Star Arts

"What company would I,
a solitary wanderer, have
when I decide to travel
the length and breadth of the world?
The day is the best for exploration
while night is the time for rest.

What would I,
a solitary wanderer, do
when my travel begins in the night?
When darkness engulfs the earth,
taking light away from lives.
What's the point in travelling then?"

With questions such
in the mind,
I embarked on a night journey,
very much disappointed
there was no beauty to behold.

But recline did I on my seat;
open did I the bus' window;
look up did I at the sky;
fly did my heart away from me.

I felt the same fascination
that made Mozart say,
"Twinkle, twinkle little star"
and made him wonder what it was.

I realized the beauty of the word
'vinmeen' -
like a school of fish swimming in the sea
stars infinite glittered on the vast sky.

With whatever knowledge I have -
a drop of water in a mighty ocean -
I tried to identify constellations.
How do I describe them?
The traditional Tamil 'kolam' taken higher
or
God's way of playing 'connect the dots'?

When I could figure out nothing
in the mad cluster of super hot balls of gases,
Orion appeared and gave me relief -
the kind a mother gets
on finding her lost kid in a fair.

What extent of awe strikes
when you see in person
what you once beheld in
just pictures and videos!

I was, like a madman,
laughing to myself.
The strong gust of wind
threatened to expose
my 'recession' to my neighbour,
the constant upward curve of my mouth
threatened to expose my madness.
But did I give a damn?
Or have I ever?

The beauty of day
lies in the clouds;
the beauty of night
lies in the stars.
Did the beauty of day
envy the beauty of night?
Why did the clouds,
with their foggy veil,
cover the stars?
Wow! Nature has emotions too!

And when the overdose of ecstasy,
borne out of constant stargazing, kicked in,
I wanted to share it with someone.

Who else is the ideal choice
other than the one who's a star's namesake herself?
A star in her own right!
How I wished
she were with me then
and were creating 'heavenly' shapes
like John Nash and Alicia did!

I experienced a brief burst
of love and hope.
My mind wandered
into the philosophical realm too.

I was beginning to understand
what 'contemplating the universe'
really means.

Made in Heaven

Hearts, two in number,
Are connected together.
Priceless are the tearful smiles on your parents' faces.
Prepare yourself for the lifelong journey
You have embarked on through this eternal bond.

"Man came first, woman came next"
And other old wives' tales chauvinists spread.
Read not such stories, read not such text.
Refrain from the fallacies those bigots said.
In joy and sorrow hold hands tight.
Even doubts must doubt whether to enter your minds.
Drink from the ocean of love to see how beautifully life unwinds.

Let truth and honesty always be on your side.
Intimacy unparalleled must exist between you.
Fall in love continuously with
Each other every day, each and every day.


Note: Something I wrote for Surekha akka's (Suresh Padmaraj's sister) wedding. Wish you a happy married life, akka! :)

Vinayam

My mind beams with pride,
my heart leaps with joy.
I'm becoming the man
I was predicted to be.

I'm a trusted friend,
I'm a lovable mate.
I know I'm valued
for the good qualities in me.

I've been given many a gift
by the Lord Almighty.
I still count my blessings
for giving me both hardships and strength.

I'm bound to achieve more.
I'm bound to fly higher.
I'm bound to dream more and more.
I'm bound to make them real.

No matter what goals I achieve,
no matter what heights I reach,
no matter how famous I become,
no matter how much greatness I obtain

I want not vanity
but loads of Humility.
For I must do justice to my name,
and not be a tragic irony.

Without Any Regrets

The day was good;
I had a wonderful time.
Concerts, plays, movies -
spending a lot of time with my friends.

I don't miss home;
I don't feel lonely.
There is not an instance of sorrow.
There is no fear, but only hope for morrow.

I'm ecstatic almost always.
For unending joy, I've found all ways.
My life is full of laughter and smiles.
But I do realize there are many more miles.

I can't kill hope,
I can't kill love
though pain and grief
are their close friends.

I want to remember you
like the air I breathed yesterday -
transient, vital,
yet painless when it left me.

Don't become one with the air anymore.
I don't want to let you in again.
Fly away,
fly away to an unknown place.

I don't want you to appear
in the montage of my sub-conscious thoughts -
my dreams -
when I want to enjoy every second of my wakeful sleep.

I don't want to be moved to tears
when I read Tagore's love poems.
I don't want to remember you
when I encounter anything even remotely related to love.

All I want is
to be able to look into
the eyes of 'the one'
without any regrets.

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.