Love filled landing

After a mighty tired me came down

the stairs of a plane, one fine morning

I lazily looked around at the passengers

coming at the starboard side when

my gaze fell upon a beautiful person who

was stepping down with measured grace

I was spellbound, starstruck, you name it

We both queued up to get into a waiting bus

which would get us together to the terminal

It was crowded as every one of us wanted

not me to be the first at the immigration

I had barely standing space on one leg

My balance went precarious finding her

was I surprised when both our hands

reached for the handles set by the love god

Our eyes met and mirrored each other

We were the last to reach the terminal

While we briefly chatted and chirped

falling now and then into a shy filled swoon

she was surprised if a guy can fall so soon

The voice, the charm, the gait, the face

All fell into sweet place for me to gaze

We bid bye to our best forgotten lives

soon after we chanced upon a cab

I had met a caring person with whom

My life would be well spent sharing…

The lost love

When you were a lovely child
How you loved the flowers
How you loved the birds
How you loved your friends
How you loved the trees.

The love filled breeze that caressed
The love packed playful winds
The love filled calm of the moon
The invite of the love filled mornings
How you laughed in love abandon.

How love filled was your smile
How cheerful was your love
How adorned love was around you
Love was in your eyes as you walked
For there was much to learn and love.

Love followed you mighty everywhere
Love was so kind and yet so innocent
When we turned to love filled youth
The same Love so turned possessive
Love came warped with apprehension.

Love was more of getting things your way
Love was more of praises and rewards
Love was filtered and scattered by demands
How you became famous and love died silently
When love dear was to be your friend forever…

No Time

There is no time to look at the blooming flower

There is no time to look at the perched bird

Nor any chance to find time for a small prayer

Time ambles along with you glued to the gadget

as you spend time looking at the varying stocks

undecided for there is no time for you to decide

for there is no time to sit on the rocks and gaze

at the time keeper setting far away into the dark

You have no time to enjoy the delicious food

no time to thank the loved one who serves it

as you kill time on chat with a distant friend

who has no time to meet you anytime soon

Time stops and slowly passes you over

for chiming time has proved time and again

you have no time dear available to value it.

The native

Once you landed, you saw me looking at you

wondering from where you came looking for me

you were surprised at what I wore and was I too.

I was accommodating to make you feel at home

my home which I had tended for so long year

making it comfortable to please you as much.

But after knowing, my habits, my water hole

you drove me back into the far wilderness,

I had dreaded so long and away from home.

The inhabitants there treated me the best way

they could and made me at home, a foreigner

but I didn’t ditch them as you did to me…

Marching Soldiers

Today when I had started writing a children’s story on ants, I was reminded of this poem that I wrote in 2016. Dear readers, it is always good to have a dose of rhyming poetry before the prose😊

Every day we go in search of dear food
chains of us in queue till we get shooed
crane at our folks going the other way
we always are a army having our say.

Descending in numbers at any place
no stampede as we increase our pace
no one knowing from where we came
wonder it seems we all look the same.

We change our course to get to our food
though near it seems, it has to be good
none bothers as we take it to our stay
we act sober and collective on our way.

Wary of wind or a stream of cold water
pranks of a kid as we try climb a platter
flanks of us leaving behind our dead
there are things in life we seldom dread.

Every time you see us marching along
like a silent long forgotten folk song
Well knit as one doing our own tasks
all the while storing food for wasps.

As you stumble upon our brittle house
refrain please to drench us and douse
slain and lifeless we lie by your clout
We had homes till you wiped us out.

images

Wait at the Watch

Walking hours nay days in rustling grass

I arrive at the bottom of a watch tower.

I am not sure dear should I climb them

I ask to none being lost in this jungle.

The bottle slung with water long gone

Slinging berries on the way didn’t help.

Now and then distant roars evokes fear

Just as my aching feet cry out for rest.

I hope to get some rest as I climb up

Away from the wild roaming animals.

We can run no more dear say my legs

Much less walk or any such feat.

These steps are the last I assure

Till help arrives or a miracle dawns.

I climb up on to the watch area

Where sits an old smiling jaguar.

So you arrived visitor, welcomes he

How can he talk in my sweet tongue?

This must be a jungle dream for me

come true with jingles for wild him.

Look I have come for rest, plead I

And I frequent here for old prey.

Pray could you spare me please

And how would that benefit me?

Say I could not offer you much

But in you is an offer good to resist.

Sad not any more, we are two souls

Awaiting a new life as we wait.

You died long ago in this misty woods

I waited like a mystic here for prey

Till death found me before I could pray…

The poor Grocer

A shop keeper was getting old

He used to be a lot charitable

But offlate he was needing it

Now that new ones sprouted

Not many frequented his shop

He did not sell modern goods

His grocery was way too limited

What he had been selling all along

But he persisted on with little profit

His shop and his stock became old

Many needy came to him for help

He started giving what his shop could

One day finally the shop had nothing

Except his faith and lots of patience.

A boy one day came and sat next to him

There is nothing here to give you dear

I am not here to take but to give you

Take this jaggery sell it and pay me

After I come back after a month

Saying so he unloaded a gunny sack

And left our shopkeeper wondering

He kept the jaggery cubes for sale

After keeping some in the sack

Wondering if anyone would buy it

From the next day people flocked to him

For it disappeared from the stocks

Of nearby shops who could not try

To replenish it much as they wished

And wonder of wonders what a sack

It never emptied just like mothers love.

He prospered and waited for the boy

The boy appeared and asked for his sack

Filling it with salt he left with a smile…

The Coach

Vishal had lost again the race

He could not keep the pace

This time too he lost the case

About winning the silver vase

All this had left him in a daze.

He decided to set out to a place

Seeking a guide, peace and solace

He reached a wooded green space

Where he met a coach named Grace

Who taught him well how to pace…

Blessings

Accumulate blessings not riches
dear love not desperate hate
sweet knowledge not sour ignorance
know yourself not about others.

Know well your nature to correct it
for we all have grey lines of fault
some seldom may point these out
some biding to take advantage of it.

These very flaws minute as they seem
take away our right to dear places
we could have so well reached
for time is a precious commodity
that can seldom be bartered.

Pure thyself by chanting His name
clothe your selves with His stories
illuminate thy self with his glory
when time is ripe for angels to arrive
be the lamp among the lost crowd.

As they take you undisturbed
to a place of peace you barely knew
with gained blessings on your crown
you chance upon His mighty throne
at His tender feet by His loving side.

Where no sorrows can abound
only carefree birds that chirp
the lovely scrolls of your Life
that got etched as you well lived
in times, good, bad and sad.

For each of us has limited time
so as you run around to make a mark
let the mark of blessing be upon you
leave no stone to accumulate it
for in the end it is all what matters.

To Him who holds store of good things
of blessings distributed to the needy
May you add to His cherished stock
as you reach him safe and sound
the ultimate heights you asked for.

Friends who blossomed

The short Jasmine and the tall Lily
would talk  daily as they swayed
the gentle wind who would listen
the bright hovering sun who watched
the merciful rain falling to protect.

The moon shining bright every month
lighting them up as they slept unaware
looking over the ever so gentle beauties
blissfully lighting many a human heart
whose scanning eyes would pick them.

Their life spans so short to us humans
who would enjoy their beauty one day
not even  bothering to look over them
bodies of two friends lying withered
their memories fading into quick sand…