Sparks and Springs

With a spark in the eyes
and a spring in the step,
I begin the day
with cheer and glee.

The numerous glances in the mirror,
the fresh deo paintings on the body,
the wrinkle-free shirt and the well-trimmed beard
reflect my will to seize the day.

The tender touch of the morning breeze,
the warm blanket of the glowing sun,
the resonating laughter of the jolly good roommate
prolong the cheer and newborn glee.

You're always a part of my conversations.
In fact, you're the heart of my conversations.
Yours is a recurring role in my TT* dreams.
Your thoughts accompany the many cones of ice creams.

What is life
sans crushes and soft corners?
Though some men are content
with just wet dreams and boners.

Still, the magic of love works overtime
when the very thought of you
makes me begin the day
with a spark in the eyes
and a spring in the step.

* - Table Tennis

Hope

Despite being greeted "Good day" by
an unbearable load of agony,

Despite knowing some dreams are out of reach
like the greedy fox that wanted grapes,

Despite seeing so many efforts shatter into pieces
like ceramic caressing concrete,

Despite enduring unexpected acts of betrayal
with a slight smile and stoic silence,

Despite wetting the pillow
with tears as sacred as blood,

Man goes to sleep
when his mind tells his heart
"Tomorrow is another day."

True strength - strong truth.

To Kill an Undying Love

Trying to kill an undying love.
All my efforts go in vain
and I end up feeling much more pain.

It is after all the love
that made me write
poems of love,
poems of hope,
poems of perseverance
and poems of depression.

I love this love:
it brought the best out of me.
I love this love:
it showed my self to me.

But it hurts to see it drown unrescued.
It hurts to see it go down unrequited.

I valued the person
who didn't value my heart.
Ironically, it's the same person
who beautified my art.

I saw my dreams turn beautiful
with her inclusion.
I saw those dreams turn into nightmares
with her exclusion.

My sanity asks to hope no more,
while my insanity wants to hope more and more.

Seventeen months
and three heartbreaks later,
I'm still
trying to kill that undying love.

One Man's Duet

Do you sense
the presence of my love
as often as
I sense
the absence of yours?

Do you think of me
as much as
I think of you?

Well, do you even think of me?

I'm sure you care for me.
Yes, you do care for me
like you care for a roadside puppy.
"Awww.. So cute!" - when you encounter it.
"Which puppy?" - when you are away.

And why on earth
am I running behind you,
wagging my tail?

Is it because
I'm capable of great love
or is it because
I want your love?

I don't mind running.
But I'm running on a one-way track
that has no destination.

I still want to hope,
I still want to love,
But I keep discovering
it's still a one man's duet.

I keep saying, "Good bye."
I keep asking myself, "What's the point?"
But then, do I really know
why I fell in love with you?

The Sea Sees

The sea sees many a wave
rising, falling and crashing
on the shore.

The sea sees many a bird
embracing life by
flapping their wings.

The sea sees many a ship
that either sail smooth
or sink to the lowest depths.

The sea sees many a person
who are happy, standing near it
and unhappy elsewhere.

The sea sees many a star
that tirelessly twinkle
and continue to light up an
otherwise sombre night.

The sea sees everything.
But the sea stands still
most of the time.

Return and Retreat

I go far ahead
and come back to you
like the waves
crash on the shore
and return to the sea.

Railway Station Ramblings

Anxious passengers
await
the arrival of their trains.

Bothersome salesmen
bark
to find buyers for their biriyani.

Carefree children
cry and whine
for the chocolates they didn't get.

'Dashing dudes'
develop tactics
to dazzle a prospective 'darling'.

Everyone is engaged
in some enterprise
or the other.

Some people alone
continue to sleep
even in the presence of light;
even in the presence of awakening light.


P.S: The last verse is a tribute to Robert Graves's poem "She Tells Her Love While Half Asleep"
Click here to read that poem.