Couple

Dream and verse,
On loggerheads,
Fist fighting
To prove their worth!
Says dream to verse,
"Look at my might! -
I dwell in the mind,
Visible - with eyes shut.
A world of my own,
Unfolding mystical images,
Magical stories,
Told impromptu!"
Verse looks through
In cogitation.
Parts her lips
And says to dream.
" I flow
In visuals etched in words,
Sketched in thoughts,
Abstract, stream like,
Articulate.
Baring the soul
To the beholder!"
" Is it greater to see without vision,
Or feel without it?"
Together they wonder aloud.
Together their voices merge,
Creating an echo so strong
That they shudder at its strength.
Dream and verse,
Join hands,
In partnership, agreeing to share
The privilege to create,
One, a spin off of the other,
Inspiring, invoking,
Many an expression,
Scribbling scenes that
Appear in closed eyes
And open hearts,
Reaping heaps of hopes!

Containment

Sometime at the age,
Of under a decade,
Craving for little cases,
That snap open and close
To confine the many colors,
And pretty paraphernalia -
Bright hued, dainty boxes
Housing the stray beads,
Sequins, feathers
Collected from here,
Gathered from there!

Teens come in
Taking along with them,
Lemming for luxe sacs,
Bargain bags,
And all in-between.
With mirrors sewn on.
Handmade, handy,
Housing the many random things -
Hand sanitizers, Rosary beads,
Bindis, Bound note books,
Pens, Letters, abrupt stuff.

The soul slowly grows,
The tell tale signs of its aging,
Displayed in the disinterest,
Dislodged from little pleasures,
Aloof from pencil cases,
Hand sewn totes, colorful jholas.
Instead, it dwells
On thoughts of
Hauling all life's contents
Into the memory of the mind.
Away from physical spaces
That arrest tangible titbits,
Only wishing
Contentment and containment
Can come and release
The many ties to Maya.

My Friend Ms.Madhavan

There are numerous people that walk into our days and sometimes into our lives, hearts and minds as well. This concept of unrelated, random folks adorning our mind's mantels like glowing candles, spreading fragrance and light always intrigued me to no end. I am this fortunate soul that way, to have crossed paths with some people in my life, who, enhance my very existence with their presence and love. Ms. Madhavan is the latest and 'most missed' on my list right now.
I can recollect the day I first saw her - in the line to Aarti's pre K classroom. She spoke animatedly to a fellow Malayalee mom, uttering alien words in a sing song tone. It took me sometime to figure out that they were conversing in Malayalam, a South Indian language that I got mixed up with Tamil. Yeah, it is kind of silly, since being a Southie myself, I should have guessed! So, this lady was holding her son in one hand, addressing him as "Kanna" every now and then and crooning in the same sing song language. Her tallness added a mysterious grace to her persona. Wide expressive eyes, lush, curly tresses left open casually, a painter's nose and a perfectly chiseled figure that defied  motherhood summed up Ms. Madhavan - an eye candy of a woman. The first thing that registered in my mind was her beauty. Being the 'starting troubled" I am, I didn't really attempt to converse with her until we were a few weeks into the Pre K program. She didn't talk much anyway - just smiled with wide eyes and a preoccupied expression every time our eyes met. My mind created a stereotype - "a pretty young mom, probably small towner, not much exposure to the world around her" and during our few conversations, I also slotted her as naive, quiet and slow to react.

     Many a time we hear from all wise sources that we should refrain from slotting people into stereotypes based on some random experiences, and Ms. Madhavan did reinstate that same lesson deep into my heart. Probably because I was destined to learn a thing or two about life, or probably because our destinies interwove into one another, her kid and mine ended up in the same room for their first school year after being classmates for two years of pre k. Slowly and steadily, our association bloomed, from conversations about school and after school activities in general and about parents and family in particular. I saw more and more of her and every little meeting got me closer to knowing the person behind that naive expression and pretty face. She used to sum up philosophies of life in simple sentences, quoting them in her own plain words - words that spoke of universal truths in palatable bits and pieces. Random mentions about Oprah Winfrey show et al, quotes from famous women authors and little surprises like that made her a very endearing, sensible and hearty company. Her sing song voice and her strong Malayalee accent that doused every bit of English she spoke was music to ears. Never into the territory of gossip, always looking out and worrying for others and taking up little tasks assigned to her very seriously and diligently were real icing on top for a darling of a woman. I am blessed to have crossed paths with many friends who taught me lessons of life, but Ms. Madhavan's association took a special place in my heart - her very many conversations, her oversensitiveness to certain things, the way she tried to humor me when I was in a bad mood - all made a lasting impression on my heart's canvas. And the biggest of googlies was her immaculate sense of humor. A little talk to her lightened up daily challenges and put things in perspective. We have both belonged to different lands, spoke different languages and were brought up entirely differently but the common ground I share with Ms.Madhavan is of great reverence to me and I thank all my lucky star alignment that led me to cross paths with her. She shall for ever remain my beloved "weather reporter" and that bright sunshine in the garden of friendship.


     

He looks away,
The taciturn,
Answering the many questions
Rising in her probing gaze,
That way!
Dousing feelings in mute, dumb moments,
Freezing in the frostbite of inexpression
Crunching words into a powder of silence!
Unsaid, untold tales of love
Thus get buried
Under the tombstone of deathly muteness
The epitaph reading
Hushed emotions
Shut up into wordless,lifeless slab
Of concrete quietness!

Verse

The story to be told,
Dwells in the soul
Spreading dim light
In the premises of the heart,
Reminiscent of  a painful memory!

The story, that was felt,
Thrives in the tears
Spreads through the years
Singing lofty songs,
Of grief and hurt!

The story that unfolds
Tells tales of turmoil,
Tarnished hopes,
Tragic endings,
Trampled sprouts -
Terminated in the womb.

The story that sobs
Throbbing on the chests
Of the female form
While nipping many buds
For the fault lies in the forms they have taken!

Or may be, it is a blunder
In a man's world,
To be born as a
Life giving mother
To those very murderers!

Verse

Come to rescue,
Oh abstract verse,
When writing becomes a chore
Creating becomes a task!
Feigning poems,
In awkwardly chopped
Sloppy heaps
Makes the soul alive and buzzing!
The mind asks,
"What do you need"?
An unblock, an inspiration, a reason -
If nothing comes by,
Just a fusion of random words,
Words that bloom like weeds,
Spread like moss
In the garden of thoughts!

Verse

Words strung into meaningless
Motiveless chains,
Words that clog the crevices of brains,
That struggle to escape
And emerge into sense,
words choking with emotion.
Expressionless words,
Wandering around to find a goal -
To articulate the heart's many cares
Words woven into nets,
To catch the many tears and fears,
Poking out of the abyss of soul
Words - Idle, foolish, fragile
Escape the tangled thoughts
Engulfing a senseless verse!

Verse.

The touch on skin,
Cleansing, creating clarity!
The touch that generates
Ripples of fragrance,
A halo of perfume,
That of an Orchid ;
A jasmine, or wild rose.
The touch that cushions
With a luxurious feel!
A touch that glides
Adding to beauty!
A touch that awakens the senses
Adds pizzazz to every mood.
How she misses
Your sensual touch,
Oh scented bar soap!
The skin sensitivity be damned :D

Verse

Aloneness, amid a bedlam of voices,
Smothered with the confusion of choices!
To smile - or to frown?
At this loneliness full blown!
Conscience dissecting the simplest of deeds,
Giving them a Karmic twist.
Every harsh action and word,
Emerging out of the isolation,
Redefining the perimeter
Of the heart's quarantine!
Lovelessness distorting
The many crevices of thoughts -
Your silence, your ignorance
Like slow poison
Inflict upon the lifeless heart
Many a brutal wound!
Let it reshape the very psyche -
This want to be wanted
Ah, how tangled,
In your hopeless love!

Adornments

She looks around,
The circles of sparkles -
Stacked neatly on her dainty wrist.
The henna stained palms
Forming a stark contrast
On her tender skin.
Delicate little rings,
Tracing the diameter
Of her long fingers.
Robust nail buds
In the color of health
Tipping them.
The hand knit fringe
Of her flowing dress,
Accenting the grace
Of her arms.
What looks good on my hands?
She wonders,
Twisting them in the air -
Like a ballet dancer!
"Mine"
He whispers,
Grabbing her wrist!

Happiness

Pitter patter rain drops
On my window pane,
Red, white swirls
Of candy cane,
Chocolate covered raisins,
Dainty finger rings,
Smell of wet earth,
Memories that are worth!
Watching cattle happily grazing
Above the hill,
On a lush expanse.
A peppy number
To sing and dance
Smiles around,
Thoughts profound!
Sparkly polish on my nails,
Choo, choo train
Travelling on  rails!
Company of dear ones,
F R I E N D S reruns,
Book to take me
In the middle of no where,
Painting, creating, killing time
Trying hard to feign a rhyme!
Words bring joy
Like nothing else,
Reading, writing, speaking as well!
Whipping up yum,
Meeting new folks,
A chilled can of Coke,
Dresses with a yoke!
Shiny little trinkets,
Though I am dated -
Kind deeds, loving buddies.
Of all the things that make me glad -
One thing reigns high above!
Nothing tangible,
But only felt -
Deep in the heart,
My cares just melt!
On your tender lips a blooming smile -
That's what makes my life worthwhile!