i miss

i miss the crimson indian skies

the warm summer breeze

the colorful crowds

the way we talked with ease

i miss standing by the green river

watching gray elephants congregate

red thunder lilies in your garden

white jasmine flowers on your golden gate

i miss the morning temple sounds

mangoes and tender coconuts

cuckoos and koels

something somewhere hurts

i miss the dark loud monsoons

scorching white heat

walking to your home

red kolhapuri sandals on my tired feet

i miss the ivory tea lights

bocelli singing for us

our midnight conversations

on life and running away from happiness

Photo Credit: Pink Pangea (Kerala, India).

Astral

head phones

smart phones

our lives

separate in quiet zones

no need to listen

no need to talk

perfectly fine

to simply get up and walk

busy lives

bills to pay

hard to notice

when someone walks away

until when the sun sets

and the white blanket

covers the lawn

like a casket

looking out into the sky

one sees the astral flake

drifting down with dreams

for those soon to wake

start another day

make another choice

to listen or not

to another human’s voice

sacred bones

precious stones

our lives connected

by different tones

do we care enough

to be there for each other

are we brave

to be together

Photo credit: Frank Herrera Photography, Creative Commons.

Valentine

no magic

nothing to conjure

pain follows

any intent to injure

yet we do

over and over again

look away

after causing pain

wake up

talk about coffee and toast

remain suspicious

make plans for valentine’s dinner with duck roast

all magic

so much to conjure

pain follows not

when there is no intent to injure

when we choose to love

over and over again

never look away

after causing pain

it is beautiful to wake up

talk about coffee and toast

have the courage to love again

celebrate valentine’s on the west coast

making time

to play on the beach

follow butterflies

out of reach

look up at the black night sky

to catch a glimpse of falling white snowflakes

always making time for a loved one

dark hot chocolate and mini cupcakes

to pause

to smile

to reach out

for your valentine always go the extra mile

Tend

to get to the true story

i tend to look at people in the eye

drown in their narratives

laugh with them and sometimes sigh

hear them out

with curiosity to know

how life has unfolded

where they really want to go

listening to my fellow humans

clarifies my own story

changes my perspectives

my path to glory

i tend to think

kindness rocks

life too short

to not make time for moonlit walks

you will get the true story

if you look me in the eye

drown in my words

your feelings why hide?

Photo credit: http://www.holmeslibrary.org/blog/event/summer-craft-night-2/kindness-rock/

Conveyor

one word

two meanings

one thought

many feelings

simple message

complicated

caring query

deleted

look out

for the job of a conveyor

to help people

just understand the other

mother and son

father and daughter

why does one say no

to a life of love and laughter

run from oneself

and the other

choose to be a cruel stranger

when one could be a gentle lover

one word

two meanings

one thought

many feelings

Silhouette

i turn my head

a little to the side

the flash goes on

i don’t hide

i like my silhoutte

lines and dark ink

i search for colours

in the black ink

for life

is more than black and white

the debate goes on

if plato got chora right

for now

lines and dark ink

silhouttes

that make us think

ask questions

about humanity

go beyond tolerance

can you see the beauty in diversity?

Candid

papa said speak up

mama said stand tall

growing up i realized

candid is not for all

when someone asks how are you

they often expect i am fine

i may be fine or miserable

but nevermind

connected to technology

tracking likes and stories of notoriety

who has the time

to heal our lonely society

to turn and say hello

to the one standing right beside us

to figure out how crypto

can buy happiness

i tell my children look them in the eye

speak up and stand tall

growing up hope they realize

candid is not for all

Loner’s eyes

when life is static

i tend to cast blame

on all but me

to ignore the pain

one must undergo

to transform

to rise from the ashes

cease to be forlorn

hit rock bottom

see oneself in the mirror

be free of

self-inflicted terror

walk alone

see through the blindfold

be compassionate

amidst the heartless fold

keep reaching out

when no one tries

look beyond

the distance in the loner’s eyes

Thanking a python

the chickens were missing

they could not be found

we wondered whether

they were eaten by a hound

my daddy asked me not to worry

my mummy asked me to go to sleep

in the morning

i was like little bo-peep

into the dark shed

i decided to go

in the corner

i saw two beads glow

i ran to tell my tale

wanting the brilliant beads i had seen

my mummy turned pale

knowing what could have been

into a big sack

went the green and black python

tired and slow

after the chicken eating marathon

oh my gosh

it could have been little me

i am alive

fifty summers old and free

note: when i was four my chickens got eaten by a python in malaysia…i went looking for them and saw two shining beads in my backyard shed…soon the phython was captured and taken away…46 years later, i can remember that morning vividly…

Forlorn

to be

or not to be forlorn

has been the question

all along

when things go wrong

life stands still

one can always

bring out the strong will

to make the choice

not to be forlorn

to celebrate life

bravely move on

replace fear with love

be willing to unlearn

have a purposeful journey

like the Arctic tern