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 Sidartha aka Sid, 

whose innocence and love helped me through my darkest year )

Added to Jingle's Poetry Potluck.

The Moving Reunion

The Ramp rolled down, searching, gliding slow and steady, reaching out to the ones who had almost lost hope. It became the symbol of humanity and survival as it transported beleaguered, traumatised men one by one. The world watched with baited breath, expectantly the release of prisoners from their hot, claustrophobic earthly tomb. The unfortunate having been almost buried alive for over two months. Banners, cameras, microphones, screaming crowds assaulted the miners senses but were pushed to the background. Only the sheer pleasure of being alive, reunited with loved ones, surrounded by well wishers, concern for those left behind remained.

( Inspired by the latest and similar rescue acts across the world )

# 8 Random Musings For The Day

'Think before you Speak'

'Plan before you Act'

'Practice before you Attempt'

'Look before you Leap'

 ....What happened to Good Ole Spontaneity ???

The Flood

She woke up groggy, the flu’s effect dizzying, to her brother's warning not to step out. He, friend and car stranded on the highway. She watches out of the window, swirling waters seeping through row houses below. Her husband stuck at work, she watches, as the power fails, the rooftops of submerged cars, their warning red lights casting eerie patterns in the dark waters. The rain gods relentless, the high tides adding to the woes, the levels increasing with every passing hour, sucking life away in the strong currents forever. Her building stands alone - an island in the foreboding gloom.

(My experience in the Bombay flash floods of 26/07/05 )

The River

She flows timeless from the glaciers as a stream,

a torrent on the dive down, gushing and rushing.

She never pauses, she and her children numerous,

parting along the way, a rendezvous to keep.

She ambles along, sludge and sin her feet make heavy,

 watches listlessly the rise and fall of civilisations.

She sees herself dyed in the brightest red -

the colour of war, the colour of hate.

She dodges through the obstacles course, 

with the ease and skill of a sturdy veteran.

She carries moaning not, the burden of floating bodies,

the steerer on their onward journey.

She takes in all the abuse and mire, stoic and proud,

granting countless souls the elixir of life.

Onwards forever is she bound,

 her ocean beckoning relentlessly,

Until the mountains, her home erodes,

Until the Earth stretches her tired limbs again,

# 7 Random Musings For The Day

Someone's nonsense can make perfect sense to someone else !!!  Its a matter of perception, abstraction and derivation....

Why Men Are From Mars, Women From Venus - 1

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My Tryst

I

Dared to dream :

The world below, Self above,

I

Stood at the edge :

Free fall craving, To let go unable,

I

Stumbled and grumbled :

The void overpowering, The deadly mist surrounding,

I

Heard a cacophony of voices : 

Drowning out the urges, Breaking through the trance,

I

Felt the adrenaline gushing

Drenched in sweat, The heart pounding,

I

Walked away :

The cliff receding, The valley approaching,

I 

Watched in awe :

Shaking in mirth, The soul burst free... 

A Forgotten Loss

She has been nagging me for quite some time now, hovering over my keyboard and stating over and over again that this series will be incomplete without her little tale.


 "Hamsini" (literally meaning swanlike) was a pretty child who grow up to be an extraordinarily beautiful girl.


 They say back home, " Too much beauty is a curse", in her case, coupled with her mother's pride and her own vanity and naivety, it turned out just that.


As said before, wherever she went , she garnered attention, not surprisingly, at her workplace too. Fresh from college, little did she know,her first stint, as a secretary in a private firm would take her through a roller-coaster ride, through dizzying heights of love to plunging depths of betrayal and shame.


A month in her new job, she met a dashing, charmer of a man, her immediate boss transferred from a different city. Mathew was everything she had never encountered before, showed her a world far removed from her traditional one. He was friendly, polite, helpful , intelligent, articulate, sophisticated and she fell, and fell badly. He seemingly reciprocated her feelings, "his love" making her break rules, lie and fight with her elder brother who loved her dearly and not being convinced of Mathew's affections (not to mention the 12 yr age difference), clearly disapproved.


But when has a young, rebellious girl listened to reason. She assured her brother that things would work out and convinced him to keep her secret a little longer. Her life revolved around him - the love of her life and all was well in her paradise for over a year till..... little things began to take a new hue, things she had noticed before but never heeded, like his frequent trips to his "home town", the fact that he never mentioned nor had she met anyone from his family, that he was becoming increasingly secretive, of late the couple of times she called his home, a lady had answered : her queries shrugged off by him as a visiting relative. 


One day, the camel's back broke, when she saw a lady in his cabin (he was at a client's office) and found out that the lady in question was the one who took his house calls and was (to hear utter shock) ....his wife. their only son studying in a boarding school.  Later that day when she confronted him, he admitted the same, but assured her of his love...he gained her sympathy stating that his was a loveless marriage, his wife basically being his father's choice.


Torn between her love and her guilt (yes, she was human enough to feel for her parents who were blissfully unaware, and for his wife and child). Things went downhill when she was forced to give him an ultimatum to choose between - her or his wife, her family having arranged her marriage against her wishes. He begged for time which she granted him, for she was besotted. He kept stalling for over six months, showings no signs of taking a stand (guess, he was enjoying the best of both worlds). 


 In the end, the decision strangely was taken out of his hands, a visit to the doctor confirming her worst fears.


Caught between a marriage she did not want and the man she loved (who was married and couldn't(wouldn't ?)marry her. fearful of her father's and brother's reactions to how far gone she was, the truth of her seemingly false relation slowly prying on her, she took what seemed the best way out. The last thing she remembered before falling into the black void of unconsciousness was the desperate banging on her door........and then.... utter silence....


  


Her family was shattered in myriad ways - her father never quite getting over her loss and the society's subsequent trail by fire, her mother can't still accept that she is really gone, her brother wallows in regret and guilt for his perceived inaction. The hero of this tale (or conniving, selfish, heartless jerk, in the opinion of many) lost everything - the girl he "loved", his wife and child, his job : the owners frowning on inter-office affairs (bad karma, if you ask me).....But last heard, his wife after more than a decade reconciled with him, yet he is only a shell of his former self, remorse gnawing at him relentlessly....






As she gazes sadly at the words, I find the courage to ask if she regrets her trusting, foolish and selfish behaviour and would have, given a chance lived her life differently.


 She nods her head and says that she wishes to have spared her loved ones the pain, a twinge of guilt for his wife and child, her to-be groom and mainly for her unborn child...but remains silent on HIM. 


My reasoning is that she has long forgiven him and holds herself equally responsible for all she went through as clearly stated in her suicide note, my guess is that she loves him still and would have given up everything to be with him, the coward just had to ask....


Love makes you do strange things, even justify what others perceive as wrongdoing.






Before she departs, she looks at herself in the mirror (don't ask me if its possible) and audibly sighs "Atleast, I am still beautiful."


I overcome the urge to roll my eyes, after all , who am I to deny a ghost who has been 22 years old for more than two decades now (and forever stuck from the looks of it), simple girly pleasures of vanity.


Wc 929 to have 71 words more