Summer

The parched earth pants in the heat of pent-up desire

Under a canopy of palaash, their pining hearts on fire

The heady fragrance of jasmine and luscious summer fruits

Stokes flames of passion in the musk-scented woods

Long sweltering days end in warm sleepless nights

Filled with tender dreams where longing lovers unite

In a burst of joyous tears on a blessed rainy day

As the many months of yearning melt in a gentle embrace

The sweet reverie is broken by a silent whisper of dawn

And a fleeting bliss wafts in with the cool breeze of morn

But soon the day smoulders under the dour unforgiving sun

And awaits the coming of grey clouds that presage a union

Through aching days, dreamy nights, and burning moments of pain

I wait for you, my love, as the summer waits for her rain

The Ship of Theseus

I am at a place that's close to my heart

The street that I grew up on as a child

The old dust of feelings forgotten

Is raked up as memories run wild

Here is where my house it stood

I played with friends in that park

A block away was the ice cream parlor

To where we'd sneak out after dark

This corner on rainy mornings

My mother and I awaited the bus

And here was where my friends and I

Would hide to peek at my first crush

But my home or park, parlor or corner

Not one of those remains anymore

So I wonder why I call it my street

Like the Ship of Theseus in the Greek lore

Perhaps, I can't say I've lived here either 

For our cells, they renew every seven years

So if I'm not that person, this isn't my street

Why do I stand here welled up with tears?

A noble soul

In my garden this morning I realize

The universe has many a noble soul

You need look no further for proof 

Than to my humble shrub of rose

She had great fortitude to bear 

In silence the harsh winter months

Come spring, the only food she gets

Are vegetable rinds and rotten humus

But she bears no ill will toward me 

No matter what things at her I throw

She greets me with a smile this morning

Holding in her hand a beautiful rose!

Hunger

By man's hunger for power are many

Civilizations laid to waste

By his lust for love are relationships

Made and broken in haste

His hunger for wealth, it sows

Discord in a warm hearth

In our thirst for knowledge, do we

Plunder the pristine earth

Lucky then, that woman on the road

With a wailing infant on her breast

Doesn't have the will to hunger for

Anything more than a loaf of bread

Out of phase

We stand together on the ocean shore

The evening is awash in a golden glow

We watch the waves put up a splendid show

Oh, why would the heart want anything more? 

At a distance, one wave begins to rise

Her crest adorned with a smile of glee

She feels one with the limitless sea

A surge of joy lifts her to the sky

Closer by, another wave hits the beach

Bearing a load of unreasonable hope

Alas, he is broken by the rocky shore

And he washes back dejected to the sea

As he recedes, he meets the rising tide

His force brings her happy flight to rest

He doesn't mean to, but breaks her crest

Into the bitter foam of a broken smile

They wash to the sea and rise as waves

She leaps forth again to kiss the sky

He wants to fly with her, share her joy

But yet again, they are out of phase

As they rise and fall forever in agony

She wonders what pleasure He finds

In pairing things of opposite kinds

She smiles at His sense of irony

We silently stare at these waves from the shore

And watch our friends frolick in the sand

Lost in your thoughts, you hold my hand

Oh, but why does my heart want something more?

Words

After a stroll in the garden one fine evening

I lie in your lap under a moonlit sky 

I look at you and feel such a lightness of being

A sweet poem flows from the depths of my mind

Then I imagine a man thousands of years ago

Who after a day in the woods hunting big game

Would've expressed his joy at being back home

By grunting a few times to his voluptuous dame

Aren't we glad for beautiful words in our time

That draw out our sublime threads of thought

Into the loom of language with the warp of rhyme

And weave exquisite poems of silken cloth?

Would you have known the depth of my devotion

Had I grunted a bit instead of singing a poem?

Would my mind have birthed the finer emotions

Without the trellis of words to support them?

Then I find you looking at me with such tenderness

As you run your fingers through my hair in a caress

I see in your eyes that there is nothing else

You want more in this world than my happiness

I drown in your love, you haven't said a word yet

Let alone weave a baroque poem 

Oh, true feelings of the heart are perhaps felt

No matter how or whether you say them

Broken

It has not been very many days 

Since I was kissed by warm ocean waves

But my tired mind, like a broken pail

Hasn't held on to the joy of a single wave

Poured into me are rivers of love

From my kith and kin and the Gods above

But my heart is like a broken pot

Even a drop of that I can now feel not

Much have I tasted the Lady Luck's kiss

But why do I still feel something's amiss?

No winds of hope can lift my broken wings

Oh, why is my soul made of such broken things?

Were we once part of a beautiful whole

That was then taken apart, soul by soul

And strewn across the earth in a jumbled mess?

Is that why we feel this incompleteness?

 

Perhaps that is why we seek new things and places

We search for friends among strange faces

We yearn for the thing that will make us whole

But only a fortunate few find that kindred soul

Who walks into our lives when the time is right

Like a drop of the sun that makes all things bright

Who brings to our lives the balance we need

And a breeze that makes us float carefree

Who fills our hearts with unbounded joy

And gives us wings so our dreams can fly

Who sees into our souls beyond the skin

Whose touch awakens the child within

When they hold us close, promise to never let go

The nomad in us feels he is finally home

When they hear our words that are never spoken

That is when we become truly unbroken

A soulmate, for many, is an unending quest

But if we cease, the heart is never quite at rest

The yearning, the seeking, and the joy of becoming

One with the other, is it the purpose of our being?

Perhaps we are pieces of a jigsaw puzzle

That our maker breaks and rebuilds for his thrill

The lucky amongst us, wedged in place, feel complete

Whilst the rest of us search for our matching piece

Yesterday

She walked into my life like a sunrise

This beautiful damsel called Yesterday

Her body was sensual as a moonlit night

Her smile as radiant as a summer's day

Her silken robe woven of the fabric of Time

Was studded with moments of pleasure and pain

When I tugged at the robe to draw her nigh 

The fine cloth, from my hand, it'd slip away

She walked by me till dusk from dawn

We danced together, sang a wild song

When the night in bed we spent in thrall

The love was savored, never rushed along

That one tender night and she was gone

Before my thirst for her could slake

All I am left with are some beads of her gown -

Moments of smiling joy and silent ache

A vine and a tree

A gardener once placed a small ivy

In the earth next to a sapling tree

Entwined thus, they grew up together

He a tall tree, and she a vine slender

He never saw her as a burden to bear

On his rough bark did no leaf of her tear

He gave her a perch from where she could see

The world around and beyond, to infinity

She was the witness to his life's story

To his tales of sorrow and small glory

She shared with him his every breath

She gave him purpose, as he gave her strength

One day, as the vine looked up tenderly

"Is this what they call love?" asked her the tree

She said,  "I know not, my dear, but this is true,

I do not know who I am without you"

Just a sprinkle

A shrub of night queen in a corner

Fills the street with heady fragrance

A sliver of a sun ray is all it takes

For life to burst forth in abundance

Just a shaving of fresh ginger root

Adds vigor to my morning chai

A pinch of fairy dust in Neverland

Sends the pixies flying to the sky

No wonder then, a scent of your charm

A whiff of your wit, or a hint of a smile

A sprinkle of you is all I need

To make my day sparkle and shine

Be Human

Let us be a lotus leaf in a pond

Impervious to the wetness around

But let us not forget the joy of being

Drenched by the rain when it pours down

Let us be the candle in a windless room

That glows with a steady unflinching flame

But let us not forget that flames do flicker

When facing gales that are hard to tame

Let us be like the ocean that stays unfazed

As mighty rivers drain their waters in

But let us not forget that gentle waves

Arise on its surface despite the calm within 

 

Let us be like a monk who can sit all day

Alone in a cave, wanting next to nothing

But let us not forget that destiny stokes

Desires in us so we may do His bidding

Let us be that person whom pleasure and pain

Visit not long, nor touch too deep

But let us not forget, some scars are for life

And some joys can sweep us off our feet

Let us follow the path laid out by the wise

To lead us all from darkness to light

But let us not forget, some paths are such

We must lose our way before we arrive

We each have in us a drop of the divine

That we must, no doubt, in earnest, seek

But as we strive to reach Him, let us not forget

To embrace the human He made us to be

A barren tree

What a beautiful sight, the arrival of spring!

It was a festive mood in my backyard this morning

Trees dressed up in fresh leaves so green

Showing off their flowers to the birds and bees

New life bursting forth everywhere I see

Except for a corner, where stood a barren tree

A childless woman in a park, she stood alone

Among trees bearing flowers, with none of her own

But of bitterness or envy I saw no trace

Arms raised upwards, she still prayed for grace

She would beget life soon, unshaken was her faith

In her heart filled with hope, grief found no place

A little bird stopped by, chirped with curiosity

"Where are your flowers?", it asked innocently

If the words pricked the tree, she showed no sign

She spoke to the bird with the most gentle smile

"Tomorrow, my dear, new flowers you will see

Where there is love, life will find a way to be"

Then the wind came by, blew a joke in the breeze

And the tree laughed heartily, swaying with ease

I wondered, for a tree left barren in spring

Whence comes peace, such lightness of being?

What fortitude brings such calm acceptance

Of the vagaries of nature, of life's randomness?

Passing by

We crossed each other on the street today

At first, I had my face turned the other way

But I knew it was you, I had no doubt

I could pick your perfume even in a crowd

I turned to see, you had almost passed me by

We only had time for a quick nod and smile

Your smile was cold like the rays of the moon

It wasn't the sunshine I was used to

Your face didn't glow like a lotus in bloom

It was closed up like a bud in the morning dew

Your eyes missed the spark that would light up my soul

Today they were just embers that had turned cold

Your nod felt like you had a cup on your head

Poison to the brim, that if spilt, would've left you dead

Was it the same cup, when you and I would embrace

That would overflow with joy and drench your face?

If your face and smile are not what they used to be

Perhaps the fault lies with my memory

I forget that you aren't just the love of my life

You walked the street today as someone else's wife

An autumn leaf

Start of autumn and it was time
To say goodbye to my mother tree
And make my bed in the soil and grime
And look skywards to bide my time
To the day when the earth would embrace me

As I drifted down I thought I must
Pick one of roads ahead of me
To lay down on before turning to dust
Though I wondered if it mattered much
Which I picked, if dust was all I'd be

But still, hard I thought in agony
About which of the roads for me was right
Until I felt the breeze of destiny
Lift me on its wings and carry me
To the road I was always meant to find

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I
I let it find me, the way to go by

And that has made all the difference

(A humble ode to one of my favorite poems - "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost)

A love song

Let me sing you a love song

 

With words so deep
They cannot be spoken
About promises to keep
That will not be broken

About our life together
Perfect and unlived
And dreams for each other

Lofty but unfulfilled

 

I sing this song so loud
The words rip my heart on their way out

I wouldn't want you to be where I am

So, for once, I am glad you are not around

The snail and I

One rainy morning, who did I see on the floor?
It was snail that was lost a long way from home
Perhaps the wind blew him in through the door
Or he hitched a ride on my shoe the night before

As I held him by his shell and placed him in my hand
Into his safe den he scampered away to hide
I wanted naught but to lead him back to his land
But scared as he was, he could not read my mind

Soon he must have seen that I meant no harm
For he crawled out of his shell into my palm
He stood there long with his slimy flesh laid bare
Looking at me as if to say "Hey, hello there"

I wondered at his naivete (or was it courage immense?)
That let him stand that way, with no shell, no defense
Of all the souls on earth, why did he place this trust in me?
No more than a stranger was I, but what kinship did he see?

A long time has now passed since the snail and I
Crossed paths for a moment in our journey of life
But even to this day, I smile as I remember
That beautiful moment of his realized surrender

A Frosty Crow

(The first two stanzas below are from the poem "Dust of Snow" by Robert Frost. The next two stanzas have been added by me.)

The way a crow
Shook down on me
The dust of snow
From a hemlock tree

Has given my heart
A change of mood
And saved some part
Of a day I had rued

The next time in sorrow
I'll go back to the tree
Looking for the crow
To dust snow on me

What if the crow then dusts no snow

Occupied perhaps with its own woe?

Maybe I mustn't look up to the crow

But learn to mend my heart on my own

A butterfly

On my walk in the evening twilight

I saw a golden butterfly
Flitting across lavender and marigold
Flowers arrayed in a line
In a garden that borrowed warmth
From the setting sun in the sky
Soon the butterfly gently landed 
On my palm in an elegant glide

I looked long at that delicate soul
Sorry for its fleeting life
Would it survive the brutes of nature?
Or a hand less kinder than mine?
Soon would it meet the inevitable scythe
Of that unforgiving reaper, Time
But the butterfly, happily away it flew
Unheeding the cares of my mind

As I brooded on these thoughts and more
In wafted a scented zephyr
Carrying the fragrance of garden flowers
And of my hopes and sweet desire
It whispered to me, "Whatever tomorrow's pain
Why does your heart now tire?
Fly with the butterfly, my dear child,
Soar in the sky, higher and higher"

My harshest critic

One wrong step have I barely taken
And she appears before me, frowning
She doesn't care that I'm already shaken
She stares me down, scowling

"The misstep was unintentional", I say
"Any other would have done the same"
But for context she doesn't much care
"I expect better, your excuse is lame"

She remembers all the mistakes I regret
Her needling words rip through the scabs
Of old wounds I'm trying to forget
A twisting spear through them she stabs

To others, she is a compassionate friend
She feels their pain deep in her soul
I wonder why the kindness doesn't extend
To me, whose battles she sees up close

I'll ask these questions, and then some more
When I see her in the mirror next

The abandoned boathouse

An abandoned boathouse stood on the edge
Of a placid lake, behind a hedge

No one visits it anymore

But not too far back there would be
Lovestruck couples who would come to see
The lake from this shore

They would come to see the colors of the sun
As it slowly sank below the horizon
Across the twinkling waves

They would ride their boats around the lake
Their lovers or their brides along they'd take
To chase the setting sun

Among those people was a beautiful girl
Whose smile would make the heartstrings twirl
Of one handsome boy

Every day they'd meet and talk
Of the dreams they'd chase, the paths they'd walk
As they grow old together

Of the house they'd build, for their many cute kids
Over pillars of trust, with their love as bricks
What a happy home it'd be!

From this house, their dreams they'd chase
And come back by dusk to its warm fireplace
Into each others arms

They'd talk these things as they rode in the boat
Or walked hand in hand along the shore
Lost in the other's eyes

At the end of the day, they'd part with a kiss
And sing a love song on how much they'd miss
Each other that night

All this I recount from many moons ago
They don't visit the boathouse anymore
I wonder what they've become

But if you've ever had a husband or a wife
Or if you've been an astute student of life
You can easily surmise

That they would no longer be singing
Love songs, but instead be bickering
Over life's mundane things

That they would no longer dream, but only rue
Their dreams of youth that never came true
And the unfairness of life

They'd perhaps be living in a sad little house
With its walls plastered with many a grouse
And no love lost in the bricks

And around its fireplace they'd never huddle
They'd have no time for kisses or a cuddle
Or for any of those silly things

And the house of their dreams would be lying alone
In dreams that they never visit anymore
Abandoned, like the boathouse

What is art?

Words of a poem, in my mind they land
Gently like the waves on the warm beach sand
Words that, in moments of sorrow or cheer
I wish someone had whispered in my ear
Words that slake the thirst of my mind
Those are the words that I love to write

So the next time some music holds you in thrall
Or you lose yourself in a painting on the wall
Remember that a much greater joy this brings
To the mind of the artist that birthed these things

What is the art of an artist if nothing more
Than leftovers from the feast laid out for her soul?

Titiksha

How does the beautiful bright moon
Always manage to hide its dark side?
Why do the peaceful stars not betray
Signs of fires that eat them from inside?

How do the clouds carry themselves
With such grace when welled up with rain?
Why does the heart wince when it sees
Good people silently bearing their pain?

-----

titiksha is a Sanskrit word that roughly translates to forbearance. It is defined as "the bearing of all suffering without the intention to react, and without anxiety or weeping" in vivekachudamani.