Rising with the Falls

The rocks, silent and stoic 

Not ruffled by water gushing all around
Creating a ruckus, making loud noise 

Water, rushing down joyfully

Falling on stones waiting mournfully

Flowing hurriedly to lands unknown

The Discovering

Flooded out, hemmed in from all sides
Health, wealth, and people helplessly standing by

No more, no more, I begged
For how long will this go on, I cried

I flaunted all that I had,
I surrendered, throwing up my hands

Power, fame, friends, all deserted me
Even my shadow played hide and seek

My fortunes waned and waxed like the moon
Joys and sorrows alternated, leaving me in a swoon

Like the tide rising high and hitting the trough
My moods swung up and down on a bough 

Fighting the shackles I tore ahead, 
Drifting rudderless, I felt a dread

Neither here, nor there, I was
And yet everywhere scattered my thoughts

The balance sheet of life showed
There was much longer to go

The good times, yes, but the bad times too?
Will this ever end, I ask you!

Frustrated, I refuse to engage
Watching life go by, like a play

Strange that things still happen
And there is no agony that maddens

Like floating in water I go with the flow
And feel the return of my inner glow

Guided as it were into new journeys
Finding nuggets that shine even without seeking

What I would have grabbed now comes freely
For the joy is in the journey, not in acquiring

With hurdles or free, the path for me is born
To enjoy the flowers along with the thorns

There are no shackles but in the mind
Freedom that waits for me to find

Knowing this, I am at peace
Doing what must be done, and not to please.

The Balcony

It is an open space, meant to be enjoyed
But strangely, it is often met with annoyance

Neglected and forgotten, considered a waste of space
Shut out or sealed, converted into an enclosed niche 

Sometimes no bigger than a box
Even large ones are just a hoax

Finding best use for hanging clothes to dry
Or to house pots and plants myriad

Too much sun, no sights that give pleasure
Mosquitos galore, or just no time for leisure

Excuses many, result just one
Empty space hanging, used by almost none

No promise of memories, no friends lounging
Balustrades, that no hands are holding

Taking up precious real estate, some complain
And even the ones who love it stay away

Oh there, someone relaxing with a book
Finding in the balcony, a cosy nook

A cup of tea, eyes filled with dreams
Distracted by clouds, fanned by gentle breeze

Pausing mid-run to stand and stare
In a space that is a worthy spare.

 

In Pursuit of Happiness

The toys in the shop
Beckoned me to them
Promising me worlds
Unseen at home

Tantrums aplenty
Heartburns even more
I sought happiness
In things with allure

Toys changed form
Replacing what had just gone
And yet there was something more
That seemed beyond my zone

With wheels on my feet
I ran helter-skelter
Gathering and amassing
The more, the better

And I sought for things
Better and better!
And yet I felt
No contentment ever

Why should I?
When I deserve the best
And for things choicest
Continued my quest

Never a pause
Never a thought
Eyes seeking
Not shutting even after I got

I pause and look back
I think in wonder
Did I really journey
On those paths yonder?

Holding them to me
I don't remember
Did they make me happy?
I ask and ponder

I close my eyes
Let my mind wander
Searching keenly
For an answer

And then I sink
Into a state of bliss
Joyful and fresh
Like the first kiss

Nothing, no thing
In silence golden
Just me and myself
To nothing beholden

I find my fount
Sweet and everlasting
A tap I tap
To quench my thirsting

Nectar flows through my veins
I reach my end and thank my gains
Knowing this, I fly free
In pure happiness and unbridled glee.

It's You

In this world of boiling minds
If there is a cool centre, it's you

In this world of smouldering hearts, 
If there is a shining gem, it's you 

Stand Still

Do this, said one Swami 
Do that, said a Pandit
Do nothing, said the atheist
Do everything, said the fearful heart

Escaping The Cycle

One man stepped away
Another took his place
When none filled in
It was as if it has never been

The cycle goes on
Or not, who cares
And yet we fret 
Living constantly in regret

The Stoic Hills

The mighty mountains
Silent and still
Unwavering in the
Temperamental wind

Breaking Free

A house or two I bought and sold I also have some Diamonds and gold

A little money

I managed to save

Birthed endearing children

To call my name

Ups and downs

I have seen

A life fulfilling

It has been

Circular is its nature

That's what I believe

Give a little

And a lot you receive

Outside and inside

It is all the same

A body that separates

But in name

Thorns and roses

All a game

If you can just see

Beyond the stage

Currency valid

Only on earth

Not a cell will travel

After death

Only the essence

Extracted and fragrant

Wrappers shed, traveling

Probably like a vagrant

Returning, starting afresh

Confused and misled

Trapped yet again

In its vice grip

Till breaking free

Untied, unchained

Singing the song

Happiness regained.

Dispossessed

I carried you for 9 months, claims the mother
I carry you in my heart forever, contends the father
This has been with me for so many years, cries the owner
These are mine, claim we as our wealth we measure

True Love

In a journey
Of uncertain steps
You are the only certainty
From birth to death

With you
I come alive
When you leave
I die

Taller than the Tallest

The wave rose

Higher and higher

Triumphant, belligerent

Invincible, feeling confident

Higher and higher,

Striking in the hearts

Fear and wonder,

Inspiring awe

'Never seen such a one

Ever in my life!'

Gasped the people

With popping eyes.

Wonder acted like a string

Tying them, despite

Fear giving them wings

Ready any instant to fly

The wave rose to its peak

And then the fall began

It took many in its fold

But finally vanished without a sign

Though memories 

Of this and others

Higher and smaller

Before and after

Became legends 

To be repeated

Several times

Amplified, exaggerated

Of that wave or the others

There remained no sign

For they had merged forever

Into the vast ocean

Indistinguishable

From the field of waves

Attempting to achieve

Those heights great

Another will rise again

In its place, no doubt

But it will merge too

And remain but in thought

The fame and name

Last a little longer

But will that make

The wave immortal?

Then the name too

Will be forgotten

The tides of time

Erasing it forever after

But in everlasting hope

Rise again it does

And though dashed

On the cycle goes

Rise and fall

Is part of it all

And on and on

Go on, it shall

Till the water 

Seeks the depth 

And remains content

Basking in glory great.

The Whirling Circle

I stood outside the circle

A toe touching the rim

The flashing lights, the laughter

Joy filled up to the brim

The Kite

It touched the skies
Finally finding release
The kite, symbolising freedom
Flying beyond anybody's reach
Doing what it was meant to do

Fulfilling its purpose
On its own merit
With no one dictating terms!

The Temptress

The vivid colours and the beautiful sounds

Lure me, bind me to everything around

I stretch out and, with tiny fingers, grasp 

Relatives and friends, so many to clasp

I hold tight to things infinite

Believing they belong to me, indefinite

So much gold and diamonds to mine

Working hard to make them all mine

Showered with your kind abundance

I still seek wealth with no reluctance

How patiently you bear our abuse

Making us, even the heavens, refuse

All glittering, catching our eye

Entrapping us and satiating the 'I'

 

So that we come back again and again

Seeking pleasure, even if laced with pain

The other worlds we do not know of

You blind us to them by giving all we ask for

Food, lands, wealth and fame

Making us want to make a name

A mirage that moves as we do

With temptations many, you woo

So that we return again and again

For they all look like a great bargain

We seek nothing higher or spiritual

In the garb of a mother but really the seductress

Smothering us with things, so we remain

Fulfilling our needs in your domain

Knowing all that we get is left behind

Yet we come back again and again

There are but a few who escape you

Seeking and finding themselves anew

Till our eyes open after a hard fall

And strive hard to ignore your call

To drop it all and seek liberation

Seeing you from far with veneration 

I am wiser now, o mother mine

I revere you but have other paths to find

I loosen my grip so I may be free

Knowing it is all but a hazy dream.

Ode to Mother Earth

My feet work fast

My head in the air

Thoughts flying in all directions

Eyes observing everything there

The Amalgam

I rest on the floor, drop my weight
The physical, not insignificant
But the emotions, heavier
I feel them gravitate away

Unveiling

Captured in a shell
Separated but unaware
Connected through breath
Without thought or care

The Hiatus - Time to Break Out

Was it long or short?
Was there a break at all?

The words jumbled
Floating in mind's jungle
Wild and random
To be strung in a pattern.

Free At Last

It was a long road
I walked bare feet
Carrying some burdens
And memories sweet