Month: October 2012

Valley of volition
Leaves you perplexed
Eager to embrace
The winds that are dry
Or swim in the lake
Of leaking desires
But splashes of smiles
Cause wrinkles on your forehead
You can not contain
The volcano of volition
Remain buried, o traveller alone
This breeze will find
Clouds willing to rain

why should birds not complain
when grains come their way
sprouted
but not always
only when we are done with them
they clean the leftovers
now that they are trying to clean
up
will we live on their leftover

scattered smiles, swallowed pride
why will the clouds scare, and stars hide

the mellowed music, meaningful breaths
spread the sunshine, dont hold unpaid debts

sleep and dont sigh, absorb aroma of yawny nights
dissolve the dried marks of tears, frame the silky sights

leaves, dried and pressed
may serve a purpose
they remain etched
on stony faces
of those
who can not let leaves leave
the abandoned lanes
of derelict houses
may be these leaves will
get life someday, somewhere
when clouds will be unhinged
from the winds

dont force me to drown
in the sea of serenity
dont ask me to delve into
the deep gorge of dark nights
dont ask me, if i am afraid,
for i am
dont ask me, if i am untrustworthy
for i am
dont ask me, if i can not walk longer
for i can not
but what i am not
is the stain on the window pan
half closed
and opaque

a boil which when ruptures
leaves a mark behind

turned corner of a page
of a book, which does not end when it should

Maa kaali: will you let me clean the steps
the temple has been visited by so many
and soon, they will all be gone
you will be alone
will you listen to me then
i walk with you
i hold your hand
i look into your eyes
i trust you and then
you in your indomitable style
burden me with few more dilemma
and walk away
what a way of sharing your blessings
but i will live with these
so long as your grace rebounds like an echo
in this valley of volition

dont laugh, said the scattered leaves
one day you might be strewn all over
some hopes here, some dreams there
some leaves still green and some in colour

dont laugh, said the silent squirrel
you will have to account for all the bites
impatient wait, of a delayed spring
repulsed echo of depressing nights

dont laugh, said the scorched grass
who does not know, the pain of drought
when tears dry and the smiles get stuck
difference dilutes, between what is, and ought

dont awaken me
said the dried dream
but it was already the time to feed birds
their will prevailed
rays entered my room
carrying message of hope
but then they also painted
all the blank pages in my diary
with a paint of persistence
no matter what i wish to write
i must defer
to your wishes, Ma kaali

even if it means i lose the oars
with which to row my boat

will u steer my boat then, ok, take charge
but can you, when i dont know my destiny
will you carve the milestones
when the path is not yet paved??

you will insist
on having your way
it does not matter
what happens to the sprouts
that wither on the way
or the tender vines lose their support
the trees hosting their hopes
are denied nourishment
why should you have your way
why should all flowers
lose their seeds
why should all clouds decide to fly away
without raining in my garden
gardner has cleaned all the dried leaves
and the lawn seems worth walking
but the paths are strewn with
expectations
of meeting no resistance
by wind, trees, clouds, sprouts, vines

O kaali

will you let the river
flood my garden
and immerse all the idols
i sculpted
from the clay of the deep pond
outside your temple
they all looked alike
i did not want to keep them
and you will not oblige me
will not flood my garden
why should u deny me
the right of submersing all my creations
in the overflowing rover

you are worried that wayward waves
will scatter them outside your temple
and then people may start
using them to pray for you