teach me life how to let go
for you rob me of things every now and then
if it is to be like this
then what am i to gain?
i m my own knight...saving grace every time the sky tumbles
to appease you infinitely am i to forever live in shambles?
the world tears apart and i keep watching in the midst of it all
helpless even though long before i know of its fall
i fail to escape the carnage...unable to look away
and in a blink all that was full of hope turns gray
one day i m afraid i would run out of colors to brighten it all up again
then life we would finally sit together to account for my loss and your gain.

The Winking Abyss....

i am standing at the edge
the abyss winks at me
will the leap of faith finally set me free?
the stars shine quietly above....across the midnight blue sky
i want the sun in my eyes once more
but it is time...wonder whether it was worth a dime
all the faces...rush past as i close my eyes
i feel them snapping...all my ties
and it starts to rain...if only the sun came out
i could perhaps keep the memory of a rainbow
but what to do with memories in all that emptiness?
for there would be only silence that i have yearned for
where thoughts are put to rest...where life cannot jest anymore
the smooth darkness seems inviting
i am tempted...why hesitate?
as if it is not too late
i feel one last time...all that was and is and could be
and finally set myself free...

The Search for Slumber....

blessed are they who sleep when eyes close for the day
free from a cluttered mind and an equally uncluttered heart
they are not burdened with the onus of creating art
their emancipation lies in the mundane..pedestrian smiles
their journey has been and always will be a couple of miles
they wouldn't know how it feels, to lie awake through centuries
watching the sky turn onyx to ocher
never witnessing what wonders the first light of dawn has to offer
they can't comprehend the beauty of living with a vacant heart and a replete mind
for it is indeed rare to come across our kind
we paint from the fragments of our dreams..even though the slumbers are long lost
we selflessly renounce warmth for the love of frost
we tredge though debris of ages in search of a memory golden
we cherish and grant life to all that is forgotten and olden
the quotidian holds no appeal...what we crave is to be enkindled
for we too live in the hope of that day when spent, our eyes would close once the day dwindles...

truth as we don't know it...

the proclivity of the mind towards insurmountable wants is immense
the heart falls short of breath...of blood
the trials seem as wasted breath fogging the very fabric of future
the intellect yet refuses to give up...dragging us in infinite circles
it does not know when to relinquish the quest
for matter is neither divine nor sinful
our fault?
we embark upon the impossible..forsaking truth...reaching out for a fragment of reality that can never truly belong to us
for a finite error with incalculable consequences is the crux of all that is broken
our salvation?
to live in denial of what we desire trading dreams for dimes...

sitting beneath starry lights
i feel i have come a long way
it has been a tough walk riddled with hardships that at times made me sway
i still want to figure out the meaning of it all
i still lie awake at night waiting for my call
i see happy faces around listen to so many sounds
and wonder what went wrong
and sometimes i grow numb at just the whisper of a song
what will someone find in my wake?
what did i leave of value? of worth?
i believe none for there is so much grey even light wont come forth
passion burns brighter than inferno setting all ablaze
yes there were flames within once to call my own
now only glowing embers lie wherever the sight leads with no promise of a phoenix
there is too much quiet...too much ruin
to render any meaning to life as we know it
all that i try is to stay afloat in this eternal ocean of nothingness
barely breathing...for the waves are too harsh and the will too weak
neither drowning nor with hopes of ever reaching the shore...waiting while there is still time and a few more breaths left

Culinary Escapism...

And I decided to make pizza for dinner to beat the Monday blues!!

Not Today

and some black roses morphed into raven butterflies
flying with the next breeze
i stand inhaling their sweet scent...my heart dizzy from the night before
where i had indulged myself with a dash of tequila
what with life throwing so many lemons
but a valiant knight that i am in my faded jeans...i slay my perils
and dazzle everyone around with my sanity
for it is sunshine to those with dark corners in their minds
and with my borrowed glitter they rosy up what's mundane
adding colour to their bland palettes
i fight everyday..giant trolls and cyclops alike
struggling to find that unicorn in the demented recesses of my consciousness
it is a mighty battle i tell you...stuff of fantasies
after-all i exist within the quotidian...searching for ecstasy unknown
craving wanderlust...but rooted unerringly
everyday i feel akin to a caterpillar...waiting my turn to fly
believing yes! i am soon to be a butterfly
what is the appeal of the ephemeral? the fragile?
i crave to rejoice in the guile...snatch what's mine..rip what's thine
for then i would deserve to get my wings clipped...my hopes marred
not now...not today
when dreaming still holds some appeal...when i yet retain the ability to feel...

Changing Lives through Reading... (an essay for a change!)

Thoughts are the manifestation of our perception of the world around us. And it is the mind that at once is the creator as well as consumer of thoughts that mature into ideas, thus getting reflected in our actions, which not only define us but also affect all that we are part of. Just as the stomach craves food, the mind too needs fodder to sustain, to remain occupied and progress. And what better way than to read, or write for that matter!

In the fast-paced life that we lead nowadays, seldom do we procrastinate amidst running around, achieving or sometimes even over-achieving, and find that our mind is either totally ignored or ridiculously cluttered up with things not worth holding onto. One must pause and think, as to what weighs us down yet has the ability to lift us up?  Thoughts!  People may choose to live as they like, but why not live in a better way? The mind is a sponge, which soaks up whatever it sees, hears, and perceives. So why not let it soak up a bit of poetry or a dash of prose? The ability of books in influencing a person is grossly underestimated in today’s world; and sadly a majority of the population is denied the privilege of education. But to imagine lives touched by knowledge is a wonder in itself, a goal for tomorrow. Reading enriches the mind, sharpens the thought process, and hones the power of imagination.  If an educational institution’s curriculum is taken into consideration, then the same enhances the reader’s life by means of its educational value, pertaining to specific qualifications. The individual has a better shot at earning a living, armed with knowledge, if especially hailing from a financially weak background. Reading helps an individual form opinion, and deal with matters more positively. It opens a doorway to infinite knowledge, wisdom and a make-believe world, where the mind can escape to and overcome obstacles unknown! While writing, an author conveys his emotions and ideas, and those reading them would relate to it, thus forming a web of minds connected to the same idea, possibly even a revolutionary one! By means of reading people come across valuable information and opinions that help shape their personality, and also equip them with the knowledge to differentiate between wrong and right. Through reading, individuals become more aware of the society that they live in, and are galvanized into action and into taking up causes to eradicate the evils prevailing within whole social setup. A bright example has been set by penal systems throughout the U.S which subjects offenders to reading literature as an alternative punishment, which has changed many lives. The offenders get a second chance at redeeming themselves and developing a healthy mindset.

Thus reading empowers, broadens and strengthens the mind, affecting the way of living and livelihood, bringing forth better individuals and paving the path towards a golden future.

The Walk

I walk through an autumn boulevard
brown leaves lay beneath my feet
their relenting crunch breaking the silence around
silence...off late my favourite sound
I gaze up at the orange skies searching for what I know not
thinking about all the lessons that time has taught
and I come across a dimly lit tavern
sitting prettily across the street
it beckons me warm and welcoming
as if someone there is waiting for me to meet
I keep trying to head that way
but before me my vision sways
I give up too early...too soon
drifting once more towards what I can only vaguely predict...my doom
again the silence engulfs me
forever my faithful companion
and I walk some more, coming to stand by a quaint house with bougainvilleas hanging from its red tiled roof
and from somewhere this feeling grips me
some distant memory of sorts
a little kid staring unseeingly through the window with a stuffed bear in her arms
waiting for some loved one to come home
to tie her hair with a comb.. give her a smile..just once sit for a while
and a tear trickles down my cheek
for the little girl had no one with whom to speak
all these words were there in her head...and all too soon the little girl begins to fade
I try to grasp in a desperate attempt what goes melting away before me
but yet again I find myself in a different boulevard lined with taller autumn trees
So I keep moving on...the kid's sad eyes etched in my mind
and I feel the rustle of leaves as they fall from the trees like floating embers in the dusk
and I see from afar a small gathering of people laughing with icecream cones in hand
tapping their feet to the soft music of a nearby playing band
and all of a sudden rain begins to pour
the happy faces vanishing into thin air!
now with the cheering mirth gone I am left standing saddened to my very core
as the gray skies take pity on me...I lament no more
and my feet yet again keep dragging me into the unknown afore
and I wonder...why is it that I walk these autumn drenched boulevards strewn with flaming leaves?
I guess this afterall is my own hell... where I get one last chance to choose what's for keeps...

The Wait...

On a bed of ashes i lie...eagerly waiting for my doom
cursing the merciless fate for not letting it happen any soon
as murky rain from a black sky above starts to drown my senses
i set my mind free on unchartered memories devoid of condemning fences
thoughts as sinister as satan himself tarnish whatever lies before
sadness impersonated in a grey cloak slowly sinks into my very pores
rotten debris cloud my vision hindering the summon from beyond
blue flames lick my weathered frame setting ablaze a thousand agonizing bonds
my soul twists and turns all the while wanting to be free from shackles forged on earth
what a pity! i can't even remember the day when my smile lost its mirth
freedom eludes me for others' sins have tainted my whole being
now i solemnly await my divine punishment...for death to finally sing..