Fleeting

Moving in silent circles
soft echoes of her heart
the benign, calm exterior
mellowed by life's drifts

now - a different reality.

The roaring fire quenched

dying embers remain

spitfire resurfaces, fades
shot down, cold glances askance
now - a solemn gaze.

Dispassionate in all her works
detached , the ebb and flow
distraught, emotions lost
misguided, world's voice heeding
now - a distorted view.

Seeking the escape route
remembering days yonder
wishing, change unchanged

breathing forbidden air of freedom
now - a mistaken entity.

The Visits - Mag 58

Watching them leave

emptiness all around

back to the start.

ten steps back for

 every half step forward..

this macabre dance 

at the end of each month.

Pausing by the calendar 

circling the same digits

of a new Gregorian phase.

The lights turned dim

the shadows on the wall,

glinting metal and shield.

This gift was a curse

breaking ties apart

the folklore said.

Too late to heed

the damage ran deep,

visitation rights wasn't

all this warrior craved.

Haiku 10

 Image courtesy unsanechild.deviantart.com

 Gaping heart bleeding /
Nature's fury in command /

Now out of control //

( For the people of Japan )

Haiku 9

Image Courtesy Flickr,com

Each view distorted /

Disproportionate sizes /

These broken wings, mine //

The Nightmare - Mag 55

Courtesy Magpie

Weary feet in step

with the world's drum

a casual glance reveals

the carefully constructed

facade still in place.

Some normal  days

solace brings along

the journey thus far 

highly strung nerves

like a coiled spring

never knowing when

dim courage has bolted...

A nervous tick belies

the hidden tremors awakening

blood splattered walls

lemon souffle and fork

the nightmare begins....

Sympathetic voices 

wake up to

a year ago

seems much longer

our last meal

before they took her

my only child

draped in blood

darkness covers

as they burgled along...

Haiku 8

 Courtesy : ohwhatachristy's photostream

The ripples settled /

A shadow, your reflection /

No more a Mirage? //

Moonlight

I gaze into the 

carpet high above, 

weaved with magical fingers

twinkling stars nearer and further apart

dim light that brighten the night.

The wizardess's wavering moods

that transforms the sky

from darkness a while ago

to a shimmering silken glow .

I search for thee

waxing and waving

visible and invisible

 the ethereal moonlight...                                               

Bitter Sweet

We pass by now,

denying each other's existence

the picture lies not

we were together, happy once.

You chose filial ties 

over what was right

no grudges held, understand 

what it means to walk in your shoes.

The common paths 

we still have to tread

part of me seeks 

to mend the tear

the other glad

not having to face you there.

You took with you,

 in parting ways

the tiny bud I loved

whose blossomed flower 

I see from other's eyes.

Wonder why 

in relationships

extremes we choose

the middle path 

never explored.

Despite the pain 

I wish you well

now far from the time

when hated your voice

 on the line.

have grown enough

in such a short while

but still can see

letting go of the petty past
isn't something you can try...

( written a year ago for one who was a friend and sister in law....

 but just a distant relative now. )

Lost Chances

Love came dawdling through

dressed up in all his finery

unmoved, unmindful

standing her ground

 cold masks gathered

the gift of life's bonds. 

Random acts of kindness

seemingly unnoticed

cherub's efforts in vain

door slammed shut

refuge sought that

false pretenses brought.

Voices assailing
at every turn

relationships mended

one sought

 a fraud, a hoax

the other in disdain

she kept her silence

opinions weighed

Window kept ajar

for him who

was now afar

cobwebs the spiders weave

wrinkled and quite grey
 oft seen she stands

by the window sill.

This Post has been Published as a part of

Haiku 7

Their twinkling eyes /

Tiny hands, laughing faces /

Soul's spyhole forever  //

Rejection

Empty Eyes,

Bereft of Emotions /

Empty Lips,

Bereft of Speech /

Empty Hands,

Bereft of Warmth /

Empty Mind,

Bereft of Thought /

Empty Heart,

Bereft of Feelings /

Empty Books,

Bereft of Words /

Empty Music,

Bereft of Melody /

Empty Room,

Bereft of Voice / 

Empty House,

Bereft of Company /

Empty Dreams,

Bereft of Hope /

Empty Present,

Bereft of a Future //

Like a kite set adrift on a bleak greying sky /

Like a wound that no longer bleeds but leaves a dull ache /

Like a barren land that knows no growth //

Emptiness that transcends

The boundaries of Time and Space /

Emptiness, Emptiness, Emptiness, 

That Rejection brings in its Wake //

Added to Poetry Potluck

An Old Ode To Troubled Times

There I was flying

high above the ocean

with dreams that blinded me,

brighter than the sun I sought to catch..

and then without warning,

my wings, I see no longer ...

I crashed headlong 

broken into a million pieces.

have reached the dead end -

and the noose looms large

to be soon round my thick neck

tightening with the passage of time.

Immunity from pain and joy alike

my wild oats crumbled and scattered

by the wild stormy winds of power

a path of no retreat.

I slink to the corner

taking comfort in the dark

lying awake many nights unseen

nursing hidden wounds to the heart and mind.

The scorching heat of thoughtless minds 

 have melted my protective armour

leaving me unprepared, unprotected

unsure and unwilling.

Good intentions, mistimed

add little to clear my woes.

I whimper soundless and

sometimes a raging torrent.

Desolation, isolation I foresee

is what life has in store for me.

(wrote this 13 years ago...my failure to clear my C.A/C.P.A finals driving me to a state of depression and an immense sense of a failure...)

(It may seem  immature in places...the fault is entirely mine...)

The Trip

Haji Ali Promenade, Mumbai

She lingered at

old haunts,

some unchanged,

some long gone

flashes of days gone by

all hues, all shades

the week gone

in a daze

she sees them still

sad, smiling faces

a friendly hug

a kiss on the forehead

back to the new land

of self imposed exile

to the life 

unknown, unheard

looking at 

the open suitcase

wondering aloud 

can one pack  

twenty seven long years 

into this??

You Were There

Eyes that twinkled with the 

glimmering light of far away stars, 

They gazed at me 

as though I was their rock star.

Lips that lisped sweet words

in my soul, a chord was struck,

They made mundane words seem

more precious than the preciouss.

Tiny hands that wiped away

the invisible tears I shed,

On my cheeks they felt

like the softest of silks.

The warm body that hugged

sharing all the love it possessed,

The vibe that I sensed 

of the special bond created

The look that you gave reflected

wisdom way beyond your years, 

as though you somehow understood

the pain and ache behind the false smiles.

You gave me something

No one else can ever give,

The warm glow of a million suns

that light up my dark days and nights.

With you around

life is easier to face,

my strength, my sanity,

my joy, my grace.

 Just remember in

 the days yet to be,

This heart will beat for you

as yours did beat for me.

( Dedicated to my tiny powerhouse of a nephew Sid, 

whose innocence and love helped me through my darkest year )