Treading on

The dark landscape, ahead loom
warning me of the impending doom
I pause, unsure, fearing the fall
and tread lightly, in steps small.

The moon, behind rainclouds hid
casting shadows onto the mid
of the black expanse that lay before
like the sea in some alien shore

my feet on a search  for firm ground
my ears strain for the slightest sound
my eyes try to pierce through the dark
while I, on this journey, embark

I move on, oblivious to the time
through paths filled with dust and grime
till red shot through the sky's mien
like blood from a severed vein

and soon the sun rose, spilling its charm
on a new day, serene and calm
and  I behold the beauty ahead
that was hidden by the night dead

the stream, like silver, winding along
sprawling green meadows, wide and long
green trees and flowers in full bloom
raise my mind from fear and gloom

I tread on, my face in smiles
journeying through sunlit miles
drinking in the beauties blend
happy, till my journey's end

Mourning

Wanted to begin the year with a happy poem but this is what i got instead.


The shutters came down, the candles were blown
the flowers dried up, in their vases unknown
She was clad in a gown of gloomy black
her beauty hid beneath a veil so dark

It was raining all day, with thunder that stay
as if the sky knew that he had gone away
Sunshine stayed out of the room so dim
shy to intrude in the acute grief within

People came, shed tears and went
leaving the grieving widow to vent
her grief and memories of days spent.

Their words and hurts, many did repent
speaking in subdued tones that lent
a sepulchral quiet to the air's teary scent.

As a week passed, the shutters came up
the flowers were changed, in their vases arranged
the noise of daily life resumed
and the sun,with its warmth and light entered
the room,driving away all the gloom
but the widow sat alone, as in a reverie
visage vacant, lament latent!!

The road leads on

The road stretches far, before me , behind me
I walk alone, not seeking and not sought
People pass by stopping to smile
Some a glance, a word or a passing remark
While some walk along, pushing me on
holding me steady while I trip and fall
Then they tire , not catching up
and fade away , urging me to move on

People pass by laden with treasures
yet fatigued under their crunching weight
and leave them by the side of the road
to move on, free, fast and light.
Some others pick up these treasures
and move on looking for still more..
Oh, by the cruel twist of fate
those who have, wish to abandon
and those abandoned, wish to have...

The road stretches far, on and on
some ways tree lined, shady and cool
the pleasant fragrance of wayside flowers
and the melodious tunes of birds
some ways scorching, searing and hot
with the stench of stagnant life
and the melancholy wail of the birds..

yet we move on and on,not looking back
until we round a curve and behold
the orchard, the final destination
and recline to rest our tired souls...

Rhyme: Spring's Views

Walking through the orchard groves
I let my mind, in silence, muse
while spring around in brilliant hues
make fruits brim with sweetened juice.

Birds, with their banter, amuse
and sweet notes, into the air effuse
while all around leaves and yews
and blushing flowers grow profuse.

dusk looms near and soon induce
a reddish tint that soon suffuse
birds give me their rushed adieus
and fly off...leaving me a lone recluse!!

Barren

Memoir of the recent IV, sparked by the barren lands on either side of the road all the way to hyderabad....

Barren frames that stretch afar
flanked by crooked mountain crusts
last specks of life,
killed in this sacred altar
no life thrives in this blackened dust.

Stark silence, staring stillness
gusty winds blow, searing hot
all around utter wilderness
and crowded barrenness of the plot.

Stars cluster burning bright
from the sky, momentarily black
on the sprawling expanse, spreading light
casting shadows, long and dark.

Poem: Turning Back

note a typical depressive poem of mine because of the fact that the speaker returns to life...prefers life to death


Oh, the dark,lurking depths ,forever inviting
with their soft palms curling, tempting,
A dark veil , a curtain, impassive, opaque
Shrouding the wonderous world of light, evasive.

I saw my pains laid out open, sorrows staring,
reflecting from the dark, ever encircling abyss
and ventured to give them away, entomb them
by trusting my weights to the depths that lay.

I took a drop from the dull , stagnant bulk
and gave it life, blowing into a soft froth
I saw all the hues that took life from my breath
swirling bright, mixing playfully in the bubble light.

I turned back,shuddering, walking away
from where cruel doom, lurking lay
back to where the swirling colours beckoned
back where my life had frozen, embalmed.

And back I went , not turning back to gaze
while the depths lay, forever inviting!!

Destiny

Is it my fate that the crystal holds?
or is what it holds my fate?

I look at the sun,breathing out fire,
so stern in its life, biding its time
and say ' it is destined'.

Then I look at the birds, free in their paths
not bound to the earth, flying in will,
and say 'it is we who destine'.

When things go wrong, luck deserts
I curse God for steering me so
when success shines, luck stays by
I praise myself for my deeds

Do we live out a life,crafted before
by some hand, mighty and strong.
or do we live out our life, do our deeds
and the hands of time take it down so.

poem: Alone

disclaimer: 'I' referred to in the poem is not me.

Even when the world around
carry on their noisy chatter
I feel alone in the crowd that surround
my mind shuts out, my senses scatter.

while I speak well and always smile
to the faces I pass, all day I glance
my mind feels void all the while
amidst its purposeful happy stance.

To live in a world where I am loved
where happiness broods ,comforts choke
but no more free to speak out aloud
my mind is hidden beneath its locks

I am a stranger to my own thoughts
I dare not think for fear of sorrow
while around me , my life clots
where every day is like the morrow.

Poem: Weightless

I stared in fear at the dark gloom
the calm waters with their turbulent depths
and saw,staring back, a loser's face
beckoning from the menacing black

I take a plunge into the icy cold
and could feel thorns on my flesh
but i go deep, down and down
weighted by my guilt

I reach the bottom, the end, and
laying down my weights i move up
now my sorrows lie buried in the secretive depths
while i float high above
on the peripheral calm, weightless, free!

rhyme: The Ideal Guy

yet another attempt at an unsadistic poem.

his eyes as dark as his dark brown hair
with a voice so sweet and a face so fair

with a guarded poise and his head held high
with a catch in his voice and a twinkle in his eye

who is well read, a man of the world
wise as his years and true to his word

ever so pleasant ,ready with a smile
with looks unique, has his own style

who can talk easy,with a tinge of fun
thats the guy i wish to have won.

RHYME: Glimpses

In memory of a train journey.

Fleeting glimpses of greenish hue,
in the misty cold of the morning haze.

thousand suns sparkle from deadened dew,
wherever my eyes could gaze.

lush green lands spring up new,
as we move in a dream like maze.

in search of prey the first birds flew,
in the sky set afire by the morning blaze.

rustling the leaves ,the cool breeze blew,
while in pastures cows happily graze.

sheets of water in sparkling blue,
lay in calm and true solace.

neither the gusty winds nor the noisy few,
nor the slight drizzle could me unfaze.

to each glimpse i bid adieu,
as the landscape and me are parting ways!

The Lost Reins

If only I could gain control
of the horse of time ,that surges ahead,
I ride on its back ,blindly taken forward
like a rider who has lost his reins

Sun shines,decking me with jewels
rain washes them away,leaving me drained
there are paths I wanted to take
but the horse was its own master.
I lost things as I stumbled ahead
but couldnt stop to pick them up.

First I didnt mind the awry ride
I enjoyed the sights that bordered the path
the smell of flowers,the feel of the sun
and the wind whipping at my face.

Then I thought of the way ahead
guessing the paths,anxious of its falls,
iI ve seen danger looming ahead
but the horse had steered me clear.

Then I thought of the things I lost
and looked at them to mourne their loss
with every loss the horse sped up
as I moved ,my tears were wiped dry.

Later I lost all my thoughts on the way
only the journey's end seemed to matter
and when atlast I reached the end
the horse stopped and I found the whip.

Beneath The Mask

The faces they wear,the glow of their ware
in life perfect artistes they are
beaming faces,polite words
for the sake of those who come and go
for we who remain,swears and abuse
we never praise them with hollow words
who come and go are of priveleged sorts
the depth of their shallow words will never be gauged
but for them sweet words and smiles
for we who serve throughout the day
our love is just a matter of course
our favours just part of a chain
for we are destined to live in servitude
they shout like wild of favours done
but are grimly silent of those received.

the uttered words pierce my sensitive being
like thorns,shedding my souls blood
to be master of oneself ,yet slave of others
my self pride can suffer no more!!
my mind bursts, out comes unspoken words
of thousand sufferings borne in silence
eyes speak of tears shed aside darkness
my twisted mouth forms silent words
of feelings repressed rebukes suppressed
my face speaks of my souls agony
of sharp blows dealt with pointed words

when the day comes ,when we are gone
it is then the know our worth
their faces tear,thier make up smear
those silent words find voices loud and clear
wind lends them wings taking them far
all might know of distress borne in patience
and shed tears while a silent soul departs!!

On The Way To Heaven

i wrote this as a memoir of my trip to thirunelli sparked by the landscape which presented itself as fleeting glimpses

Safe in the abode of god
amidst the sparkling hills
tight in natures embrace
here I find utter solace

Mountains blend with rivers
leaves swish and swirl
dewdrops drip from tender leaves
like studded pearl

Endless roads stretching ahead
with trees on either sides
holding their hands above my head
weaving an emerald canopy.


The sun's rays with its magical touch
makes jewels out of water drops
rain falls to earth from heavens louds
like thousand gems from a long lost treasure.

night comes bringing a thousand stars
while the cool breeze lulls me to sleep
sweet dreams pass by my clogged head
renewing my heart with its fragrance.

The suns rays filter through the clouds
and kiss me awake from deep slumber
I wake up from the magical lands
to mourn the loss of a sweet dream!!

broken crumbs

here are some broken peices of poetry which will never evolve into complete poems because my train of thought moved away from them even before they were complete........

as dejected shadows merge into the dim twilight
silently embracing their days doom


is it my fate that the crystal holds
or is what it holds my fate

she looked at me with eyes of tears
through the misty panes of the broken window
i never turned for a last look
or did utter a word of leave!!


the road behind lay burdened
groaning under the immense weight
of the things i left......


may these peices rest in peace...or may they be summoned again to memory to lend life to a clutter of wasted words!!

Beyond Time

silent voices from the distant past
visit my dreams to haunt me
fragments of images from scenes bypassed
return in my reverries to taunt me
truths never spoken,cries never heard
smiles never given,tears never shed
all wake up from the gone and dead
and immerse me in their insane sea.
faces change,people come and go
some shower blessings,some hurl curses
speaking stories of shame and guilt
of treasures won,lost and regained....
the voices i cannot bear
their constant wail burning my ears
these spectres i cannot behold
my eyes are dazed by their brilliant colours....
i want not the message from the past
let them rest in the speakers graves
and not echo in the winds and leaves
and come knocking at my window eaves....
let them lie buried...six feet deep
safe in the hearts of those who sleep!!

WHILE IT RAINS

Hot winds blow like fires of hell

shifting sands seek soothing spots

leaves droop,flowers bow in grief

creatures of nature withdraw in fright

life seems to end here,molten and swollen

silence of stillness enters in stealth

last drops of water burn in its curse

climb the stairs of spiralling winds

onto the sky where they meet their like

and huddle for fear of harsher fates

Unforgiving clouds in hues of grey

take on the sky in a thunderous whirl

set on a duel with steaming winds

break down to begin a new lease of life

Raindrops lash weaving frothy foam

onto the depths of the winding river

birds hum their tune,winds lead them on,

sky bears witness ,ground the stage,

buds bloom,lending the wind their breaths

flowers raise faces to feel the first drops

the thirsty ground drinks up the rain

while mighty clouds pour out their soul.

Creatures flock out from hidden retreats

refresh and rejoice in these summer showers

rain washes down their transpired dreams

nature revives,sporting brighter shades

earth livens,a thousand lives do sprout

While it rains,life blooms while it rains

While it rains life begins!!