my friend

Perfect Pictures

Peeping into past
With samples of life
Pictures though still
Memories play alive

Unconsciously we smile
As images flip
Some bright, few dark
Many perfect, some real

Life with edits
Seldom makes laugh
Clowns know better
For they heal when dark

The world judges
Raised eye brows on the clown!
They failed the test
But passed their own

Where are all the people?

Where are all the people

Who keep staring at the sky

Drink in the rain

And dance with the waves?

Where are all the people

Who get high on sea breeze

Smoke the morning fog

And get lost in thoughts?

Where are all the people

Who travel lonely lands

Warm in half lit fire

And sleep cozy under stars?

Where are all the people

Who fire up their rides

Cruise solitary

And fly away?

Where are all the people?

A Festival in Sky

Echoes of drum rolls in a distance far
Heard in the otherwise silent dark
Deformed flashes form the spotlight
Hint the approaching carnival in spark

Beats of heart resound in resonance
With the ever growing drums so loud
Thunderous applause in no dearth,
As generous are the drops crashing earth !

Melodious hymn is faintly heard -
The invisible chorus without a word
Alas the floating carnival does sway
Beautiful it looks with colors of grey

Midst thunders and flashes and roar
Perform silver musical fountains galore
It's time to dance for the green
And rejoice the festival in sky

Paths less trodden

Unveil the wild valley flower-
The paths less trodden
Never survived otherwise
Trampled under the feet of herds

Fruits and shade along the paved path
Sown by many, the ease attracts
At an ordinary destination they all wait
Exchanging cliched stories

Endeavor to unearth the hidden
Flowers in the deepest valley,
The joy of getting lost in woods,
And the pride of scaling unseen peaks - is rare

None expects shade or fruits
Climbing the unconquered !
Neither can expect thrill of discovery
Resting in shade

Unwind

He thinks life is a handful of beats

Like an amazing show, with fewer seats!

And in that frame of panic and hurry,

He tries to enjoy, but in worry!

Sad because he may not experience it all

Feeling lost while others have a ball!

Time ticks, and there’s much to do yet-

Balance work, play with pet!

And while he briskly walks across the bridge to fair

Built across the beautiful river,

He forgets to pause and enjoy the waves,

The gushing water, the thrill of air!

Let there be moments of silent joys,

Of loneliness - while time stills

Let the heartbeats slow down, unwind

And enjoy the serenity of life

Enlightened

Forced into the tunnel by preachers
With light at both ends,
Visible but guarded by fear -
Slave of the ancient dark lords

Got a glimpse of birds outside
Flying high above the false sky
While their cages of conditioned faith
Rusted in the tunnel

Slowly made my way to the other end
As the guard lowered his shield
Stared in the eye,
And dared me to walk in light

Unsure, took a step out
Felt wings pierce out of me!
Fear shivered on it's own fake stance
And another cage rusted

False Truths

Angels knew not their sin - I fear
When they carried you
For destroyed was a different soul
With incurable wounds bleeding many a tear

Stormy nights strangely heal
As black magic shirks its sedentary stance
I see you –vaguely, smiling in a trance
And time halts to rare peace

I know it’s the wind
Knocking impatiently on my door
But I believe it’s your charming ghost
And with every tick of clock it walks on the floor

I know it’s the rain
Trickling on the glass door by
But I believe they’re your shiny tears
And with thunder I hear you cry

Moments halt, but time flies
As I weave false truths
You survive, but facts evade
As I live in a world of lies

Simple Things

Warmth of blanket in a cold night
Hot soup with thousand stars in sight
Late night bike ride like a goon
Chilly breeze and half a moon

Rainbow on a shiny day
Fragrance of mud after showers of grey
Cup of tea in heavy rain
Bunch of memories springing from the brain

Shimmering boats in a dark sea
Sound of waves whispering all in glee
Crackling campfire by the beach
Lying on the back with none to preach

First rays in the sky after a long night
Cozy warmth of the sunlight
Snow clad mountains at the dawn
Moment of silence cherishing close ones gone

Along a stray in the dark

Along a stray in the dark
Against the wish of a glowing lantern's spark
Sense the starving ghouls disguised
Transformed into foggy paths they hide?

A ruffle heard behind the bush
Tricks of mind come alive and hush
Was it a beast hiding or a prick?
Lesser the company, better the trick!

In the night as cold as a blood thirsty beast
Something mystical draws the strangest smile
A monster smiling wicked, within the soul's slipping sand-
Just another sleight of the devil's hand

Glaring in confused faces of devils in the glade
Held high is the lantern light spray;
In the shimmering light their smiles fade
And fire in their eyes turns grey

The Shrine

Curve flips along a wrinkled face
A pearl shines in an eye bright
Tear of hunger turns happy
With a crumble of bread in sight

Richness flourishes and grows
Few miles from the shrine wide
Not a tear is seen but worried brows
Heavier their pearls, slower their stride

How the deprived outside the temple wished
That his fortune growing under the tree might heap
So did the anxious king wonder
If beggars had a merrier sleep!

Grass in the palace seems dry and cold
While that around the temple,
Though burnt seems greener,
And more spectacular than his gold!

What irony the temple mocks,
That never satisfies the soul?
The vicious circle of want and need
Makes rich and poor both bleed in greed

Surrender

Mystical clouds jump to grasp
Edge of a valley deep
They float mesmerized, unaware
Without fear of the unwilling leap

Eyes follow their struggle
To catch hold of every scene
Knowing there’s a plethora
Which still remains unseen

A distant temple bell I hear
Like a soft tickle in the ear
Swirling the mind into unseen depth
A sweet pain in heart and a smile to be kept

Humming winds close gentle eyes
A lullaby sung sweet
The bell adds a melody divine
And heart adds a beat

With a wishful surrender
Soul floats away with the clouds
Time stops as I hear the silent melody
And with the clouds I flee

No Heaven

I like to believe
There’s no hell to reprieve
No, there’s no heaven with the chosen
No string of lives woven

Please tell me they lie
So many stories, none I buy
Please tell me this was just one life
Not a chain with a link to my knife

I don’t fear the punishment
Of lifeless life imprisonment
But if heaven has you ordain -
I shall never see you again

I wish I could change the belief
Of the maker of a world of grief
And though I have given up the game
If hell exists, it has printed my name

So let me live my life with you here
In these few moments of eternity pure
I see now the smiling guardians of hell
So please let me in, in the heaven of your arms till knell

Freedom

Chains clasped around my body
as the tightened noose strangled me
Many a silent gasps whispered
and conspired my slow death
The shivering hand arduously rose
with a palm hiding the disfigured lines of fate
And heart beats faded begging for fresh air
trying to quench the thirst for life
Illusions of open cages flashed as I crawled near the door
only to find it sealed; with no lock to open
Looked in the skies to glance at the merry clouds
only to see them dark - with no lining

Then erupted a volcano within
boiling with fury, vigor and pride
Bent with a roar and heat of anguish
the intangible bars of fear
Kicked the door wide open
and my arms embraced light
Stepped outside with the longest breath
and looked back at my dark long shadow,
still lingering in the cage!
In between laid the invisible bars
piercing the confused air...
And now I'm free,
and now I'm free

The Anonymous Poet

Far beyond the reach of thought
Lies a valley deep and wide
Where no man has stepped or caught,
The sight of the great divide

Therein sits an aged bard
Who chants his verses aloud
The words echo through the valley beyond
From the world of magic to ground

The imagery so real the masses can feel
Strokes of beauty with words of zeal
Nature is his paintbrush and life his hand
An anonymous poet with no footsteps on sand

Meaning of the poem many tried to decipher
Religions of the earth, just interpretations to impart fear
For true meaning lies coded without the key-line
It lies locked deep, the key only with divine

The Lost Child

Nosy from the moment it was born
Naïve it was, unknown was rose’s thorn
Everything was queer and it was charmed
Never was it of any peril alarmed

But devils had their dark plan
They laughed wicked, the entire clan
The rose which the child had trusted much
Hurt it alas when it gently tried to touch

Demons chased the child till dark
Lost it was, so was life’s spark
The child within the man vanished
Like a soul departs a body tarnished

Far away in a dark haven
It peeps in a mirror with tears
Through the eyes of an inhuman man
That it has become over the years

Ego haunts the man too stern
Shackled within him the child shall never return
Once innocent, careless, and bright
Now lays dusty, rotten, and full of fright

Rain of Thoughts

Thought of rain brings the rain of thoughts,

And drops merge to reflect an ocean of memories

In troubled waters the mind sails

Consciously unconscious, the mind fades

Alone in ocean, with crashing waves of time

A chill of fear running down the spine

I am the captain, and the only crew

In the ship of mind, struggling to sail through

Far away a blurred lighthouse shines

With rays of tomorrow comes the new sunrise

In troubled memories the ship seemed to sink,

But mind is only as strong as one may think !

The ship is strong and the shores seem near

Anchor of confidence fights every fear

Forget the past, but remember the lessons it did teach

And glorious destinations are well within reach

Fly away to thy home fly

Fly away to thy home fly
For the violets await thee
With reminiscences they satisfy their soul
With a peek in the sky they console

Distant flowers may more colorful seem,
Violets thy think, hath faded to cream?
They still are proud with their violet robes
Standing tall-still remembering their folks

The sorrowful dew seeps through the twigs-
Tears of the violets, they hide like wigs!
Though they wish joy, wherever thee be
Secretly also wish- may thy return soon be

Gardens of homeland shall soon perish,
If butterflies like thee do not nourish!
In these gardens which thou fluttered and played-
Thy friends await

Fly away to thy home fly,
For the violets await thee
With reminiscences they satisfy their soul
With a peek in the sky they console

Thoughtless

Have you ever tried to pause your thinking? Have you ever had your brain without a single thought? Imagine a walk by the beach. Imagine the sand crumbling under your feet. Feel it slide over and under your toes. You smile gently as it tickles you.

You hear the water gush and you cannot stop looking at the waves crushing on to the shore. You see another one, perhaps the biggest you’ve seen so far. It manages to reach and touch you. Like a small child running to you and touching your feet with a giggle. You smile to yourself.

You stop walking, and turn to the endless ocean. A few steps inside the water and your heart pumps heavily. You feel alive. A breeze whispers by. Another gush of wind, and you close your eyes; almost involuntarily. You give in. You just hear and feel the waves, the wind, the birds and the warm sun. Wish you had wings, with which you could fly away across the ocean, to nowhere. Fly away from the cities. Fly away from people.

When you open your eyes, it is dark. The horizon has dimmed. But it has rendered the most brilliant of shades. Shades which mesmerize and soothe and lull even the most active brains. You watch the sun dip into the ocean. It should last forever, you wish. The sun starts to vanish slowly, and so do your thoughts. When the sun is almost gone, your thoughts set too. And you have your mind-thoughtless.

Trembling

Trembling beneath a lamppost
I stare at the road below
Murky eyes have images lost
Can only see past in my shadow

Vision is blurred,
But my mind can see
The blood I spattered
Still reeks on me

Ruthlessly slaughtered,
Faces come alive
My mind is cluttered
And heart pounds wild

I breathe in fret
I perceive the dead
The unsparing night restlessly leers
And avenging ghouls smell me by my fears

A Dying Tree

I do not know when the seed was sown
Though I did see the tender green,
It grew silently, to me unknown
And soon It was a plant.

I do not know who nurtured it,
Perhaps a glance would have!
It grew to a tree, so brightly lit
Basking in the bright red land.

But my blood could nurture no more,
Light of your love never glittered it!
In vain go my love's efforts to grow,
Unseen die the flowers it bore

Still hope your love does shine on me,
My blood still trying to save the tree
Waiting for your light in darkness of hopes,
Craving for life, a dying tree chokes

I dream of a day

I dream of a day
When you sing with me
Together we sway
And our hearts set free

I dream of a river
Flowing gently by our side
Its sweet music silver
Its joy, it cannot hide

I dream of a cluttered sky
Over the grass on which we lay
See the stars dancing by
Oh I wish this dream forever to stay!

The Nature's Foiled Masterplan

The innocence of a baby need not be proved. But as soon as the journey of manhood begins, the innocence of a child is tarnished by the harsh experiences of life. Every creation seems so perfect when formed. But with the passage of time, its glory is lost. Has the glory of our planet also withered with time?

For a moment imagine a tiny Earth amidst the unending universe. You see the stars cluttered all over the space. Lets zoom in. You see a beautiful blue planet which appears to be the most blessed of all. It seems serene, lovely. As you try to have a closer look, you see the clouds swaying gently. Feels like a masterstroke from the nature. Try to imagine beneath the clouds. You see the borders. You hear the birds chirping. You sense life, finally. It still seems very peaceful and calm. But as you try to zoom in further, your calmness is shattered to pieces. Rushing crowds. Nasty fights. Noisy protests. Burning houses. Weeping kids. Your mind ruptures. Your heart pounds. Your breath fastens. Does it still appear a masterpiece to you? Does it still look like a perfect plan of nature?

Every creation of nature is a masterstroke and Earth is no exception. But as it faced the storm of mankind in the sands of time, everything metamorphosed. Rivers began dividing lands instead of nurturing civilizations. Pigeons started to deliver messages of war. Thick forests became history. Animals ran out of homes. Many even became extinct. The Earth panicked as a blanket of pollutants enveloped it. The global temperature shot up till even the ice at the poles gave up. The weather cycle was destroyed. But there was hardly any ear listening to the crying Earth. Then, it erupted. It sent its furious Tsunamis and tornadoes in defense. But all the sacrifices it made of its own children went futile. Humans became the gods and the creators of the universe zoomed out their view of mercy from the Earth to the rest of the universe. Nature had proposed a masterplan for Earth, humans thwarted it.

An innocent Earth was planned. A clean blue planet was to be formed. But the harshness of mankind tarnished it. Its innocence was lost. And with the mistake of creating humans, the baby Earth lost its innocence.

Awake

The golden beams pierce through my illusion;
As I arduously awake from slumber,
I see the birds- blurred; awaken already,
Waiting for me to regain my vision.

As I awkwardly stand on the lush green beneath,
I hear the river gushing behind.
And as I dip my hands to refresh my eyes,
The river reflects back a dull mind...

And just then a bee hums,
Her song of the unending work...
But I not heeding, did irk;
Her melody of work unsung!

I ponder now-what message is being communicated!
And as I see each one performing their assigned tasks,
I wonder what is man's task!
And I ask myself-Am I awake?