Fortified Spirit
The nearly flawless curve of her mouth
Expertly fortified with scarlet shine
Seldom gives way to its hidden truth
That all is, after all, quite far from fine
How easily she buries them skeletons
Crusoe’s uncharted isles in her mind
An art she has a long ago mastered
Making every pain too tough to find
Life of late is quite the wayward child
Oh how she tugs harder at the reins
Letting go is obviously too appealing
But defeat isn’t entertained in her veins
Another day rears its head behind the dawn
But all cobwebs she has confined to night
So what if the back’s against a cold wall
For sure she isn’t going down without a fight
The path
There lies a path snaking through a jungle
Hardly trodden and deceptive to most eyes
Ask travelers of this path and hear their sighs
“Not a welcome sign, no lights, no sights”
They ventured in but have returned midway
With words of advice to “help fellowmen”
They stutter and speak of impending doom
Of gnarled trees where weird voices whisper
Of strange weeds that no sickle can cut down
And of tangled boughs that block the blue skies
These advisers all come with hand-drawn maps
Showing well-lit ways and smooth pavements
With blue sky above, and green grass below
“These are the roads that we truly deserve,
Short, straight and sweet, signboards very neat”
Most people at this point make their decisions
Borrow the maps and notes with sheer relief
Yet, some persist with an unheard-of belief
They hack through bushes, thorns, and weeds
And just as the world starts with “We told you”
They emerge on the other side for all to envy
For they did get to see bright lights and sights
And of course, the “welcome sign” of success
Winter is coming
Sun sets, before the day has ended
Time sighs and then resigns
Itself to march on and ignore
Pleading eyes and shivering skin
Frozen palms beg for respite
Buried in dull grey overcoats
Sunburnt leaves breathe their last
Writhing around on merciless stone
Even the clouds have finally lost it
Tired of smiling for photographs
Sky chokes, smothered it seems
Unless this is all just for laughs
Chapped lips lament to each other
As icy drafts hiss into my ears
“Our turn now, winter is coming”
Liebster Award
Tadaaaa!!
So I got nominated for this game by this blogger. It took a while but I finally got around to doing it, and yay!! This is so much fun!!
- What do you think/How do you feel about rain?
I like sitting by the window with a hot cup of coffee watching the drops kiss the glass. I love jumping in puddles sometimes; I absolutely love tasting raindrops. The first scent of rain kissing the parched earth, oooh! Gentle drizzle on the skin, bliss. When it pours cats and dogs, I’d rather be wrapped up in a blanket! - What is the one thing that can always cheer you up?
Chocolate, picnics, romantic comedies, planning surprises 🙂 - What kind of books do you like to read?
I take my chances with all genres, but I have a soft corner for thrillers. Medical novels sometimes. I looooved those Enid Blyton fairytales as a kid but have since graduated to Ayn Rand and Paul Coelho. I would have loved for Calvin and Hobbes to go on and on. - Do you like cereal? Which one is your favourite?
I love muesli and cornflakes, good old Kellogg’s. - If you could have any super-power, what would it be?
I’m a curious cat, so I might just take the power to be invisible! - If you had the option, would you want to change your name?
No, I have cool nicknames too, so all settled. - Do you believe in astrology?
Nope, but I do like to see some feel-good forecasts once in a while just like that, hehe. - What do you believe in – fate or coincidence?
Coincidence can be planted if fate decides to, I guess. - What is your favourite quote? (Yes, I know I copied this question, but I want to know your answers!?)
Right now (and it’s been my WhatsApp status for a month) – The toughest steel is forged by the hottest fire. - If you could do any one thing without consequences, what would it be?
Without worrying about consequences, I would just take all the vacations I wanted!
The thing is, I’m bad at tagging selected people, so I declare “Everybody reading this is tagged”. Feel free to write, and let me know when you do 🙂 It is as much fun reading answers as it is writing down stuff! Kinda makes you wonder how much you know yourself…and all that. Go on, give it a try.
The Gift
I press the flowers to my thudding heart
Red they are, like the blood in my veins
Drinking in deeply the fresh scented air
So silver it is, the moonbeam that shines
Look beyond the walls, I whisper to myself
Relish the blue hue sprawled across the night
Velvety trees seem to show off their leaves
Behold Nature, spring in her step, stars bright
It has always been this way, time standing still
The days are golden, sunlight sweeping the sky
They admit that I can bend all colors to my will
A power bestowed upon me; I am not sure why
Dreams find me in every waking moment
I paint the world in a way no one can try
I see what they miss, my eyes are so intent
They own some riches that money can’t buy
He finds his birthday girl thus, again bowled
My frozen fingers grazing a thick black curl
Hold on, I am now feeling a tight blindfold
‘You just wait dear, a surprise will soon unfurl’
For it is time to see this special day’s presents
Me first, me first, mom and dad are screaming
As they stand nearby, my crazy loving parents
The matter’s settled soon, and they are beaming
I sense in excitement that I’m oddly going cold
Oh this aura of mystery is such sweet torment
I wait as the cool cloth gives way, fold by fold
How he takes his own time, gentle and patient
The coolly ticking seconds seem like ages, I think
Voila, it feels so good to break free of soft shell
Sweet lord! I see the world firsthand, gasp and blink
And why our tears are all spilling, I just can’t tell…
The Phoenix
Amidst the ruins of a soot-coated soul
A fledgling Phoenix now tests its wings
What yielded to the ravages of dismay
Resurrects itself again for the game
It spits out the ashes and clears its throat
Thumping its chest in a triumphant cry
Nay, Destiny, stand not and titter at me
Share my wings and we shall fly high
The fruit of life is ripe for the picking
Crane your neck and look heavenwards
While resigned sighs have all burned out
Hope still shines bright among stars
When deprived of love, love some more
When worry comes knocking, hand it a cup of tea
If time stamps its feet, teach it patience
And train your tears to flow in joy
That ancient despair stands not a chance
If you head home, Spirit, to waiting arms
Duties are lining out there for us to do
Let us arise and give the world our best
It’s been long since we put on a good show
Aloud cries the Phoenix, rearing to go
The Call of Life
Answer the call of your life
O bird, for you must realize
Your winged dreams
Multi-hued ambitions
Echo loud the call of your spirit
Rise above the expectations
Of ordinary circumstances
And the accompanying pain
For you are not destined to be
Merely ordinary
Soar high into freedom of soul
Beyond the reach of sullying thought
Purity is in renouncement
And the practice of rightly actions
Even when inconvenient to you
Break out of the chains that hold tight
Carving pitiful marks into your skin
Scream yourself hoarse,
So that you may hear your own voice
And act on its sage advice
Laugh at the sadness you find
Lift the ones bereft of their smile
Do what you need to, even if you can’t
To die trying is better than to give up
On any day, choose to live
Existence cannot be enough!
Rise to the occasion and fly high,
O bird, because you can see yonder
Correct path to trust and follow
Leave the hopeless sighs behind
And explore unknown paths; you may find
Answers, and in them, salvation.
P.S. It is my WordPress anniversary today. Cheers to years of blogging!!!
A Father Mourns
My baby, daddy misses you
It is crazily lonely here
I swim in a big bad dream
Nothing I have to hold on to
My little finger hangs abandoned
By your sweet little fingers
My voice is hoarse of late
Your cradle being empty
Haven’t sung a lullaby, since
Where is the chirping bird?
I see nothing as pure as you
That glow in your pink cheeks
It is cold by day and by night
Come kiss my old beard
And hug me, hug me really tight
Summer’s pretty flowers wilted
I cared not a little bit, because
None of them can grace your hair
Reprimand me sometimes, please
For my drunken breath, with
Your adorable, wrinkling nose
I want to sleep, tired I am
But my chin won’t rest at all
So used to your tender curls
The child in me has vanished
With the light that left your eyes
Peace is nowhere in sight
I wished to catch the snowflakes
Just for you my dear, this winter
Delighting in your merry squeals
But here I find myself so numb
So hopeless, kneeling down
Brushing ice off your poor grave…
Unrequited Love
Fathomless eyes
Stray not an inch
From the epicentre
Of merciless flames
Drawn like moths
Into the brazen heat
Of tragic expression
Willing to perish
Feelings squirm in shame
And writhe in pain
A whole heart carved out
By sharp knives
Into illegible font
Etched on cheap paper
Verses scream stories
At the molten face
Even sealed lips fail
To halt the flow
Of a bleeding love
Ink and parchment
Compose an ironic eulogy
To the life that was
Betrayed by its master
Ambrosia it seemed
Until partaken of
Such scheming hope
The letter a testimony
Surrendering to red logs
That feed the blaze
In an empty house
Remains of love
Lay charred beyond recognition
As the poor thing chokes
And burns to ashes
Taking truth with it
No one need ever know
About the gift
Of mind, heart, and soul
Returned without a note
Grandma, did you have to go?
How I loved resting my burdened head
In the harmless cocoon of your lap
You watched over me quietly as I slept
Just guarding the serenity of my nap
Oh grandma, did you have to go?
How you waited calmly on the porch
Not one reprimand, no phone call
No reminder that I was carelessly late
Yet, your anxious eyes would say it all
Oh grandma, did you have to go?
After evaluating my crumb-littered plate
You frowned that I wasn’t eating enough
I rubbed my belly and pleaded for mercy
You piled more helpings of sumptuous stuff
Oh grandma, did you have to go?
You had such a vast repertoire of stories
Picking one of those each night to tell me
Even if you retold one, it still felt new
Uniquely laced with wonder, terror, glee
Oh grandma, did you have to go?
Your weathered palms were most kind
I can’t even describe the way I would feel
Even if the world collapsed around me
Gentle palms would soothe and heal
Oh grandma, did you have to go?
Bereft of your beaming toothless smile
Feathery frame that I could twirl around
Deprived of the words to make my day
I want to be swallowed by the ground.
Oh grandma, did you have to go?
Yes, it must sound real selfish of me
Demanding that you stay here forever
When you probably had more kids to meet
Shower on them the light of your star
And yet grandma, did you have to go?
