all i do is wait

all i do is wait
for a twist of fate
or a turn of events.

i seem to be standing
at the edge of a bottomless canyon,
waiting for a circumstantial nudge.

i expect cataclysmic events will unfold:
the cosmic soup will be bubbling
the infinite oceans will be seething
and the universe in my head
will go into labour.

new stars will be born
destinies rewritten
fortunes will be foretold
empires will crumble as i watch
and my sun will be on the ascendant.

but i am clueless
when it will all begin
and what will trigger it
and how.
all i can do is wait
for it to unfold,
spiral outward to the end
and beyond.

and then finally settle down
into an ocean of calm
where i watch my reflection
and see you smile back at me.

a birthday gift!

i got this poem from a dear friend on my birthday... had to share it here with all of you! :)

(i won't blame you if you think i'm going through a narcissistic phase here! :P )

---------

I tried it all!

Shopping at the mall,

Another painting for your wall,

But liked nothing at all.

So I thought,

And I thought

And after thinking a lot,

This brilliant idea I got!

If not a book or a tee,

Or a tie or CD,

The least I can do,

Is write a b’day rhyme for you!

So! Uncle Guru,

Your 40! It’s true.

Don’t feel so blue,

For you haven’t caught the flu!

Soon enough though

Your hair will no longer grow

But don’t be so low,

For your bald head will glow!

Even when it’s bright,

You may feel that it’s night

And Thanks to faulty eyesight

You’ll want to put on the light!

when Prasann your son

is playing in the sun,

he’ll beg you to join in the fun,

but you’ll say, “Oh! My backache’s begun!”

“Sunanda! Where is my cane?

Walking is a strain.

It causes my body such pain”

You’ll sigh in vain, “I wish I was 20 all over again!”

Memory loss will come soon

You’ll leave your keys in the bathroom.

And wonder whether it’s April May or June

While heading to the clinic, in a party costume!

“I can’t seem to find the other shoe!

Where ARE you Niru?”

“But it’s time for bed, Guru!

Look at the time, its true!”

And Alas! To read,

A pair of thick spectacles you’ll need,

They’ll be sitting on your head,

Still you’ll reach for your wife’s instead!

Breathe! I’m only kidding!

Don’t look so forbidding!

To take your case is my thing,

Read ahead, cuz I’m still writing…

I can’t do this anymore,

I fear it might become a bore,

I stretched the truth, and even lied

But I can’t insult you anymore, I tried!

So listen to the other side,

Take this in your stride,

For 40’s a milestone

And not a reason to groan!

You’re twenty away from 60

And already feeling 50

But you’re a young man of 40

Who at heart is only 30

You’re talented and poetic,

At your age you’re so energetic!

A movie buff, a music lover

There’s so much u still have to discover.

You are a great sport,

A constant support.

You’re a teacher, a guide

And just knowing you fills me with pride.

There’s so much you’ve taught…

Such joy you’ve brought..

That it’s impossible to say

How grateful I am, in just a day.

it’s your birthday today,

and I wish and pray,

that you find your way,

smiling, each day.

forgotten melodies

everything seems larger than life

nothing seems normal anymore
every minute detail seems too close for comfort
and screaming without a sound.

maybe i need to step back from the peeping glass
and look around and see
the landscape spread as far as eye can see.

and see that day follows the darkest night
and spring follows the coldest winter
while life keeps moving on
whether i stand still or race ahead.

come hold my hand
and let's walk this last stretch together
we then have a lifetime more
once we reach the end of this road.

sing me your songs
so that i can sing along
and not think of 'could have beens'
or forgotten melodies.

i have learnt

i have learnt
that today is what i have
to live and to learn from.

yesterday is long gone
leaving memories
not always sweet.

and tomorrow
is too uncertain
and often packs surprises.

i have learnt
that love is not just a feeling
but is a state of being
in love.

and that willingly
i yearn forever
and smile through pain
and yet not want it to end!

a peep into my feverish mind

boundless hope
unbridled desires
untamed passion
fervent prayers

primal needs
basic wants
ardent longings
urgent cravings

sharp pangs of hunger
parched throat thirst
and then this great urge
a deep inexplicable yearning

so many thoughts
swirl around in my mind
but i ride an ocean of calm.

rhyme's not for me

i fret and i fume

and feel out of tune,

and against all my efforts

fate seems immune.

i fall and i rise

for i am unstoppable

...

nah,

rhyme is not for me

it just doesn't have soul,

when telling it as it is,

is actually my goal.

i let you know how i feel

as i lay myself bare,

and if it doesn't fit into a metre

i really don't care.

here we are, you and i

so here we are
you and i
connected to each other
with unseen bonds
stronger than our own fears

savoring each other
living the moment
reaching out across
and touching
just for the joy of feeling you

blinking and noticing
that you are still there
not an apparition
flesh and blood
my love coursing through you

the intensity engulfs me
and i close my eyes
in sheer ecstasy
only to notice you
are now merged within me

not so simple

this is the first poem i received in response to my tag... a really nice poem from manasi
here's the link to her blog and the actual poem below :
http://forevermanasi.blogspot.com/2008/09/not-so-simple.html

ओ आसमान में उड़ते पंछी,
कभी मुझे भी अपने साथ ले जा.
खुल कर निडर मुक्त गगन में,
एक उड़ान की चाहत जो है.

बैठी है जो टीले के पीछे,
वो बुढ़िया जो अपना चूल्हा फूकती.
बताया उसने कि तुम ले गयीं थी उसको,
एक सूखी रोटी के बदले.

मैं होमवर्क पूरा कर लूंगी,
दूध वाले को तंग भी न करूंगी,
उस गुरजीत से नहीं लडूंगी,
एक उड़ान की चाहत जो है.

a different kind of tag

i got a beautiful poem from a dear friend which i am reproducing here.

-----------










i wonder..

will there be a storm,
with howling winds,
and torrential showers,
when you come..

will the earth separate,
with molten lava
swirling at your feet,
when you come..

or will the mountain peaks,
lift their heads higher,
and roar to the world,
that you have come?

maybe, the trees will march,
with creatures of all sizes,
in the parade,
on the day of your arrival.

i wonder, if the brooks and streams
will join hands,
and create a wreath,
to welcome u with..

i wonder, whether this lil flower,
with petals so tiny and blue,
that just fell into my hands,
is actually you..

- riddhi shah (mumbai)
------------


i am sure there's a poet in each one of us. now what i'd really like is for you to send me one of your poems. whichever you like. either its one you have already written before or you can write one now. send it to me and i'll publish them here. why should you do this? just so that others can enjoy reading your poems.

i'll give source credit! :P
which basically means i won't pass them off as my creation... you'll get mentioned with a byline and with the url to your blog .

so go on, don't hesitate... let the creative juices flow and share it with the rest of the world...

(there's no deadline for entries... i'll keep posting them as i receive them)

reaching out

the leaves whispered urgently

as the wind came visiting

with news about you and

a message just for me.

across the distance you reached out

and touched me and smiled

as i started and looked around

wondering if you could see me.

the river gurgled past

and carried my thoughts

across the eddies and currents

and wound its way to you.

and as you drank deeply

of the cool water in your cupped palms

you could hear my response

echoing within the deepest part of you.

lost in the grandeur

last night i dreamt of

snow-capped mountains

and mountain streams,

virgin beaches and dense woods.

and you were flying

by my side as we took in

the panoramic scenes

that filled our vision while we

lost ourselves in the grandeur.

and when i awoke

you were still there beside me

and i watched as you slept

your perfect lips lightly smiling

the cascading hair, and a few

errant strands across your face.

and that's when i lost myself

again in the grandeur of this vision!

lazy sunny afternoon

i lie on my back

on this grassy knoll

content watching the clouds

as they form strange patterns

in my head.

a lazy stream gurgles

somewhere nearby

as it meanders across

trying to find meaning

through its wandering

towards the sea beyond

the distant horizon.

she's also lying beside me

maybe dozing

or is that her humming

my favourite song?

we both don't utter a word

lest we disturb the

comfortable silence

cocooning us.

her delicate perfume

wafts across and mingles with

the smell of the grass

crushed under our bodies

and makes for a heady mixture

that i inhale deeply.

i shut my eyes softly

and now

i'm at peace with the universe.

at the ocean's edge

i sat at the ocean's edge

for three days at a stretch,

watching her every move

as her waves crept up and drenched me.

i could taste her salt in the wind

as it whipped against my face.

she supported life within her

and at arm's length i waited

for her life-saving embrace.

i was thirsty, parched

my lips cracked

but not a drop could she spare

to quench my thirst.

and finally defeated, i stood

to turn back home.

and that's when the cloud burst

and she reached out to me

from the heavens!

someday maybe - a reprise

hmmm... someday maybe, she said!

someday maybe

i'll be able to open

myself up to you

and give of me fully!

someday maybe

i'll be able to walk

this thin treacherous line

and come across to you!

someday maybe

you'll understand

that i love you

but can't lie down beside you!

someday?

another year? another age?

or another lifetime maybe?

but i want you here and now!

can't you see i'm burning here?

hmmm... someday maybe, she said.

and smiled wistfully!

someday maybe

hmmm... someday maybe, she said.

someday maybe

i'll be able to understand,

why life throws a curve ball

at you when you are looking away.

someday maybe

i might understand,

why love creeps in on you

unnoticed, and knocks you senseless.

someday maybe

i'll understand,

why the centre of the universe

shifted from within me into you.

and today when

she walked into my life

and into my arms,

understanding suddenly dawned on me.

this magical mystery tour

i'm on this magical mystery tour.

i've visited some fascinating places

and had some wonderful experiences,

with you by my side.

each day seems like a dream

and i'm filled with awe and wonder

as i take in the rare sights

and breathe in deeply your presence

which fills my senses completely.

but on some days i don't see you

and notice that you've taken off

on a solitary winding path

all by yourself.

but i fret unnecessarily

i only need to look ahead

and see that the path you've taken

finally joins back the road i'm on!

how i wish!

i wish

moths wouldn't lead

such tragic lives,

and the sun wouldn't burn itself out

while traversing the heavens.

or the caterpillar wouldn't trap itself

in a cocoon of its own making,

and the moon wouldn't wax till

it becomes a shadow of its former self.

i wonder and search for answers

to still the turmoil within.

that's when you walk across the banks

of my ocean of consciousness

and the tumultuous waves subside

and in the clear crystal waters,

the answers reveal themselves to me.

the moth finds eternal glory

in the flame of knowledge,

and the sun lights up countless others

and breathes life into stone.

the caterpillar emerges as

a butterfly bright crimson and blue,

and the moon becomes a diadem

adorning the deep night sky!

now i wish

you were by my side

watching the moon wane

and light up the warm nights!

the day time stood still!

today i retraced my steps

went back to the beginning

of time

much before the world

was created

and much before

i reached out to you!

there too

i was searching for you

and i kept looking

at the horizon

for you to appear

and i waited,

through births, and deaths

through creation and destruction

through the waxing and the waning

through ebb and neap tides

through heaven and through hell!

and as i watched

you brushed past me

and turned and said you were sorry

and smiled with your eyes

and moved on.

that's when

my world as it existed

came to an end,

time stopped still

and another chapter

was begun on a new page.

now the moon has found

its orbit around the star

and it keeps moving in

closer over the millennia

waiting for the day

when it will eventually

be sucked in completely

and get completely

obliterated!

i am your radha tonight!

tonight i felt

how deeply the gopis longed

for their dark-skinned kanha.

i now understand

why the jamuna sighs with longing

and the kadamba sheds her leaves

in despair.

i feel like a calf

searching for her mother,

lost, alone, heart-broken.

i am like radha

sitting serenely by the jamuna,

tenderly caressing your humble flute

bearing the pain with grace.

secure in the knowledge

that you will return,

but knowing not how to resign

to the fact that you will never stay!

my perfect pearl

i'm that deep-sea diver

from the legend you've heard of

in your childhood.

who had found the perfect pearl,

the queen of all pearls.

i drank in the sight

to my heart's content

and then threw it back

overboard

in the high seas.

for i couldn't hold it

any longer, it was far too perfect

to be placed in any ring

or adorn any maiden's diadem.

and i would have no reason

to dive any more

for there would be nothing more

to dive for.

so now, i keep diving

to find that perfect pearl again!