Themeltingpot

N.O.T.

2012-01-17T03:00:00.000-08:00

You are not here.
Not now.
You were never.
I was wrong then.
Wrong now.
And forever.
This is it.
For now.
For then.
Forever.

P.R.I.C.E.L.E.S.S.

2011-12-26T03:03:00.001-08:00

If I had a palace,
I would sell it,
For one moment of solace with you.
If I had money,
I would buy with it,
All the time to spend with you honey.
If I owned the sky,
I would hide the sun,
So that when you are with me, time does not fly.
But I only have a single penny,
And that is not enough dough.
But if you could just turn back and look once in my eyes,
I would let you rob me and go.

(Inspired by Priceless-the movie:))

S.T.O.P.P.E.D.

2011-12-08T03:35:00.000-08:00

I miss you.
And I am not saying this,
Because you are gone.
It’s because I have stopped,
While the world goes on.
And what stopped me dead in my tracks?
It was how while leaving, you turned around and looked back.
Because what I saw in your eyes,
Was your wish to stay on, though it was time to say goodbye.

B.E.Y.O.N.D.

2011-11-24T08:37:00.000-08:00

Beyond everything,
Beyond everyone,
Is love my friend.
Let's not get into it,
If you are only free on weekends.

T.H.E.N.

2011-11-08T06:00:00.000-08:00

When will you know,
it was meant to be me?
You keep on winding yourself,
And I go on setting you free.
You wait for the one,
while I act like none.
But at some point,
you will see what has to be seen.
Myabe then you will know,
who else could it have been?

(Inspired by crazy stupid love-the movie:))

P.E.N.A.N.C.E.

2011-10-11T21:18:00.000-07:00

You have gone, and left a void.
A void which no one else can fill.
All I am left with is some fading memories.
And a hell of a lifetime to kill.

Now when I lie alone in bed,
I think of times I could not be there.
My only penance is a daily struggle,
To remember all your words which I did not hear.

W.A.I.T.I.N.G.

2011-09-30T01:04:00.000-07:00

Somewhere a bond had snapped.
Some days you were gone.
Somewhere the clock ticked,
Some days I just looked on.

Sometimes I heard a knock.
Sometimes you were back.
Sometimes I suffered like a rock.
Sometimes I felt trapped.

Now you are here.
Now I feel I can't have enough of you.
Sometimes I look at the ticking clock.
But mostly I look at you.

P.R.O.O.F.

2011-09-20T01:45:00.000-07:00

I know you are thinking,
of what this cannot be.
But I am thinking,
of what this could have been.

And herein lies the difference,
between you and me.
You don't get into what you can’t see,
And I believe in what can’t be seen.

B.R.I.N.G. I.T. O.N.

2011-09-07T10:37:00.000-07:00

You told me that I gave you the feeling that I have been to extremes. And now I am slowly coming back to life. You were a part stranger and a part acquaintance-but you shocked me. How could you know? Did I give you the vibes that I am concealing some deep dark secrets inside the sombre me? I smiled…If only you knew what I have been through, you can begin to understand me…if only you understood me you can begin to imagine what it was to be me….And then when you have formed some kind of an idea about me, come back….we will talk then because then you would be at a level to really really connect with me….

Because then you will realize to what still waters do I owe my calm to….to what storms do I owe the cuts on my soul….what were the winds that battered me…what were the flames that burned me….which mountains did I bang into to become so bull headed…which seas did I drown in to become so unafraid of dying…who were those who disenchanted me to make me so cynical…who were those who kicked me hard enough to wake me up from my death-like sleep….who were those-those few who melted me with their softness and then disappeared….forever leaving me thirsty for a nectar hard to find in today’s world….

You see darling, I was not born of all things sweet like honey and sugar…I haven’t led a cottony cocooned existence like you….I did not have the luxury of preserving my softness as long as I wanted….I had to pawn it for survival…I did not have the privilege of locking up my purity in a nice silver chest with a key…I had to bloody well soil it with every inch of grime in this world…And you would say now that I am not alone in my struggle…I did have the option to save myself as much as possible….

But sugar, what life would I have lived if I had not fought half of what I have….if I had not failed…If had not struggled and floundered…I had not bruised and drowned…If I had not gambled and lost….If I had not trusted and cheated of it….If I had not loved and hurt….Would you have noticed me if I had half the cuts I have on my soul….I am not coming back to life as you say…I have lived a hell of a life…I am just coming back with all my cuts and courage to what you people call civilization….I have stayed alone enough to learn what I wanted to…to become the man I am today…I am coming back to enjoy the company of those who have seen the other half of this world….the half made of all things sweet…like honey and sugar…like you sweetheart…to see if your sweetness can half as much match the sweetness of my soul’s struggle in solitude…

So bring on your innocence my love…and all things good about you…and I shall bring on my fractured trust and scathed purity….and then we will see if we both stand a chance together to create the other half of our lives….

(Inspired by an innocent question on a crowded road.)

N.O.W. W.H.A.T?

2011-09-06T08:55:00.000-07:00

Now what?
Will you break me?
Beyond the point of repair?
Or do an about turn and be my unanswered prayer?
Now what?
Will you be another face in the crowd?
Or buck the eternal trend,
And for once do me proud?
Now what?
Will you run?
Or is it still a long haul,
Before I finally won?
Now nothing, my friend.
It's time you choose.
Will you be my infallible God?
Or just another temporary muse?

(Inspired by Glen Hansard's "when your mind's made up"-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MgPqYKG2y4)

N.O. N.O.

2011-08-18T07:39:00.000-07:00

Yes everything good can blow,
In case you didn’t know.
Yes your best laid plan,
Can be a no show.
Yes they all can hurt you,
When you didn’t think so.
Yes you could be fate's next game,
And you might have no where to go.
Yes you might think you had it all,
Till all you are left with is a zero.
Yes life's not fair,
And love's not everywhere.
Yes the fights are too long,
And everyday is not a song.
Yes it's easy to give in,
When everything around is wrong.
Yes you can fade away,
And no one might even know.
But as far as I am concerned love,
I am not letting you go.
Because I have chosen to love you,
From all the people I know.
And you might be tempted in a moment of weakness,
To disbelieve me and go.
But trust me love, how much ever you try,
No matter what, this time I am not taking a no.

(Inspired by sheer innocence and the urge to protect it.)

Y.E.S.

2011-06-27T08:55:00.000-07:00

Yes, there shall be a heaven,
Which shall be yours and mine.
Yes, there shall be a time,
When the sun would constantly shine.
Yes, there shall be a moment,
When everything else would be left behind.
Yes, we both shall be there,
Together at the finishing line.
Yes, there will be mountains,
On our way, to be climbed.
Yes, there shall be moments,
Of despair and sorrow.
Yes, there shall be dark nights,
Seemingly with no tomorrows.
Yes, you shall feel the need to give in,
Thinking I am no where in sight.
But do not, my beloved.
Say yes, to every fight.
And hold on to our love tight.
Because the moment you feel,
Everything has gone wrong,
I will be there.
To set every wrong right.
To banish every night.
Yes, the fog is dense,
And the end is no where near.
But walk into it bravely my love,
Because where the fog ends, I am standing right there.

(Inspired by a Yes:))

R.I.P.

2011-06-02T07:22:00.000-07:00

Yes you did try,
To hold your head high.
And when you failed,
You silently cried.
But I must give it to you,
That after a gloomy night,
You let out a sigh,
And were back to fight.
You fought with your soul,
Though you lost it all.
But who can ever foretell,
What lies at the bend?
You can only fight till your death,
When to battles you are sent.
As you lie there peacefully,
My long lost friend.
All I can pray silently is,
RIP-My Innocence.

O.N. A.N.D. O.N.

2011-04-26T08:16:00.000-07:00

And I have gone round and round.
Across your lofty mountains.
Through your green valleys.
Waded through your lakes.
Glided through your misty air.
I have been everywhere.
Looking for you.
From peak to peak.
From shore to shore.
From one road to the other.
I walk on and on.
Thinking someday when I am done,
I will find you waiting at that point,
Where it all began.
It is but another dream,
Which might not come true.
But I am holding on to it,
As long as it gets me through.

(Inspired by my escapade to Sikkim.)

B.I.U.T.I.F.U.L.

2011-02-16T03:00:00.000-08:00

Broken and twisted.
Used and abused.
Taken for rides.
Dropped from heights.
Plunged in depths.
Cut and bruised.
Hurt and hurtled.
Pushed and shoved.
Cheated and spurned.
Left disenchanted.
And still they smile.
Like a thousand suns.
And still they love,
Like no other one.
And still they fight,
Till all is done.
And still they laugh,
Brimming with fun.
And still they hope,
All wrongs will be undone.
Beautiful people do not just happen.
It takes a lifetime to be one.

(Inspired by Talya-http://talyalee.tumblr.com/page/4)

D.I.S.P.L.A.C.E.M.E.N.T.

2011-01-31T09:00:00.000-08:00

Displacement.

The shortest distance between two points.
The longest distance between two souls apart.
Hearts breathe through phone calls and emails.
Life goes from reality to virtuality.
Love blooms through clicks and emoticons.
Two souls in love progress to become onscreen icons.

Tears and joys are conveyed to be felt.
Physical presence becomes a luxury.
Only to be indulged in when the cost of flying falls down.
We live through separate emotions in different time zones.
You feel lonely in your night and I feel uneasy in my day.
I shut out the light when I talk to you.
Hoping I will feel in the same way.
Blacking out all colors from my life.
In the effort to make you stay.

Walk lonely through streets and places.
Trying to find you in sundry faces.
Feel like giving in to the urge of one night stand.
An invisible chain grabs me by my hand.
And leads to me my lonesome apartment.
And I find you waiting online.
Eager to hear how was my day.
I tell you how I so much wanted to go astray
Because I am missing the human touch.
You understand all of it.
And cry more and not say much.

Night passes into another day.
We go on talking this way.
Trying to forge connections through an optical fiber.
When all I want to do is lie down beside her.
This goes on till we both can stretch.
Then one day I press the button disconnect.
And walk away as far as possible
To know what has been gnawing at my heart.
Can I live without her in the real?

H.O.W. M.U.C.H.?

2011-01-24T22:53:00.000-08:00

How long will you wait?
How shall you weigh?
How much will you twist it?
Or tweak it to suit some scale?
How much will you test it?
How long will you disapprove?
How much will you contort it?
And all because you have a silly point to prove.
How much more will you impurify it?
And muddle it with figments of your imagination?
How much will you reduce it?
In proportion to your time and inclination.
Who could ever understand it?
Or say how much was enough?
This is love.
Let it be if you can’t be it.
It’s only for the tough.

(For all the small things in life.)

O.N.C.E.

2010-12-20T08:43:00.000-08:00

You will have to hold my hands,
and trust me that I will lead you on.
You will have to work with me,
be it dusk or dawn.
You will have to rough it out,
and together we will move on.
I am not promising you roses,
or a life lived in silk sheets.
We will have to go through grime,
through dust and scalding heat.
I will be tired and broken,
and there will be days you would not want to stand me.
You will have to believe in my love for you,
and work a little hard to understand me.
And this hardship,you might resist,
but beloved I would still persist.
Because without each other,
we might as well not exist.
For what kind of life would that be,
wherein for once you did not feel?
That everything else was worthless,
Love and only love was the greatest deal.

S.I.G.N.S.

2010-11-21T04:24:00.000-08:00

I have been standing in lines,
for a really long time.
I have been looking for them,
The so called right signs.
I have been playing this game,
all through like I know.
And I have constantly let this idea grow.
It may not be in me to know your moves.
And it may not be in my hands what I choose.
All I know is now I wont go slow.
The answers I am looking for are no where in sight.
And maybe the ones I find might not be right.
But the voices in my head are slowly dying down.
And mostly what I can hear is one solid sound.
That's my heart beating loudly when you are around,
I know it's still a long shot to the end.
But I am willing to wait my life for the moment,
When you shall stay and buck the trend.

(Inspired by Love in the times of Cholera and love in general:))

A. H.U.N.D.R.E.D. M.I.L.E.S.

2010-11-09T08:12:00.000-08:00

I AM SO PROUD TO BE READ BY YOU.THANKYOU FOR CHOOSING ME OVER BILLION OTHER PEOPLE ON THE PLANET.

(My 100th post:))

Y.O.U.

2010-10-02T10:18:00.000-07:00

And through the whole wide world I flew,
As if that's all I had to do.
I wandered over everything new,
And learnt things I never knew.
Alone over moutains,
I mused when I could.
Over oceans far and deep,
I stood still when I could.
I had a little peep,
Through all those forests deep.
I glided over sand,
Of deserts and shores alike.
I was always on the move,
Like those riders on their bikes.
And in all those solitary moments,
Which I can say were not few,
I realized I had to come back,
I had to come back to you.
And so I headed home,
Thinking all the way through,
I had to go around the whole world,
Just to say-I love you.

(Inspired by Lorrie Loft,Jurong Bird Park)

H.I.G.H. S.T.R.U.N.G.

2010-08-23T08:36:00.000-07:00

And though it would have been extra ordinary,
Had I known what was meant to be?
But God changed designs at the last moment,
And blew up the kingdom of dreams in glee.
A circle here, a line there,
And he drew another plot.
Dismantling things I wanted,
And assembling things I understood not.
I try to guess his moves,
He constantly changes hues.
When I choose to play along,
He deftly changes the song.
Sometimes I wonder when will it get clear?
And when will we both realize?
Who out of us is on strings?
And who is the puppeteer?

M.E. A.N.D. Y.O.U. A.N.D. B.O.O.

2010-08-05T07:29:00.001-07:00

Me and you and a dog named Boo,
Walk the streets in the morning dew.
Sometimes we talk, sometimes we don’t,
Sometimes ask fellow walkers,” How do you do?”
The walks may be long,
The walks may be short.
The talks may be interesting or maybe not,
The walkers may respond or may not.
But every morning in the dew,
It’s me and you and a dog named Boo.

(Inspired by a dream,a dog,and a friend:)

U.S.

2010-07-28T11:12:00.000-07:00

In your sweet nothings,
I will try to find you.
Through words unspoken between us,
I will try to remind you.
When you are battered by life's trappings,
I will try to unwind you.
It may not be easy,
But I will be around you.
Walking through all our choices,
Making way through all consequences,
All I ask you is to trust me,
And I promise to be always behind you.

(Inspired by the thought of togetherness.)

J.O.I.E. D.E. V.I.V.R.E.

2010-07-13T07:25:00.000-07:00

This is the moment when you shall find me.
This is the moment when nothing shall bind me.
There will be a smile playing on my face.
And I would have put all regrets behind me.

You will be laughing with me loud.
And I would be shouting out aloud.
My soul will soar in the blue skies,
And for once they will be devoid of dark clouds.

My senses will feel everything worth feeling.
My eyes will see everything worth seeing.
In that one moment when you will touch me through,
I will experience the unbearable lightness of being!

(Inspired by this beautiful shot and the wonderful time at Anand's party.)

T.H.E. E.N.D.

2010-07-05T08:57:00.000-07:00

Since there is no more light;
As this was the last fight.
Since there are no more decisions;
As this was the end of your season.
Since there is nothing to prove;
As there is nothing to defend.
Since there is no left or right;
As this is where the road ends.
This is the end of your grief.
This is the termination of your sorrow.
All you have to do my friend is-
Go kill yourself and have a wonderful tomorrow.

T.I.L.L. T.H.E.N.

2010-06-22T06:52:00.000-07:00

That time shall come,
When the mist will clear.
That time shall come,
When you will be near,
That time shall come,
When the road would end.
That time shall come,
When there would be no bends.
That time shall come,
When all peaks would have been scaled.
That time shall come,
When all demons would have been flailed.
That time shall come,
When you will finally know.
That time shall come,
When you would want no more.
And till the time, this fog disappears,
Hold on to yourself, dear.
For I can see a light through it,
A light that shall bring cheer.

H.O.M.E.

2010-06-04T08:07:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you have to leave the daily grind,
And go far back,
To find the peace you left behind.
Sometimes you have to get down,
From the lofty thoughts in your head,
And cuddle those old toys in your bed.
Sometimes to find your space,
You have to retrace,
That old path down the memory lane.
Sometimes it's best to admit,
That though you did not think so ,
But it's always good to be home again.

A.N.S.W.E.R.S.

2010-05-23T03:10:00.000-07:00

So you keep on eluding me,
Thinking I will walk on water for you.
So you succeeded in befuddling me,
And I am still a lonely trotter for you.
I have gone far and wide,
To find you.
I have almost put everything material,
Behind you.
And now tired from this endless chase,
I am taking off my shoes.
Unquenched I am still,
But I am shaking off my blues.
Now I shall not run after you mindlessly,
I am retreating to my solitary haunt silently.
You have the choice to walk in through my door,
And reveal yourself for once and all.
Or you can choose not to come,
And I would have gotten over you by the fall.

(Inspired by answers that did not come.)

T.O. T.H.E. H.E.A.V.E.N. I. S.A.W.

2010-05-16T03:43:00.000-07:00

I may not come back,
To the gates of heaven.
I may not come back,
And be humbled by your vastness.
I may not come back,
To be drowned in your blues.
I may not come back,
To be dyed in your hues.
I may not come back,
To be snowed upon in your deserts.
But where ever I shall be,
I will remember your towering whites,
I will remember your deep blues,
I will remember how you humbled me silently,
By standing there for ages and asking no dues.
So I may not come back,
To lose myself again.
But whenever I am battling hell,
I will remember how your mountains stood silently,
How your waters flew so gently,
And that's all you had to do to make me sane.

(Inspired by Leh, Pangong, and humility.)

O.N.E. A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. T.H.I.N.G.

2010-05-04T00:38:00.000-07:00

I was hurt-very vulnerable, broken, and confounded. Would I be able to survive and not fall down into a deep pit of desperation and meaningless existence? He was leaving without a reason. He tried to explain but it did not make a difference. Is there ever a right a reason for smashing a heart and cracking it open to bleed? He had stated a decision and walked away, leaving me rooted to deal with the aftermath.

I stood there transfixed. My feet of lead would not move. His words had carved me in stone. And then slowly my tears started flowing, lacerating my wounds. I did not want to create a spectacle in public. So I started walking back; silently crying on my way back to the hotel. I did not know when it happened. A hand solidly clasped my hand and filled the spaces between my fingers. I looked at the face of my best friend. He walked me back like that without saying a word. And I did not die on the way.

(A short story inspired by trust:))

O.N.L.Y. Y.O.U.

2010-04-27T07:54:00.000-07:00

No sheen, No shine.
No glam, No sham.
No glimmer, No gloss.
No candy floss.
No layers, No hides.
No faces, No sides.
No twists, No turns.
No plots, No games.
When you think it's time,
For you to be mine.
Let go-of all your hues.
Come to me as only you.
If you can’t be you,
If you can’t be true,
Baby walk away.
Maybe I will see you some other day.

H.E.A.T.

2010-04-22T04:08:00.000-07:00

When will you reach for me?
And light up the dead fires?
When will you drench me?
And arouse dormant desires.
I have been waiting for a long long time,
Trying all this while not to tire.
It’s high time you shook me from slumber,
And set my soul on fire.
I have been numb for too long,
Burn me up, like a desert on fire.

S.T.A.R.S. O.F. T.H.E. N.I.G.H.T.

2010-04-17T00:50:00.000-07:00

I count the stars,
While waiting for the sun,
There are millions to spend the night with,
I am still waiting for the one.
The night becomes poisoned,
And the aching strong,
Something in this wait,
Seems completely wrong.
Yet when dawn breaks,
And I wake up in light,
The night is a distant memory,
The day is just right.
I look at the sun,
And smile in delight.
Yes he is the one,
Though he may not set all things right.
And somewhere far, all those stars,
Go on with their job of soothing restless souls in the night,
Knowing well the eyes fixed on them are doped,
And they will be conveniently forgotten by the morning light.

W.I.N.

2010-04-08T22:22:00.000-07:00

Drenched in fatigue,
From toe to chin,
Gasping for success,
When chances are thin,
Living in darkness,
And dreaming of sun,
Razed to the ground,
Aiming for the sky,
Fallen a thousand times,
Wounded, but never cried,
All are reminders,
Of a race well run,
And I will forget,
All the chances that were thin,
All those days without the sun,
All the scratches on my shins,
All I need is one more win.

T.H.E. F.O.U.N.T.A.I.N.

2010-03-30T00:20:00.000-07:00

Behind the mountain,
Is the fountain,
The fountain of life,
Whose waters I want to drink.
But there’s no easy way,
Through the mountain,
Neither a magic potion,
That can make the mountain shrink.
I am thirsty like stranded in a desert,
And out of all choice,
I can hear the music of water,
Or is it an imaginary voice?
There’s no way but forward,
Cutting through the rocky bed,
And by the time I reach the other side,
Will that fountain stand?
Yet I can’t wait,
For waiting more means I die,
I have to cut harder in the hope,
My fountain is not a lie.
If I cut through all the muck,
And find it soaring high,
I think I will smile as I get under it,
And then maybe cry.
And in case I reach ashore,
To find it was a lie,
I guess I will still love my fountain,
Because for all it was or was not-it at least made me try.

(Inspired by- http://vimeo.com/1711302)

I.N. S.O.M.E. T.I.M.E.

2010-03-26T07:34:00.000-07:00

In some time,
I shall understand,
Why it was right.
And when I do that,
I shall understand,
I don’t have to fight.
Maybe when I stop,
I shall understand,
All from the start.
And when I reach the end,
I shall understand,
What made me depart?
And when I know,
I shall understand,
What kept me tough on the long and tortuous path?
It's only then,
I shall understand,
It was you-in the softest corner of my heart.

..............................................

2010-03-16T21:17:00.000-07:00

If there’s one memory,
That I want more,
It is of watching you,
Waiting for me at the door.
You are gone,
I stand at the threshold; where your memories galore.
I don’t think I can go in.
I shut my heart; I lock that door.
You will be there wherever I go.
But for the moment you are no more.
All I have is a memory store.
And if there’s one memory,
That I want more,
It is of watching you,
Waiting for me at the door.

M.A.Y.B.E.

2010-03-06T22:27:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I wonder,
Why I choose to fight.
He smiles condescendingly;
To my utter dismay,and his pure delight.
"Because you are a woman,
And you can set most things right."

(Inspired by the thought of Maybe...)

I. S.H.A.L.L. N.O.T.

2010-02-23T06:17:00.000-08:00

I shall not give up my faith,
Even if He closes all of heavens' gates.
I shall not give up my fight,
Even if He shines no shining light.
I shall not surrender,
Even if He tears me asunder.
I shall not sell my soul,
Even if He offers all.
I shall not shy from pain,
Even if all my efforts are in vain.
I shall not sit and cry,
No matter how hard He tries.
I shall not stop believing in love that's pure,
Though a thousand times my pleas He may ignore.
I shall not give up on winning,
Even if all my hopes are thinning.
I shall not go down without a fight,
Even if I run out of all my might.
I know the path is lost, and courage left is naught.
And even though His sharp blade is cutting into my throat,
Right till the moment I can stand on my feet,
I shall not; I shall not accept any defeat.

(Inspired by Invictus and bullshit.)

M.Y. N.A.M.E. I.S. K.H.A.N.

2010-02-12T10:50:00.000-08:00

Sometimes, trying is more important.
Even if things can’t be changed.

Sometimes, making an effort is necessary.
Even if the world is deranged.

Sometimes, stands need to be taken.
Even if they might not count.

Sometimes, views need to be voiced.
Even if they are not heard as such.

Sometimes, systems need to be shaken.
Even if they might not cause a flutter.

Sometimes, bystanders need to speak up.
Even if it's no more than a mutter.

Sometimes, questions need to be asked.
Even if no answers are guaranteed.

Sometimes, you have to make them try and understand.
Even if they may not pay heed.

There are things we can never make right.
Even if we try our best.

But there are things we can still fight.
If we wake up in time for the test.

His name is Khan, he has thrown some light.
Now we have to figure, what could we set right?

(Provoked by SRK's stand.)

T.H.E. C.H.A.S.E.

2010-01-20T07:06:00.000-08:00

Chasing you.
In circles and triangles.
Through unknown terrains.
Fooling myself and senses,
That you are for me to attain.

Decoding laws.
Oblivious to your flaws.
Blind to my weaknesses.
Over ambitious about my plans.
I dream to believe I can.

And it all comes to a likely end.
You leave me in a daze,
For you have some one else to chase.
Fate wins the race,
The road ends at the bend.

And so life comes to a halt,
For some time.
No one's doing, no one's fault.
And once again I question the truth sublime,
Who the hell is John Galt?

(Inspired by Ayn Rand’s John Galt and chasing.)

G.O.D's O.W.N.

2010-01-09T07:11:00.000-08:00

Floating.
Weightless on a sea of dreams.
Stillness.
Holding me in a world of green.
Nirvana.
Pervades me in a land so calm.
Numbness.
Enveloping me like a balm.
Endless.
Blue skies that stretch on and on.
Bliss.
Encountered in moments that linger on.
Smiles.
Shining their torches all around.
Fun.
Unadulterated and without bounds.
Connections.
Some lost, some found.
Peace.
Minus all surround sound.
A land where the sun always shone.
A country akin to an unwind zone.
Now I know why it's God's own.

(Inspired by a sojourn to God's Own Country.)

L.O.S.S.

2009-12-13T05:50:00.000-08:00

All your words,
Worth their weight in gold.
All the times we spent together,
And grew old.
All those moments where I blindly trusted you,
And closed my eyes.
Thinking that's you in real,
And not some disguise.
All those doubts,
That I put to rest.
Thinking you would give me nothing else,
But only your best.
And you chose to walk away,
Without an inkling of remorse.
Putting my faith to test,
Leaving me clueless in a forest dense.
I thought you were my sunshine,
To stare the clouds of gloom away.
But you led me to my loss of innocence,
And I grow cold every day.

(For friends who chose to walk away-fondly remembered.)

U.H.M.M.M......

2009-11-19T09:55:00.000-08:00

Like a breath of fresh air,
You waltz into my life.
Incredibly sexy, incredibly smart,
Oh the games you play with my heart!
You dazzle me like a diva.
I feel like a retard.
How many depths do you have,
I am trying to know.
Every drink you down,
Gives you more glow.
Amazed at how you are you,
I am letting you in all through.
Maybe you are posing,
Maybe it's true.
But it's a secret I cannot contain,
Damn!I am in love again!

(Inspired by Something's gotta give!)

N.O.S.T.A.L.G.I.A.

2009-11-19T03:10:00.000-08:00

Unannounced they creep,
On the walls of your defences.
Perpetrating a slow subjugation,
Of all your vital senses.
Sucking out your happiness,
Collected painstakingly over a period of time.
Leaving you heartless, empty,
Like a dark room without sunshine.
All you can do is stand,
Somehow survive the onslaught.
And see them reduce your desires to a naught.
And when they have left you broken,
You go back to picking the pieces.
Some part of you can be restored, some is lost.
Good Memories.
When they attack, you better watch.

I. A.M. N.O.T. Y.O.U.R. B.A.B.Y.

2009-09-01T07:29:00.000-07:00

I am not your baby.
The other one was maybe.
If you think buying me a beer,
Is going to get me near,
Little hearted Romeo,
For you I will shed a tear.
Maybe you should try to come clean,
Only then your heart will I glean.
Maybe you should try to be more of a man,
Maybe you should try to show all that you can,
Maybe you should risk it for once and all,
Maybe you should throw away your pettiness,
And in full light stand tall.
It’s a game I have played over and over again.
The players change, the stakes are the same.
Maybe you should do away with your fast cars and money.
How about showing me what are you made of, honey?
If you cant play with me a games that's fair,
Don’t bother showing up, stay in your lair.
It's the same old game, of betrayal and lies,
How about a shot at being some one nice?
If you can’t be the truth I am looking for,
Let's call it quits for some time.
I will come back to you, little mister,
When I am bored of big games, maybe.

(Inspired by random conversations over beer.)

N.O.W.

2009-08-27T07:32:00.000-07:00

Now that I am old,
And you are a bit bold,
Maybe we could take a chance.
All secrets told,
Nothing more to hold,
Maybe it's time for another dance.
Games we have played,
Hands we have been dealt,
All the special and mundane we have felt.
Riding on separate trains,
All through this while,
We have almost covered the same miles.
Been on the roller coaster rides,
Swayed by all and sundry tides,
Isn't it funny I have landed at your side?
So before we realize that time has flown by,
And shadows of doubt have covered the sky,
Do you want to give this thing called love another try?

(Inspired by 12:51-The Strokes.)

F.R.O.M. A. D.I.S.T.A.N.C.E.

2009-07-14T08:03:00.000-07:00

Shades of dark.
Shades of light.
You are on a roll.
I am holding my heart tight.
Some rainbows you display.
Some grays you hide.
Do I believe in your dark depths?
Do I lose myself in your light?
Trust versus disbelief.
The same old fight.
You may be ugly.
You may be an angel.
What do I do this time,
To get all things right?
Looking from a distance,
I feel you are nice.
When I come near you,
I feel I am playing dice.
So this time, I will not take a chance,
Remembering my bad run with fate.
Let this be a short sideline romance,
You shine through your palace; I will be at the gates.

(Inspired by Sunil's shot and Aditi's charm.)

T.H.I.R.S.T.Y.

2009-06-27T01:51:00.000-07:00

It's a long hot summer.
And not a whiff of romance.
Like a sea of thousand faces.
And a draught of one who would take a chance.
A numerous clouds dot the sky.
Not one of them would care to drop by.
Shriveled by heat, all desires are dry.
As if the eagle wants no more to soar high.
No rain to calm.
No love to act as a balm.
It's an arid desert, far and wide.
It's a scorching, tiring, draining ride.
Thirsty eyes look up to the sky, sending their prayers every hour.
When will the rain gods of life relent?
When will love flow like a monsoon shower?

(Writen after getting deranged by the Delhi heat.)

O.N.C.E.

2009-06-19T21:16:00.000-07:00

One drop of rain.
And a thousand million floods in the heart.
One tiny ray of hope.
And you are ready to give it all from the start.
One life saving anchor.
And you will go against the current.
One sweet smile.
And you are ready to walk miles.
One kind word.
All broken faiths restored.
One gentle touch.
All wounds stand cured.
One last breath.
And you are ready to fight death.
One chance.
You will show you can dance.
All this while,
You kept on living “their” life.
One chance encounter.
And you are ready for the other side.
Is this that one?
You will never know if you don’t choose.
And just one more time,
Play like there’s nothing to lose.
(Inspired by The Motorcycle Diaries.)

T.O. D.A.N.N.Y.

2009-05-29T08:39:00.000-07:00

And when the lights were out,
And the show had come to an end.
We removed our painted masks,
And made our way home.
Only to find that after being cheered by crowds,
In our land we were not allowed.
As homewards path we traced,
All of ours had been erased.
Back from the shining lights,
Thrown to our daily plight.
It's in this hour,
When everything is displaced,
You wish you had a guardian angel,
Who would put everything back in place.
Sometimes we live our whole lives,
Hoping for Him to drop by.
Sometimes all it takes is a calamity,
And He appears in the blink of an eye.
We rot away mostly,
Waiting for miracles to happen one day.
Sometimes, if you are really lucky,
I have heard they come your way.
So we can be cynics,
Discarding Him as a fairy tale.
Or live life in the possibility,
No matter what, sometimes, He doesn’t fail.

(Inspired by You know Who and Why.)

F.E.A.R. N.O.T.

2009-05-18T07:04:00.000-07:00

All those voices in your mind.
All those dreams you left behind.
Toeing lines drawn by some one else,
Forever complaining about life being unkind.
You could touch her,
She was so near.
What kept you back,
Was imaginary fear.
You could have won that one time,
Had you decided to cross the line.
You could have broken all those bars,
If only you had a little more courage to look far.
You could have created something new,
If you had dared to see it through.
Your could have carved yourself out of stone,
If you had not listened to their drone.
Now what separates you from the world where you should be,
Is your habit of having fought for nothing at all.
And in case you want to cross the wall,
You will have to be brave to take a fall.
Or you can choose to live in the shadow of fear,
Pining for a paradise which could have been right here.
The life you are meant to live is still seeking you out,
But do you have the guts to give her a shout?

I.T. R.A.I.N.E.D. O.N.E. D.A.Y.

2009-05-05T08:20:00.000-07:00

Set as stone,
In a rough world.
Scorched by dry winds,
That cut an inch of me,
Every time they touch me.

Moving alone.
With a dry heart.
With a thirsty soul.
Searching for that elusive nectar.
They say it makes you whole.

And then one afternoon,
You walk in like unannounced rain.
Drop by drop, you wash my pain.
You sing like spring, I cry in joy.
Filling my cuts is a part of the sky.

What's cut is lost, and may never come by.
You may go too, leaving me dry.
Yet whenever a raindrop falls on me,
From a dusty unkind burning sky,
I will remember the day a stranger walked in,
And made me feel alive-like I will never die.

(Inspired by the sudden drizzle in Delhi.)

F.O.R. Y.O.U.

2009-04-29T08:04:00.000-07:00

Not an ounce of fright.
Not an inch of doubt.
Come what may,
I will not sway.
Over oceans wide,
Against stormy tides.
Standing like a wall,
I will stop it all.
I won’t allow them,
Any where near.
Between you and the world,
I will stand like fear.
And you may feel,
This time they will get through.
For they may seem hell bent,
As they come closer.
But fear not them,
For they can’t even touch you.
I will fight them like there is no end,
A thousand times over, for you my friend.

(Inspired by "The Kite Runner")

W.I.L.L. Y.O.U. R.O.M.E.O.?

2009-04-20T06:57:00.000-07:00

Yes the same old game again.
Drops of rain, against window panes.
Naked souls dancing to love refrain,
Fighting hate with love again.

Seasons come and people go,
Yet every one seems to know.
The script you wrote long time back,
Starts afresh with new actors in tow.

Yet everyone takes the same old way,
No one dares to change the play.
What happened then, happens again,
No mortal dares to go astray.

We too have made the same mistakes,
After declaring their paths we won’t take.
Yet in spite of being a part of the common clan,
We both know there's more we can take.

And hence before time catches up with us,
And all our dreams are eaten by mold,
Tell me if you are ready to be taken?
Albeit this time, in a different mode.

So before I strike out alone from here,
In search of that elusive gold,
With love struck eyes, I seek your courage.
Tell me Romeo, will you walk my road?

(Inspired by Elegy.)

S.T.A.N.D.

2009-04-13T08:00:00.000-07:00

I stand.
For all that you gave me.
For all that you took away.
For everyone who made me.
In spite of everything that broke me.
Against the act of pretence.
Against the need of self defense.
Outside the boundaries of your imagination.
Beyond the circles of your limitations.
Against all winds that will hit me hard.
With all breezes that will be my guard.
You are strong.
You will try.
I am humble.
I will resist.
But I won’t cry.
I will hold on.
Because I know the show must go on.
We don't know.
Who amongst us will win.
But choosing not to fight you,
Will be nothing short of sin.
There are no wrongs to avenge.
There are no rights to justify.
But now that we are in the battlefield,
Might as well give each other a good fight.

O.N.E. N.O.T.E.

2009-03-30T07:47:00.000-07:00

One note for them.
One note for me.
One note for the soul.
One note that says it all.
One note understood by all.
One note for all rises and falls.
One note and no words.
One note and a few chords.
One note and some smiles.
One note they will remember for miles.
One note that rises above all walls.
One note that echoes in eternity's halls.
One to touch their hearts.
One note that tears them apart.
One note to bring forth tears.
One note to release their fears.
One note that obviously cannot set all things right.
But one note God, which will make them light.

(Inspired by the noteworthy musician at Mehrangarh Fort.)

T.O. A.R.A.G.O.R.N.

2009-03-25T07:39:00.000-07:00

Far and wide,
My eyes go drinking.
Slowly slowly,
The horizons start shrinking.
On the wings of desire,
My heart takes giant strides.
All walls on the way break,
With every step towards you that I take.
My hopes soar,
Like a lion's roar.
As you ride the tide,
And keep coming near to me,
Everything of this world falls aside,
Little remains between us of the great divide.
You don’t stop from your end,
And from my side, I keep going on,
And then one day, on the earth's edge,
We will find each other Aragorn.

(To Aragorn, from The Lord Of The Rings.)

R.E.L.E.A.S.E.D.

2009-03-19T11:46:00.000-07:00

A dusty road.
A vast expanse.
Winds of freedom.
A breath of beauty.
The sands of time.
Moments of release.
The burning heat.
And its soothing effect.
Feet that sinks into sand.
Souls that still dare to stand.
Eyes- that look the sun in the eye.
A thirst-that threatens to drink up the sky.
One moment of purity.
For a thousand worldly distractions.
One toss of the coin.
And you are no more mine.
You chose the world.
And its appearances- fake and hollow.
I choose my way out of civilization.
The call of the wild-now I follow.
You chose to live in an oasis of hire.
As you please.
I chose to burn in the desert of desire.
And that is my release.

(Inspired by Jaisalmer.)

F.R.E.E.Z.E.

2009-02-28T23:12:00.000-08:00

Those were the times.
That was the life.
Frozen in history books.
Trapped in old wrinkled eyes.
They must have smiled like us.
They must have danced.
After getting high on whiskey and Jazz,
They too, like us, must have romanced.
They must have drank life's nectars,
Like we drink now.
Yet we think they were just they,
And we are better off somehow.
Now they are framed on walls,
For all to see.
And we stand against them,
Becoming a part of history.
The only difference being-their portraits have been taken by time.
While you my friend, have been shot by me.

(Inspired by Abhay's Snapshot against the Rising Red.)

T.O.U.C.H.E.D.

2009-02-26T10:09:00.000-08:00

Feel sun kissed.
When your hair fall on my face.
Somewhere something completes.
When you lock me in your embrace.
Touched by a gentle breeze,
When your fingers run lightly over me.
Hands that melt every pore,
When they are discovering me.
Lips that make me feel like wine,
With mysterious passions your eyes shine.
I become clay,
As you make your way,
And all desires turn into fires,
As we go higher, higher, and higher.
Quivering, trembling, shaking, and breaking,
Love transforms into a chaotic undertaking.
And when all passions are put to rest,
And we lie rested like all has been done,
You look at me and tingle my tired soul,
I smile the smile that knows it well-the passion play has just begun.

O.N. T.H.E. R.O.A.D.

2009-02-18T09:58:00.000-08:00

Again.
I hit the road.
To bite the dust.
To taste the grime.
To be cut by gravel.
To be pierced by hot winds.
And to believe all this,
Will wash off the toxins of civilization.
Maybe to find some answers.
Maybe to escape some questions.
Maybe to come closer to the truth.
Maybe to come closer to peace.
Maybe to walk on the sands for a while.
Maybe to imagine the mirage is really you.
And then to see my footprints brushed away,
By the winds of circumstance.
And come back with the understanding,
However hard I may try to rationalize,
It may all end one day without any realization.
And yet without any fear,
I am back on the roads in top gear.
Because I don’t want to be the fool who gave up,
Thinking Heaven can't be so near.

(Inspired by Metallica's Turn the Page.)

C.U.T. A.G.A.I.N.

2009-02-15T05:37:00.000-08:00

My eyes burn,
As they look for you at every turn.
Tears flow from them,
Like water from a broken urn.
They look for you everyday,
Hoping you will come back from the point of no return.

But everything looks long lost.
All the battles long fought.
The moments we spent together,
Are not the same as we thought.

I look up to the sky,
And rain drops fill my eyes.
But instead of healing my wounds,
They cut me up and leave me to die.
And you keep on coming back to hit me,
No matter how far I try to fly.
(Inspired by Nayan Tarse-Dev-D)

S.O.N.S. A.N.D. L.O.V.E.R.S.

2009-02-11T06:49:00.000-08:00

Questions.
Said and unsaid.
Words.
Heard and unheard.
Thoughts.
Thought and unsought.
Faiths.
Built and broken.
Expectations.
Met and unmet.
Love.
Given and forsaken.
Hopes.
Planted and crushed.

When you look at me, my child,
My whole life looks through me.
I sometimes get afraid,
Fearing you don’t misjudge me.
I tremble when I think,
What if you can’t hear me?
And that very moment you give me eternal peace,
When you walk in like a welcome breeze.
And then I shake my head,
As all my fears desert me.
I forgive God for all the things he took away,
And thank him for what he gave me.

M.I.S.T.R.E.S.S. O.F. S.P.I.C.E.S.

2009-02-04T10:23:00.000-08:00

Tempting red.
Kindling a thousand fires.
Smells like cinnamon.
Arousing sweet desires.
Cool and calm.
Honey sweet charm.
Hits like cloves.
Touches like doves.
Salt and mint.
Hides without a hint.
A tingling pickle.
My heart she tickles.
Feels like rose water touch.
Her unintentional brush.
My heart she cuts.
In little cashew nuts.
Sweet like jaggery,
Her laughter- when she has had me.
In countless pieces,
My soul she dices.
Oh how mercilessly, she crushes and slices.
Every evening when I lie down beside her,
She plays with me-my mistress of spices.

T.O. Y.A.N.N.I.

2009-02-01T09:19:00.000-08:00

When you play,
A wave rises in me.
My heart sways,
My mind breaks into frenzy.
You go a level higher,
You set my soul on fire.
Music bursts through me,
Like a fountain of youth.
Gushing out of the earth's bosom,
Like the sweetest sonata of truth.
Silent crescendos crash against my senses,
Your notes flow through the walls of my defenses.
I cry in bliss,
You seal my happiness with a kiss,
And hand it to me wrapped in tears of agony.
I sail through the world,
And the boundaries of my existence,
As if your lifting a finger,
Has silenced all resistances.
You jolt me out of normality,
I aim for the supreme.
Reality becomes meaningless,
Life becomes a dream.
I flow with you,
And drown with you in a stream,
I rise to the ocean surfaces,
And drink up the sky,
Whenever your music takes me high.
In your highs and lows,
My heart like a free kite flows,
And as you fill me and kill me,
My desire to be one with your music grows.
Burning like an unquenchable flame,
I madly search for completeness.
Through the healing balm of your voice,
My wild heart you tame.
The notes of imagination,
The pangs of nostalgia,
All run through me like a river,
And I am still left dry.
No matter how much you go through me,
Wanting more of you, like an unsatisfied lover,
I will eternally cry.

(Inspired by "Keys to Imagination")

L.E.T.S. G.O.

2009-01-28T09:04:00.000-08:00

And as I walk this lonely path,
With a whiskey bottle in my hand.
I muse upon the difference in my status,
From where I started and where I stand.
Joining these diverse far away destinations,
Is not a bridge solid or grand.
It is but a twist of luck,
A tiny, timid, and invisible strand.
It is not discerning to the naked eye,
But comes in view, as time flies by.
You think you almost knew it all,
And the moment after, lies the great fall.
You fight and struggle fearlessly,
But you are still unable to understand.
What pushed you from terra firma to quicksand,
Was what once you thought a friendly hand.
And again when you give up on the world,
He beams another friendly sign.
Be careful mortal again,
It's one of His cosmic designs.
So this time when He teases you,
With another innocent face and heavenly shine,
Run far away from all such traps,
And hug your foe behind enemy lines.
Because it's not what you could not see,
That did the job for you last time.
It was the gloss He made you see,
Which hid the underlying grime.
So tonight with your drink in hand,
You go laugh, wine, and dine.
Because tomorrow when you wake up,
You will give Him a run for His shine.

F.O.O.T.L.O.O.S.E.

2009-01-19T08:09:00.000-08:00

No binding ties.
No holding chains.
Homeward I am called,
But all in vain.
My heart flies,
To lands unknown.
Faraway mountain ranges,
And deep blue seas.
Wild rivers and calm deserts,
Now give me peace.
The ice cold breeze,
Signifies my release.
One piece of land
Cannot contain me.
One solitary mountain,
Cannot sustain me.
I have been set loose,
From all bonds of connection.
And so now beyond the principles of rejection and selection,
Traversing alike on all terrains,
I am out on a life long cruise.
I left that home,
I took that train.
I take a pledge,
Not to look back again.
Be it gain, or be it pain,
This is the path I finally choose.
From everything, I go footloose.

S.P.A.R.K. P.L.U.G.S.

2009-01-14T07:06:00.000-08:00

A creative burst.
An artist's thirst.
Driven by hunger.

Like that of a mad painter.
Trying to dye the sky in colors wild and unknown.
Chaotic like an unborn.

Like that of a writer.
Guzzling life from every corner.
Madly scribbling away from the night into the dawn.

Like that of a dancer.
Full blown passion in fashion.
A force that could go on and on.

Like that of a musician.
Bleeding fingers churning out notes.
Moonlight sonatas-once heard, never forgot.

Souls on fire, fueled by desires.
Engaged in a symphony of construction.
Dispelling the old to find something new, fresh, and bold.

Establishing a new world order without holds.
Where creation outsmarts destruction not by rule or reason or force.
But by words, moves, colors, and notes.

Mad people-society's spark plugs.
Creating richness that cannot be bought.
Only felt, experienced, and sought.

(Inspired by hunger.)

T.U.R.K.I.S.H. D.E.L.I.G.H.T.

2009-01-12T07:14:00.000-08:00

The big little things.
A hot cup of tea.
A warm sun.
An extra cushion.
A sudden smile.
Sweet nothings.
Soft hands,
Caressing your strands.
Building castles,
In shifting sands.
Breaking into a sudden jig.
Surprising friends with midnight gigs.
Sharing secrets underneath cosy blankets.
Baring hearts in pitch black darkness.
Movie nights.
Sitting tight.
One minute fights.
Sudden hugs.
Surprise pugs.
French fries.
Sunny drives.
Lemon teas.
Cartoon movies.
Life could be sweet and light.
Like a turkish delight.
Or it could be,
One never ending fight.
It's not about getting it always right.
It's all about what you choose to bite.

(Inspired by Neel,Vihaan, and the weekend.)

E.S.C.A.P.A.D.E.

2009-01-06T09:38:00.001-08:00

A stolen moment.
From sands of time.
From a life of mediocrity,
To a royal retreat.
An expanse of green.
A scene so serene.
A journey of expectations.
A fort of culmination.
An aura of stillness.
A calming sensation.
A mouthful of sky.
A sun that doesn't die.
The warmth of security.
A feeling of liberty.
A time gap.
An escapade.
A hundred miles.
For a peaceful smile.
For some moments,I unwind.
Then for eternity,the daily grind.
But some of it,I brought along.
A part of me, I left behind.

(Inspired by my visit to The Kesroli Fort.)

G.L.A.S.S. W.A.L.L.S.

2009-01-02T10:28:00.000-08:00

Standing behind glass walls,
Elegant and tall.
You look so confident.
Like you could conquer all.
But deep inside you,
Resides the fear of the fall.
I guess because you too,
Once gave it your best shot.
And all was snatched away,
What remains is naught.
So you locked away,
The love inside you.
You hid yourself somewhere
They can't find you.
Maybe I was not supposed
To cross your way.
But what made me stop was,
When you looked at me and looked away.
That was when I wanted,
To crash against your defences.
That was when I wanted,
To remove all imaginary fences.
Because I cannot see someone
So beautiful and tall.
Lock their love inside them,
And grow small.
So I might try to tear through,
The little cocoon around you.
Break all the surrounding walls,
Walk through broken glass to find you.
You may love me or hate me,
I do not care.
I can't let something so beautiful go waste,
So I won't just stand and stare.
This may cause us a little pain,
And there is no assured reward.
My only consolation even if I don't touch you,
Is at least I tried hard.

(Inspired by the line"Jugni rehndi sheeshe paar":))

T.O.U.C.H. M.E.

2008-12-27T00:09:00.000-08:00

Your touch.
Like sweet love in cold winter.
Like a warm hug on a cloudy day.
Like a sunny afternoon that passes by.
Like a steaming coffee cup held by baby pink hands.
Like when without a reason you flash that smile.
Like when without a word you lie down beside me.
And give me a cuddle which says you understand.
Like when all of a sudden you hold my hand.
Like we feel connected without a wedding band.
Like you gently caress my golden strands.
Like my whole world's falling and only you stand.

Your touch.
I can only ask as much.
You make me feel human.
You make me feel someone.
I don’t care about names.
I don't care about words.
Promises or relations.
Expectations or temptations.
Your touch.
I only ask that much.

D.A.N.C.E. W.I.T.H. M.E.

2008-12-26T03:30:00.000-08:00

When you dance,
You set me free.
I go on a high,
When you swing in glee.

With every carefree step that you take,
You are dancing your way into me.
Your moves send me in a tizzy,
And I am being robbed silently.

You dance like no one's watching,
And I feel it's all for me.
Everyone is enjoying the show,
I can feel you flow in me.

You give a damn, you are a diva,
They don't care, they are enchanted.
It's only we who know, that in this game,
You make the moves, and I am the wanted.

So every time you get in the groove,
All around you are smitten by joy.
Only I know you are out to get me,
Your performance is but a sexy decoy.

But tonight I want you to take me,
So I won't wait for a destined chance.
I will walk up to you and hold you tight,
This time honey, I will make you dance.

(Inspired by Hello, Dolly!! and dancing!)

L.I.S.T.E.N.

2008-12-20T07:19:00.000-08:00

I am not looking for you
To complete me.
Or to be the perfect answer
To all my questions.
I am not looking for you
To vindicate me.
Or to be the suitable god
Of my nameless religion.
I am not looking for you
To sweep me off my feet.
Neither am I counting on you
To be my only solid ground.
Soul mate, standing at your gate,
I am not asking you to be my destination.
All I am asking you is to share my journey without hesitation.
Having you by my side is not some sort of culmination.
Neither is it some heavenly revelation.
It's not the lack of faith
Which has driven me to you.
In fact it's my trust in myself,
That I am laying my bets on you.
So when I am asking you to be mine,
It is not because of some cosmic design.
It is because we have to journey to far together,
And I don't want us to waste any more time.

Y.O.U. A.R.E. M.Y. C.H.O.I.C.E.

2008-12-13T08:40:00.000-08:00

When I tame you,
I claim you,
From the multitudes of masses,
who could have done so too.
When I bind you to me,
I become responsible for,
what is now our common destiny.
When I establish a tie,
between you and me,
To nurture it till I die,
becomes my duty.
When I choose you,
I make a promise that come what may,
I will not lose you.
So when I take a stand,
You must understand,
I am tying our fates together
With a very thin strand.
What makes you unique,
Is my choice in thee.
What makes me strong,
Is your trust in me.
The rest as they say,
Leave it to destiny.
If we have to flow with it,
We will go with it.
And God forbid if we have to fight it,
I am ready as long as You are beside me.
May be that may not be
Wise on our part.
But why should someone else write the end,
When it was my choice from the very start.

(Affected by the collected effects of SRK,The Little Prince & Slum Dog Millionaire.)

H.A.R.V.E.S.T.

2008-12-08T07:48:00.000-08:00

Like the tiny drops of rain
trickling from a hole in the roof
to form a stream of water,
falling down in a single train.
Like a single ray of sunlight
entering your dark room through a tiny orifice,
Till it's the sun itself blasting its way
Into your room to make it bright.
Like a gentle zephyr in the desert
brushing your cheek,
and then blasting into gusts of winds,
to shift the sand dunes blocking your way.
Like a single note of the piano
touching the tears in your eyes,
and then rising into a melody
to bring the house down.
Your little griefs and sorrows,
Have added over time.
And the pains you took to form yourself
Over the years have multiplied.
You always fell in the rise of the tides.
You always lost when fate had to take sides.
But slowly slowly all your fears and losses,
have made you into one formidable wall.
And then when in their pride,
They tried to get you one more time,
Down came crashing the mountain of pain,
Pounding against your might in vain,
For now it's your harvest time.
All the pains you endured,
Have finally borne fruit.
All the lies you fought
Have finally succumbed to the truth.
All your cuts have made you stronger.
You can fight those demons longer.
Now you will sit and reap
the harvest of the soul.
And try as they may hard,
They will never understand,
The very pieces they cut you in,
Were used by you to make you whole.

(Inspired by a friend who reminded it's time to reap the harvest.)

A.N.G.U.I.S.H.

2008-12-01T09:16:00.000-08:00

You pick up an axe.
I will pick up a gun.
You knock out a priest.
I will silence a nun.
It's really fun
To fight for religion.
Let's go out on the street.
And chop every one.
Then at each other,
We will point our guns.
And then on the load of a dice,
Or a wink of an eye,
Or the toss of a coin,
The dead, we will join.
After all we are MEN.
Armed with brains and weapons.
Conscience and ammunition.
Voice and choice.
Soul and grenades.
Faith and blades.
Truth and plots.
Strength and weakness.
He gave us the power.
To do everything in our might.
So let's burn this world.
And die in an endless fight.
Maybe that really is,
The way to some kind of paradise.
Because the one He gave us,
Was looted and raped by all of us alike.
Maybe He also doesn't know,
What to do in His anguish.
And so He has shut the doors of his Heaven tight,
Till the time we are all dead in this fight.
Maybe then He will come out,
To build another world from the remains.
And to ensure it doesn't burn again,
He won't create a single MAN.

(I guess we all know why.)

H.A.P.P.Y. B.I.R.T.H.D.A.Y. N.E.E.L.

2008-11-26T06:39:00.000-08:00

Like the colors of a rainbow,
light up the sky that's been washed after rains.
You light up my heart Neel,
and drive it more insane.
You are my ticket to madness,
To a glowing life of extraordinariness.
With you I cant be just another brick in the wall,
With you I am a cannon ball on roll.
When you walk in my life,
You turn it upside down.
When I am in my deepest throes of woe,
You are the santa singing Ho! Ho! Ho!
You kick me in my guts.
You smack me on my butts.
You wake me up in full morning light,
And then flash that electrifying smile.
You take me on a bicycle to a five star,
And then you tell me that's your style.
You mock me, sock me,gag me,rag me,
In drunken face book pictures you tag me.
You hold me tight when I am feeling cold,
You praise my hoarse voice and make me bold.
Sometimes you dance me, romance me, put me to bed,
Most of the times you look at me and shake your head.
You treasure me on weekends,
And provide me with bread.
Somethings between us,
Are better left unsaid.
But there's one thing,
I want to say today.
If you goto hell,
Which you most probably will,
I will follow you in every way,
And together we will keep the devil at bay.
But in case they decide to send me to heaven,
The chances of which are ten on seven,
Trust me I am not taking that way.
I will be your knight in shining armour,
And will come on a white horse to rescue from wordly baits.
Oh and since today is your birthday,
On the way we will pick up whiskey crates!!
And then we will laugh at the lords of hell and heaven,
Who tried to put up a brave fight.
But try as they may, with all their might,
We are drinking the night away,
And always holding each other tight.

S.M.I.L.E.

2008-11-20T08:20:00.000-08:00

It can kill.
Or give another lease of life.
Start another fire.
Silence a strife.
Speak a thousand words.
Hide a million desires.
Bring peace to the heart.
Or set the soul on unseen fires.
A sign of beauty.
Or a smirk of evil.
A song of welcome.
Or an elegy of farewell.
Brings joy to the present.
Gives memories to the future.
Feels like love in that moment.
And a thousand dreams for ages to come.
A knockout move.
A seductive groove.
Light in the darkness.
The softness in the hardness.
Your Smile.
Either you kill me with it.
Or you fill me with it.
Both ways I die a thousand deaths.
Both ways I need to catch my breath.
You smile and turn away.
I burn and melt away.
You smile and go on.
I die and wait for the dawn.
Hoping you will come back one more time.
And I will steal a glance at you.
Maybe another chance at you.
It only takes a while for you to beam at me.
And I savour and save that insignificant moment,
To last me till eternity.
Different roads we might take,
And separate destinies we might make,
But as I walk mile over mile,
I will always look out for your beautiful smile.

(Dedicated to all who brought smiles in my life.)

D.A.S.V.I.D.A.N.I.Y.A.

2008-11-15T11:05:00.000-08:00

No matter how much I try,
time goes slipping by.
I try to pace myself with the world,
But it's a far far cry.
I try to list it all,
And it shoots through the sky.
I daily fight it out,
Yet there's never enough to satisfy.
And then one day you tell me,
It's my time to say goodbye.
I am struck, sore, sad..
Wondering why, why,why?
And then I start looking at things,
Which never caught my eye.
The morning colours of a sleepy sky.
A smile on a stranger who is passing by.
Few good friends who wont let you die.
Hidden fantasies which you never did try.
It's then I decide when it's my time to go,
I will look up to the sky.
And for the first time in my life,
Watch the starry night as it passes by.
You would lay me in the ground,
But I would have already flown high.

(Afterthoughts after Dasvidaniya.)

F.I.G.H.T.

2008-11-12T08:17:00.000-08:00

Ok that day you were broken.
Like a bird in freezing winds,shaken.
Like a believer, whose faith has been taken.
Like a priest, whose religion has been forsaken.
And you thought that was your end.
And you thought that's all to you my friend?
For one moment you made them think so too.
That all you were was what they thought of you.
But when you looked in their condenscending eyes,
How hollow they were is what you realized.
In the greatness of their glory,
They forgot your true story.
They conveniently wiped out from your memory,
The crashes you survived.
How when they were musing over ocean depths,
You unclothed your fears away and just dived.
How when they were hesitating to walk,
You took everything in your stride.
Even though rough has been the tide,
There's not a single storm that you did not ride.
Even though they were never by your side,
Not one of your plans they could jeopardize.
So today if you are experiencing self doubt,
Give the residents of heaven a loud shout.
Challenge them to try their best,
To put you to the hardest test.
Tell them it's their last chance,
To put you finally at rest.
Tell them to try their hardest try,
Because you are out with a battle cry.
Tell them this time it's no holds barred,
And later there wont be time for ifs and buts.
Because this time it's you who will kick their guts,
And make the Kings of Heaven cry.

(Dedicated to a friend who said,"Go fight.")

T.O. V.I.C.T.O.R.Y.

2008-11-05T05:36:00.000-08:00

The color of hope
Is not black or white.
It's a color
Which at that moment in time
Is just the right.
It's not against them
that you fight.
It's a contest against
your own might.
It's not your class that
makes you right.
It's the grit with which
you take the world in your stride.
No one but only you knew
what you could become.
No one can stop you if
your time has come.
Armour does not maketh a knight.
He is because he chooses to fight.
And You chose not to be denied.
Hence, by your side, they will fall.
In your way,they will lay all.
They will say you made history.
And loud will the victory bells chime.
For the celebrations,you care a dime.
You will smile and go back to the battlefield,
And then you will do it one more time.

(In celebration of Barack Obama's victory and the triumph of human spirit.)

L.O.S.E.R.S. P.L.A.Y. S.A.F.E.

2008-10-30T09:46:00.000-07:00

Even when it's over, it's still ours?
Love.
Some cowards try to kill it.
With guilt they try to fill it.
With weakness they annull it.
With consequences they stiffle it.
Music.
Some do not understand it.
They shut your ears.
And break your fingers.
They close your windows.
And lock you up in cellars.
Hope.
Some pessimists do not get it.
They extinguish all your fires
Even before you could light them.
They make your demons bigger
Even before you could fight them.
Passion.
Commoners don't get it.
They make it seem foolish.
And want you as dead
As they have become.
These are things they will never know.
These are things you will never let go
Once you have chosen them to be yours.
They will never get it.
And claim that you are wrong.
You will be hit again and again.
So that you become strong.
In order for that day to come,
When it doesn't matter what they are saying.
Because you would have found your God,
And they were the ones who were praying!

(Dedicated to Mavericks.)

S.H.O.O.T. O.N. S.I.G.H.T.

2008-10-18T23:36:00.000-07:00

Out of all the bloody reasons
In this mad mad world
Which is the one they choose to persecute me?
It's Your name.
They say You are the way to "Jannat".
Then why have you become my reason to blame?
Why am I subjected to endless shame?
Why am I a pawn in an unwilling game?
Why is my integrity tested at every turn?
Why am I spurned when the whole world burns?
Branded as evil before I am born
Today I am somebody who's most forlorn.
Even before I can arrive
It becomes difficult for me to survive.
It's not my war
And they pull me in.
It's my identity
And it has become a sin.
They conveniently forget that I am human.
All I am to them is another "Muslim".
Maybe all of you, the whole lot of you is right.
Because I dont't know how to fight your might.
Maybe that's the only solution for your nice world.
Shoot all of us on sight.
(Inspired by the collective experience of watching Body of Lies and Shoot on Sight.)

H.O.N.E.Y.

2008-10-06T10:33:00.000-07:00

Tumbling through life
With a shell around.
Trying hard to protect oneself
From this wild, wild world
Where hurt abounds.
Holding on, tight to my shield
To nothing and to no one
My cold heart yields.
Cutting down on wordly interactions
Numbing all counter reactions.
Trying to live a frozen life
Outer calmness veils inner strife.
Cutting down on all the light
Befriending the night
And fearing anything that seems bright.
Skeptical to all that is happy and sunny,
Trying to live a normal life and not feel funny.
I am walking somewhere, down and lost,
When a stranger calls out,"Hey Honey !"
And melts away the self inflicted frost.
And in that one moment, I experience that very sweet pain,
My heart dies a thousand deaths again!
Stranger you rolled the dice and went away,
But now the same old game I want to play.
Honey, you know it's not funny,
After all my efforts that went down the drain,
I am falling in love, yet again, yet again!!

(To someone who did'nt know what he started.)

U.N.B.R.E.A.K.A.B.L.E.

2008-10-02T09:48:00.000-07:00

So He made a castle
And She saw and laughed.
With one stroke of her powers
She brings it down.
On his calm face
She doesn't see a single frown.
And She's amazed.
Because He goes back to work
And gathers the sand again.
He recreates his dreams
With His hands again.
And She strikes again
With all her force.
Thinking this time
She will get him down.
He will break
And She will laugh aloud.
But yet once more
He wipes the sweat on his face.
And goes back to toil.
She cant hold it now
And asks him out:
"How much can you take?"
He smiles the smile
Worth tonnes of pain,
And tells her:
"I will quit the moment you break."
She laughs at her worthy adversary
And gives her head a final shake.
She will have to find a weaker mortal.
He is not the one that she can take.

S. O.?

2008-09-22T11:49:00.000-07:00

Ok So You have been there and done that.
And have come out unscathed.
Or maybe You have shielded yourself so well
That your past is deep down in a well.
So I guess there's no point talking about a summer romance.
Or about your fateful last dance.
So I will just come straight to the point.
How much of you is game for a chance?
How much of you is still afraid of breaking
How much of you unafraid of taking?
I am not talking about hot summer flings
I am talking about the pain which a loveless winter brings.
You may have the peace of someone well tested.
But do You have the passion which is still not rested?
We could be safe and politely say good bye.
Maybe in another world, maybe another try.
Or we could be insane again, go asking for trouble
So that Fate once again reduces us to rubble.
So tell me now if You are in or out
Because I am going in without a doubt.
And today if I am just a whisper away
Waiting for you to make your way
Tommorrow it will take you more than a cry
Because with time my love will dry.

(Inspired by the movie Mamma Mia! on a Sunday morning)

F.U.L.L. C.I.R.C.L.E.

2008-09-18T07:55:00.000-07:00

Not in their paintings.
Not in images likened to you.
Not in what they told me.
Not in what I heard from them.
Not in wisdom of the centuries.
Not in the peace of their sanctuaries.
Not in their books.
Not in their clear brooks.
Not in the air.
Never in my despair.
Not when I ascended the thousand stairs.
It was when I closed my eyes and ears
And shut their fairy tale world out.
Out came a single drop of tear
Which removed all my doubts.
It was not You who was to be found.
You were always around.
It was I who was lost
And seeking You out to heal my wound.
I had to complete the full circle
To hear my inner voice.
And You always stood smiling everywhere
Leaving me no other choice.
(The poem is inspired by my trip to the Tiger's Nest, Bhutaan.)

S.A.N.S. P.L.U.S. A.T.T.E.N.D.R.E.(without further waiting)

2008-09-02T06:51:00.000-07:00

Smiles.
Finding their ways to me.
Bubbles of happiness.
Come floating frequently.
Is it your face?
Is it your grace?
That now gives me
a peaceful high.
Long cocooned in darkness
The little bird is out.
It's flapping its new wings
And is flying like a butterfly.
High High High!
Over all those dark pits.
High High High!
Where pain can't touch it.
High High High!
Where peace comes to visit.
What has changed so much
When everything seems same?
To think that something else changed
Is an assumption quite lame.
It's through those very eyes
You are watching those very things again.
But now you know birdie
It was when you changed your thought
You wiped out what you had lost.
You could see clearly
what treasures you have got.
So now when you spread your wings
You don't think of bygone flings.
It's from the freedom of your flight
That your new found joys spring.
It's not the promise of a future still not yours
That has made everything bright.
It's the certainty of this present you wont let go
Which has brought you delight.
So little birdie go.
Go and have a spin!
Because the very next moment
Another life begins!

Y.O.U.R. F.A.C.E.

2008-08-26T08:08:00.000-07:00

Your face
With half shut eyes.
That calm grace.
Surrounded by an aura of peace.
A soothing smile on it.
A smile you could use to please.
A smile you could use to tease.
A smile beckoning my release.
From the cycle of hurt and pain.
The closer I get to you
The slower I breathe.
The more I breathe slow
The more Your face glows.
I bask in your peace.
I bathe in your glory.
Feel naked in your eyes.
Feel complete by your side.
All fears you release.
All pains you banish.
All questions you answer
All doubts you rest.
Drawn to you as naturally
As an infant to a mother's breast.
I keep rising in your light
As I keep falling in love with your sight.

(This poem is inspired by what the author believes Gautam Buddha's face would look like.)

(Image courtesy:My first Buddha painting)

T.O. S.I.D.D.A.R.T.H.A.

2008-08-19T07:28:00.000-07:00

It must have been a moment
When you questioned the enlightened one.
It must have taken you more than we can imagine
to understand where it all begun.
It must have been more than courage
which took you from the rise to the fall.
It must have been something more than perseverance
which kept you above all.
How much must you have been tormented to realize
that you had to take a step ahead of the teacher.
When you realized your answers lay even beyond him
Though he was the wordly preacher.
I can almost feel your loneliness
When you realized you will have to go on alone.
How far you must have felt from every one.
They could put their faith in "The One"
Beside you there were none.
They at least had something to hold on.
All you could do is but go on.
Without knowing if you will ever find
What you are looking for.
Or they will forget you by saying
"There goes one more."
And yet you knew without the experience
You would hardly know what it is like
When the world has found its ultimate truth
And you know it's not the one that sets things right.

(The poem is dedicated to Siddartha, the protagonist of the book SIDDARTHA by Hermen Hesse)

(Image Courtesy:Richa Bhake)

D. E. S. T. I. N. Y.

2008-08-12T22:04:00.000-07:00

Ok So the God of Big and small things alike
Decides he has done enough of construction.
But construction cannot be complete
If not complemented with destruction.
So he waves his magic wand
And lets out of his hand
A force the mortals would come to call destiny.

It worked out to be a very entertaining contraption.
Working on the ad hoc principles of selection and rejection.
Mortals would think they are doing fine.
And suddenly they would be out of the line.
They would think that winning is sure.
The next moment they wished they lost no more.
One moment they would laugh and sing.
Next moment they felt destiny's cruel sting.
They would question, struggle, and fight
till their might would run out.
But Destiny would not flinch before time
And would sit tight drowning out their shout.

It wasn't over till it was the end.
It was a straight line with a hair pin bend.
It was a zero sum game which destiny played.
And so your losses and gains arbitrarily swayed.
They would keep looking for answers
they were destined not to find.
They would keep seeking novelty
And all they got was the daily grind.

And so has it been going on for long.
And though mortals feel that no matter what
They can really come out strong.
All it takes is a moment for Him to decide
He wants to have some weekend fun.
So He rolls the dice
And the game unknown to you has begun.
And just after the moment you felt nothing could have been more right
Life goes for a spin, everything goes wrong.
And you may keep thinking when you look back
What was it that went astray?
Relax mortal, what you did or not,
Was hardly ever His concern.
He did not like the music, He simply changed your track.

T.H.E. L.A.S.T. L.A.U.G.H.

2008-08-05T09:21:00.000-07:00

You twist and turn.
Try this and that.
Subtract and add.
Buy and throw.
Come and go.
Look and search.
Fake and force.
Run and hide.
Think and loosen.
Awaken and get lost.
Rise and walk.
Cry and console.
Talk and shout.
Sing and dance.
Play safe and secure.
Romance with a chance.
Try to find love in a glance.
Seek human voices.
Make strange choices.
Take roads unheard.
Move with the flock.
And then you suddenly revert.
Live in dark and light.
Breathe hard and fight.
Ask questions that don't go away.
Fighting the past blocking your way.
From pillar to post.
Your desperately seek me-Happiness.
I am your lover and I am your biggest enemy.
I am your defeat and I am your pyrrhic victory.
Mortal, when did I say I will come easy?
You will live for me, you will die for me.
And I may not still belong to thee.
Happiness---that's how the game is going to be.
It's you versus you, it's you versus me.
All your life you will pine for me.
And I will make you run crazy.
Until one day either You will decide to give up the cause.
Or You will look real hard and see-
I am still there where I always was.
While you were turning the world upside down for me.

P.H.O.T.O. F.R.A.M.E.S.

2008-07-29T01:25:00.000-07:00

Faces.

Laughing, smiling,eyes closed.

Stroked by gentle breezes.

Saying silent 'I love you's.

Moments.

Still and static.

In motion and frozen.

Soft and beautiful.

Minus voices of civilization.

Places.

Far and unknown.

Fresh and exotic.

Dry and rough.

Wet and romantic.

Open and free.

Photo frames.

Where I want my life to be.

I am going on an unplanned journey.

Till I am back, You see those frames.

If I don't, I will send you more to see.

Peace Price

2008-07-20T03:36:00.001-07:00

What is the price of peace?
A bottle of whiskey.
A glorious sunset.

A virgin terrain.
A chainless existence.

Fulfilled dreams.
Realized ideas.

Tasks laid to rest.
One's self put to test.
One’s very best.

One uncorrupted pure thing held close to heart.
One thing that’s constant from the start.

Mother’s unconditional love.
Deliverance from materialism and all isms.
Promises kept.

Raindrops that fall on your face.
Friends who hug you at the end of the race.

Closed eyes.
Softly flowing tears.

An innocent smile.
A short walk that lasts for a mile.

Words said ---and unsaid.
A warm bed.

Love—when it’s around.
Or when lost and found.

Silence ---and no surround sound.
Freedom unbound.

Being understood by that one.
Feeling most loved under the sun.

(Image Courtesy : Richa Bhake)

E.Y.E.S.

2008-07-08T09:09:00.000-07:00

Eyes.

That look at you once in a life.

And then you are never the same again.

You keep looking to spot them.

So that they can unclothe you

like no one else can.

You find yourself lost in crowds

you thought you belonged to.

Nothing has changed.

Just that somebody has seen what you were trying hard to hide.

That naked truth of their vision

Has left you exposed reeling for more.

You want to be seen the way you are.

And now those eyes are very far.

And you will keep looking for them now.

Knowing what they did to you in that one moment

May not be ever done by lovers

Who profess to you how close to them you are.

It was so easy to be

Without any one knowing you.

Now it will be difficult to cover yourself

Without him seeing you.

(Image Courtesy : Richa Bhake)

S.I.L.E.N.C.E.

2008-07-01T07:39:00.000-07:00

Silence--when I hear what you don't say.

When words become an impediment in love's way.

Two souls make an effort to keep words at bay.

Heartbeats disjointed, and yet to one harmony sway.

When you look at me even when you look away.

When you look inside me and have your way.

When you are calm and I see storms inches away.

When you are numb and I hear you pray.

When I feel you are shaken and you try not to sway.

When you want me and you walk away.

When you are sad and try to be gay.

When you want to hug me and build walls in the way.

When you want to question"What if?"

And then let that moment pass away.

When you declare you are on the right track.

And I see you go astray.

When you say it's a beautiful day.

And I see you fight your tears away.

When no music fills the night.

And to solitude we both sway.

When you don't say "I love you"

And I hear you anyway.

When we throw the crutches of language away.

Silence--when I hear what you don't say.

(Image Courtesy : Richa Bhake)

L.E.T.'S.

2008-06-28T00:30:00.000-07:00

Let's stoke a thousand fires...

Which give rise to a million desires....

So that with every single one attained...

We keep growing higher......

What did we add to ourself.....

If every time that we landed face down.....

We did not get up ....

And resolved to fly higher.....

If you have to grow tall....

You have to go deep first in the mire.....

It's only when you have landing gears in place...

That your new found wings can take you higher.....

(Image Courtesy: Richa Bhake)