Sleepy mornings

The minutes stretch long. A lazy cloud hangs overhead, doing its best to resist the pesky breeze which persists in pushing it all over the otherwise placid sky. The longer one looks, the more it seems like a carefully choreographed dance. Leaves rustle, bees hum and birds fly around doing whatever it is that birds do.

A day like this makes one feel anything is possible. I can almost feel an incredible wave of confidence- absolute, unwavering confidence- washing over me and kissing my very soul. There’s nothing i can’t do, no feat i can’t accomplish if i set my mind to it. Yes, a day like this makes one feel Alive!

I decide that the day calls for a bicycle ride, a journey over the path less ridden, a foray into the wild unknown, an exercise for the body as well as the mind. There’s nothing more refreshing than cruising through the lanes with the wind in your hair. There’s just one snag though. I don’t have a bicycle. Oh well, greater ideas have been brought to their knees by less complicated problems. Never mind, i am not discouraged that easily. There are deeds to be done, victories to be achieved- the world is waiting! 

My mental strides towards greatness are interrupted by the screams of a gull. Irritating creatures, gulls. Such a racket they make! Enough to drive a person crazy. But i have heard that they are extremely resourceful and intelligent birds. In fact, they can- wait a minute, Gulls? In Delhi?? How? One way or another, I’m sure America is responsible. Well, America is responsible for two thirds of the world’s problems so why not this? But back to the present problem- Gulls in Delhi! Is the government even aware of the situation? Of course, if the wild things have made up their minds to glide around the polluted Delhi skies, i doubt if the government will be able to do much about it. I guess it shall think of something. Although, its not easy to think in all that noise. It isn’t easy to sleep either, especially for babies. BABIES!! MY baby, to be exact!! Last i checked, he was still asleep. But now? I am hit by the rude realization that my baby is crying… Screaming, rather. So that explains the screaming gulls. In my defence, who would believe that such a tiny person can scream so loudly! The government can rest in peace, i’ve just averted a major crisis for them.

But never mind the government, i have a bigger problem at hand. The little devil is already up and i haven’t finished any chores yet. That could be because i haven’t even started. Where did the time fly?? 

Of promises and unfettered dreams

Didn’t you promise to sing these blues away 

coax some meaning out of my muddled words

well, hurry up then, i’m already two thirds 

drunk on the sultry moonlight…

I haven’t forgotten that you dream 

only in black and white 

but my glasses 

are shaded, you see 

(and its not just me)

even the jaded sunlight likes to break free 

into a symphony of colors 

once in a while

and did i mention that i love your smile?

aren’t we too caught up 

in the sway of the stars;

who pays any attention to the hours 

(lost) 

or the ceaseless murmuring of the trees 

maybe all you really need 

is to allow yourself to drift a bit 

upon this unchained breeze. 

As for me, I’m all set 

to glide along, 

waiting for my promised song.

Letting go and catching hold

Lets unmake
this tearing haste,
the meticulously scattered thoughts
in our heads,
this bed…

Lets unfind
these worry lines,
the convoluted chains
ensnaring our hearts,
this half hearted start…

Lets unclench
these silly fears,
the savagely guarded
prejudices on our lists,
these fists…

Rather, lets pick up
all loose ends,
begin again
at the very center this time.
Lets blur the lines
just once
allow ourselves to be led by our hearts.
Who knows, that might be the start
we’ve been looking for….

Hope

There’s detail in her swing
And power in her sting
Or maybe its the other way ’round.
Just a few feet off the ground
she hovers,
covers her smiling mouth,
eyes firmly looking south
-ward. A dainty finger
points out the drop that lingers
long after the waterfall
has ceased fall(ing)

There’s something in the way she turns,
slicing the sunrays like a spurn
-ed lover,
only to spill them all
over the place.
Laughing, she lets them race
in a sparkling whirl,
till she has seen the last petal unfurl

And then, she just stands
in an obscure corner, wand
steady,
always ready,
knowing that when it starts to rain
she’ll be needed yet again

Homeward bound

The half told tale

is getting pale,

setting sail…

I’m left stranded

 

Your uncertain smile

is taking a while

to cover these miles…

I come away empty handed

 

My lonely heart,

weary from the start,

is done playing its part…

I have finally landed.

 

—————————-

In memory of a dear friend who, some time back, decided she had had enough of life.

Uncomplicate

When you see a curve approaching,
just twist out of the way
when trouble jumps out of nowhere,
bend low and save the day
when a cloud drifts within reach,
catch hold and don’t let go
when the moon rocks on her ivory throne,
dance with me, real slow

When the world is drenched in silence,
listen with a patient ear
to the beat of the wind
carrying the clamour of a thousand unspoken prayers

Not scary enough?

Hi all!

This week Trifecta gave us the following illustration and asked us to write 33 words on what happens next. Here’s my version of things-

Artist Credit: Dan Duford
(www.poisonedplayground.com)

‘Look Ma, ain’t i the scariest? Soon i shall be famous like you promised.’

‘Bah! Forget it Swampy! That silly whatsisname with the pumpkin face… He’s the talk of the town these days.’

The Hot Air Balloon

He thinks he’s so cool
But i’m nobody’s fool.
When we’re discussing birds and bees
He talks of apples and trees.
That might be okay too,
if he only knew
What not to say,
but he gets so carried away!

He’s done it more than once,
seems to jump at every chance
of putting his foot in his mouth,
from which point, things start heading south.

Like a hot air balloon
mistakenly cut loose,
he’s blissfully unaware
of his sorry state of affairs.

But don’t worry yourself in vain,
he shall fall and rise again.
And when talk turns to the apple tree
I shall politely tell him,
Lets agree to disagree.

Way-word phrases

Do these delicately arranged
words still remember
how to talk?
Stich together scattered phrases
then fall apart and run amok

Can they still take
wild flights of fancy
and tickle the brightest star?
Take one look at the bewitching moon
and crumble in a dazzling shower

I want to know if they can still seduce you,
tease you,
into an amoral dance.
Spin you into the wanton sunset,
then fold up and break the trance

Don’t they remember courting
and serenading
the reticent night?
Until the morning light…

Can they still draw music
from just a stick and stone?
I wonder if they’ve been numbed into silence
or simply lost their way home.

Fooling around

Underneath this whimsical sky
loop half-told tales and
honeyed tufts of lies.
Courting danger’s all well
and I won’t kiss and tell
but when you see
the clouds collide and topple,
Run!
Pell-mell.

————-
I wrote this for this week’s Trifextra ( and had a whole lot of fun writing it too!!)