SUNSET

Heart wrenching yet mesmerising,

Sun bursting into colors -

Like a lover’s last kiss,

before bidding  farewell;

Like a mother’s final hug,

at the prospect of an empty nest -

Packing all unshared emotions,

expressing thousand unspoken words,

showing us his best self,

in that one last desperate act of farewell,

lest we forget him in the dark night.

Tragic yet brave and beautiful,

Sun embracing the inevitable -

Like the final walk of defiance 

of a martyr marching to his death;

Like the ecstasy of the moth

dancing into a flame to meet its end -

Branding us with memories for a lifetime,

a reminder of the warmth and security

engulfing us like the comfort of friendship, 

in that one last insolent act of farewell,

lest the dark night dares usurp his pedestal.

Goddess 2022

You are a goddess -
A goddess of today.
With a smartphone
in your right hand,
a coffee in your left,
and everything else
in your tote bag,
you take on the world,
every single day.

In boardrooms and PTMs -
Warring with demons
of unending misogyny,
vanquishing stereotypes
of a patriarchal society,
fighting unapologetically
for your happiness,
you power through
every single day.

You’re a goddess of today!
A smartphone
in your right hand,
a coffee in your left,
and everything else
in your tote bag;
Your weapons of choice -
to defend your world
every single day.

—for my fellow women

Life

Drifting in the clouds,

Dark and silver.

Swept off by the wind,

Breezes and storms.

Floating in the void,

Frenzied and calm.

Swirling in emotions,

Ecstasy and despair.

Forever swaying,

Yet unwavering,

Floating away,

Swept away,

Drifting away,

Swirling away,

In a straitjacketed

Yet unanchored journey.

Kite

No one to weep for my plight,

No one to remember my flight,

As I fade into the night.

 

Forced farewell

 

Winter

 

Chill in the air,

cutting into skin bare.

A handful of snow,

my way do throw,

And a hug so cozy,

to make even winter rosy.

Gift for me

I care not for gold,

or memories of old,

Neither for the kiss

that you didn't miss,

Nor for the strings

of future springs.

Winter's first snowflake, 

wrapped with care;

A fistful of fall colors,

if you dare;

Your priceless gifts to me,

ever fleeting shall be.

Haikus of Me

Adventure and I 

Courage I know not,

Yet fearless I've always been

Braving life alone.

Love and I 

Greatly loved I've been,

Yet the content I envy - 

Oh this fickle heart.

Success and I

Always shunned limelight,

Yet a name I deeply yearn,

For my legacy.

Peace and I 

Ever in pursuit,

Yet I know not what I seek,

Restless, peaceless life.

I

My idiocies,

My idiosyncrasies,

My burden to bear.

Plans

Explore the pyramids, I will

Answer the Sphinx, I will

Luxor, I'll come to thee.

Glide in thy canals, I will

Wear thy masks, I will

Venice, I'll come to thee.

Behold the Duomo, I will

Drink from Neptune's fountain, I will

Florence, I'll come to thee.

Drenched by thy geysers, I will

Awed by the northern lights, I will

Iceland, I'll come to thee.

Breathe da Vinci's air, I will

Walk in thy vineyards, I will

Loire, I'll come to thee.

Marvel at the Calanquets, I will

Take in thy salty air, I will

Marseille, I'll come to thee.

Smile back at Mona Lisa, I will

Admire Baldassare and Bathsheba, I will

Louvre, I'll come to thee.

Drink in La Rioja, I will

Admire thy golden triangle, I will

Madrid, I'll come to thee.

Meet Esmeralda, I will

Feel thy beaches, I will

Seychelles, I'll come to thee.

Grand plans I made,

Just plans I made,

Life, I ne'er lived thee.

Sending a hug to the moon

Up above this ground,

distant yet bound;

Guiding thro' the night,

calming and bright.

Tethered for eternity,

cursed by destiny;

Burdened by duty,

O shackled beauty!

Behind the veil of white,

what pain do you hide?

Pristine teardrop in the sky,

no one to hear you sigh.