Will She?

Will she be around?

When I get there

Tell me with a loud laugh again

How she got there first

Which corner has the best view,

What paradise fools live in.

Will she look at me again?

And ask why I never changed

Why I always loved too much

And yet say it with a softness

That betrays her understanding.

Will she tell me again?

That dying is just another game

And that she won it first

And all that she now regrets

Is ‘No Coffee in Paradise’!

Will she be angry again?

That I never kept my word

Never got around to meet

The myriad people she knew
Who could have been my friends too?

Will she promise me this time?

In her own indomitable way

That she shall never leave again

'Coz friends don’t go away.

Maman

She started to leave, but I held on

A moment longer – the end foregone.

Tarry a heartbeat more, my love

May that I capture these grey eyes now.

She smiled and said “It’s a dazzling place

Hues brighter may, then, fill the space.” 

Wise Woman she was; She spoke of my days -

Keeping up with Life at a dizzying pace

True I see her words were, then. I smile again 
Strike worldly deals, consider losses and gain

In a world devoid of the Love that was She

Every dusk,though, I ponder where Home may be.

Prayer

Mother Divine, whom I see in the quickly darkening grey of the clouds; Mother, whom I find in the faint brightness that peeps from in-between the clouds; Mother, whom I see in the shimmering city lights, in the steady glow of the bright palace lights, in the flash of lightning that illuminates the dark waters of the lake; I see your many colors in the golden dawns, in the blue of the sparkling waters, in the many-hued lights afar, in the purple reds of the sunsets, in the slate greys of the evenings, in the dark of the nights, in the white of the lightning bolts, in the greens all around, in the pearly smiles and laughter of people, in the kohl smeared tears.

I see you in the isolation of the island, in the crowds of the city streets; I hear you in the peals of the temple bells, in the Maghrib sung from the distant mosque; I sense you in the life urge of men and women as they return to their homes tired from a day’s work, in the death urge of the moths that are attracted to the flame; I feel you in the pain that wrings my soul and in the breeze that teases my senses.

Grant me, Mother, that I may never lose my Faith in you.

Written on August 2010. (the patio of the Noor-Us-Sabah palace, Bhopal. Heaven)

Happy New Year

The first month of the year spent in mirth, in anticipation
The lovers’ month tastes of sweet procrastination
In March, we brewed a colourful concoction
The Ram’s month brought in a fiery revolution
While my earthy May a warm homely satiation
The butterfly June of cheer and celebration
Wet July all spent in fearful trepidation
Tired days – an August of restless nights and exhaustion
Mummy-like September of caring consolation
Fall’s flaming ochre and October’s ruthless persecution
November’s my month of absolute exasperation
Cold December makes for a stern new resolution

Fly...Flee

Let’s fly away...far beyond the misty hills; let's flee this raging hell before the dusty, tired city awakes to another dreary day. Let’s live among the lesser men, who know only a pained life; worship the lesser Gods who never egg us on. Let's drink our sorrows with acceptance, cherish our lesser joys with appreciation and love our languid lives. Let's fly away...

Kalbaishakhi

The thunder, the lightning, the storm…Kalbaisakhi again. The dust rose and the whole world stirred mirroring my restless soul. The thunder crackled and the skies split open. The heavens poured their heart out. My soul awoke to aeons old memories, I believed again. Nature opened her arms and embraced me, hugged me close to her bosom - the long abandoned daughter welcomed back into her fold. I heard the music of my soul, I heard the unspoken promise…the promise of power, the promise of love. I was initiated into the secrets of the Gods; my coven called, I must answer…The purple velvet veil was ripped apart, I waited to catch a glimpse of the universe tonight…Heightened senses, I held my breath. As abruptly as it started, it died down. City bustle again. I almost lived...

Walk with me...
This torturous road
I'll hold your hand and lead you through,
The bliss of Eden.
We shall behold
Russet sunsets and melodious nights
In perfect peace...
And you shall smile,
"Honey, that's tautologic"
You haven't known
A better place
Than this dark alley
We meet up in
Our little world,
A secret one.
I'll treasure your words...
"Magic in your smile, miracle in your love"