when the curtains had already been taken away

it is not easy to be prudent
taken in by the  tensions of desires that delay
and the trust that will sway
pendulum of moods,
i am aware of the fire
and the ice that burns slowly and then gives way

you had decided to take away
all the curtains from my home
while leaving it the other day
but you left so many other weightier things behind
did you want to see through the windows
whether i had cried
when the garden on the top of a hill
was denuded
the view from the top might not have been clear that day
lot of clouds had decided to come in the way
they rescued my tears 
the dance of my tears was not witnessed
by the golden gaze of those eyes
which have now turned away
very far, for very long
when the curtains had already been taken away

are they the doors of my heart

when the drops were bolder,
they fell slowly
why do they love each other so much
why are they not able to live away from each other
why have they made a nest in the corner of my eyes
why have they decided to appear when they like and
disappear when i don't like
but sometimes they appear when i don't want them,
are they the doors of my heart
which opens at will and allows winds of pain
to come unabated
it seems they have been unhinged
they have not realized that i will swallow them
all of them
and not leave a trace
even if eyes betray, and the reflections dont stay
any longer, here, there or any where
march 16, 2011

dont say any thing more

dont say any thing
let me listen to this
through inner ears
that only listen when i am quiet,
 and when you also dont say any thing

	

when the rains are not able to wash away

when the rains are not able to wash away
stains of  memories
sustained by bruises one suffers while climbing the steps to your temple
through uncharted paths
full of thorny bushes
allowed to grow
 deliberately to keep away
all those whose yearnings may violate the memoryscapes of those clouds
which have  been waiting to rain
in your courtyard
O Ma Kaali
 that is the way you shower
your blessings
 i have learned now
under the shadow of all the clouds that did not rain this year too



	

kya isee tarah sunwayi hoti hai tumharey darbar mein

   kya isee tarah sunwayi hoti hai tumharey darbar mein
jo bhi ho mujrim
jiski bhi hoshikayat
saza sirf usee ko milti hai jo sacha hai
chahey uski fariyad kahi jayey ya na,
 chahey uski fariyad suni jayey ha na
shayad sahi hi to hai,
saza hi praman hai ki
sunwayi ho rahi hai
kiski, isse kya farak padta hai

phir samet lo meri salvaton ko

phir samet lo meri salvaton ko
apney haathon mein
aaj ek baar
le jao sabhi lehron ko jinmey mein ghuli hai
thodi anban, thodi tanah navo ki asthiyan
le jao, samet lo meri salvaton ko phir ek baar apney hathon mein

thaki si hai kaya meri,
dhundli  si hai maya teri
aisey me Ma Kaali phir se meri na le pareeksha
mujhey mit jaaney dey,
bas phir ek baar waisey hi
jaise andhiyan le jaati hain
sukhi pattiyon ko kahin khad bananey ko,
le jao mujhey bhi ab akhiri baar, le jaao




	

may the path ahead be pleasant for you, o traveller

may the path ahead be pleasant for you,
o traveller
go and bless the shadows of the trees
that saved you from the heat
and also bless those bamboo groves
which saved  you from the storms
but then remember,
once in a while
those small pools of water on the roadside
in which you cooled your heels
washed the dust off,
 so that it feels
cool, clean and calm
go away traveller, go away
your memory is like a cool balm

will you pause a bit now

i walked with you all these years
as fast as i could
will you pause a bit now

i can not walk fast any longer
but then i am still walking
often alone
because you are always traveling
or sittiong before your computer
is this how one rewards the patience and persistence
ask yourself

ah!!

why should i still long for affirmation

why should i still long for affirmation
of the feelings which are there,
we both know  it
for decades, several decades
but then periodically

why should doubt arise,
may be it is like a shriveling of leaves
reminding  that trees have to be watered
and manured