Laughing with You

You tell me,

“Don’t do that.”

I reply,

“No. I will."

You sulk,

and you frown.

I smile.

Sure,

I will 

never do that.

You know 

I do all this drama

to see that

cute, little pout

your lips form.

And we laugh,

like we always do,

knowing

this will

go on

and on

and on,

my love.

Dreams, Dreams Everywhere

There are dreams.
Dreams like the earth.
They require patience,
they require perseverance.
Stick to them.
Be firm in them.
These are dreams of a long time.
A beautiful future.

There are dreams.
Dreams like the air.
Feel them.
Breathe them.
The very foundations of life they are.
Dreams that all of mankind has.
They'll exist forever.
For generations to come.

There are dreams.
Dreams like water.
Free-flowing by nature.
Fluid by structure.
Dreams that can be altered
based on the ups and downs of life.
Easy-going dreams.
Ever-evolving dreams.

There are dreams.
Dreams like the sky.
As high as 'high' can be.
As vast as 'vast' can be.
Endless horizons of greatness.
Unlockers of infinity.
Dreams of greater bliss.
Dreams of eternal joy.

And there are dreams.
Dreams like fire.
Those that engulf you.
Those that torment you.
Fires that have to be fought with fire.
Those that must be reduced to ashes
and dissolved in water-like dreams.

There are dreams.
There will be dreams.

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

What a Paradox!

A heart jumps in joy
when it finds the right girl.
Hope multiplies alarmingly;
dreams increase exponentially;
smiles keep blossoming continuously.

Rarely does a soul find
another soul with great similarities.
Isn't it natural for it
to feel elated then?

The soul pursued
talks about hope, optimism and chasing dreams.

The soul pursuing
thinks on the same line.

"Wow! What a match!"
thinks the innocent soul,
dwelling in dreams, hopes and positivities.
Less intense are the other soul's emotions.

And when the pursuing soul
utters words of love
to the pursued soul,
the latter shows no similar signs.

Rapidly flash
the earlier advice of hope
and mockingly laugh
the true state of things.

Ah ha!
What a paradox!

I Dreamt a Dream

I remember the teddy bear I sketched
when I was nine years old.
It held a tennis racquet in one hand
a ball in the other.
I felt proud on completing it.
I admired its beauty at length.

The sewing machine in the bedroom
holds evidence for my interest in verbal puzzles.
The scrambled letters of my father's name
scrawled on the wood in innocent, cursive writing
still brings a smile to my face.

My sister and I 'invented' our own language,
complete with a written script.
We sang songs of being cooks with 'theepettis'* in our hats.

We laughed heartily when she sang,
"Run, run, run
for a bun, bun, bun.
You'll have fun, fun, fun
if you run, run, run
for the bun, bun, bun."

I remember winning essay competitions;
donning the roles of Tiruvalluvar, Shylock,
Puck and Tenali Raman in school plays;
playing the flute for the school orchestra;
being a part of the school choir.

Little did I know
I'd be writing this particular poem.
But I dreamt I'll become a poet some day.
I told myself
I'd become a better poet.

Till date,
I've been tirelessly working on it.

* - matchboxes