Once Upon a Grey Day

The day was grey.
Grey, it was in every way.
The grey clouds cast a pall of gloom
Like the sky was mourning some doom.
Even the air that flowed around was grey
Carrying a chill for all who inhaled.
The grey street just blankly stared
As folks tred on with hearts greyed.
And that was how I turned grey, too
As I sat on a grey park bench and rued.

Suddenly, you floated into view.
You smiled and asked, “How are you?”
With your lilting and happy voice
That instantly made me rejoice.

In that moment, the greys peeled away
To reveal a bright, technicolor day.
The clouds were puffs of cottony white,
And a rainbow glittered in the sky.
The air, with perfume, was fragrant
And warm like on a summer evening.
The street was decked with gay festoons
As if a carnival would approach soon.
And, each person skipped by
Humming a song with twinkling eyes.

And oh! That was when I saw myself
Blazing like the sunset with happiness!

A Love That Lasts

We fought.
Like the skies during a thunderstorm.
A spark lit, and like lightning, I lashed out.
You roared like the gunmetal grey clouds.
We howled at each other like the winds,
And like raindrops, flew the accusations.
It seemed as though the end had neared –
The end of our love, our world, our Universe.

And then, with the dawn, tiptoed a light
Spreading warmth and color on all sides.
We both couldn’t help but stop and stare
At the resplendent beauty everywhere.
Just as it seemed the damage had been done,
And the crack in our relationship couldn’t be undone,
The golden light of love brought forth a horizon
And we were united once again as one.

As we looked back at the fight,
We couldn’t reminisce who was wrong or right.
But, of one thing, we did become certain –
Our love would outlast everything.

I Will Never Forget You

There are people,
And there are memories.
And then, there’s you, infused in all my memories.

There’s hardly anywhere I can go,
Or anything I can do
Without thinking of you.

There’s hardly any object I own,
Or any that I don’t
That doesn’t remind me of your love.

The other day, I was in the subway
When someone handed me a pamphlet.
It was of a store announcing a sale,
One of no remarkable interest,
And yet, I saved it till this day
Because its red shade
Reminded me of the roses you gifted
Me on the day we had first met.

Then, there were the tear drop earrings
Made of imitation rhinestones
Twinkling in the afternoon sun,
As, in the shop display window, they hung,
Very much like the light in your eyes
Whenever you looked at me and smiled.

You knew I loved birds.
The scarf with printed peacock feathers
That you bought for me is a reminder
Of the times we spent together.

I love you – that’s quite plain to see!
And I really like to think –
These knick knacks that bring forth memories
Are actually just you – always professing your love for me.

The Moment

‘Twas a moment wrapped in silky mist and silvery dew
As we strolled together on the wooded mountain trail.
The patches of sky visible through the trees were blue
And the breeze caressed each leaf to waltz and sway.

It was as if the forest, mountains, and Universe already knew
The emotions hidden inside me that sought an escape.
You walked on, talking, laughing, as always, being beautiful
Awakening within me all the thousand shades of sunset.

Then, you pointed towards a flower that in the moss, grew,
And asked me what I thought, but I was admiring your face.
At that moment, everything converged, and I said, “I love you.”
Never in my life can I forget the awkward silence that prefaced…

The smile that lit up your eyes as you said, “I love you, too.”
All my inhibitions suddenly vanished without any trace,
As, in your eyes, I could see the promise of a love so true –
A love that all the moments of our lives would forever grace.

Mother Earth

The Universe is vast with trillions of stars
And even more countless are the planets.
But the one that’s the most beautiful of all
Is the one that brought us into existence.

As the ladybug sleeps in the tree bark,
She wraps it in warmth and protects it.
And deep in the heart of the rainforests,
She taught spiders how to weave webs.

When a wildflower blooms in the velds,
It is She who fills it with sweet nectar.
And in the dry hot dunes of the desert,
She gave the camel a hump for water.

She birthed every creature big and small
And wove them all in the circle of Life.
And, in doing so, a lifeless space rock
Transformed into a world that’s alive.

She’s Mother Earth; She’s the connection.
Through Her, the Universe seeks expression.
Without Her, we’d be just specks of dust in motion.
With Her, we are the privileged ones – Her children.

The River

The river knows.
She withholds no secrets.
About all she has seen as she flows,
She spills the beans as the witness.

The fact that her speech is incomprehensible
Is a completely different matter.
As absurd as it may seem, this is possible –
All rivers have a voice that chatters.

Rivers also remember.
Not just the route they take,
But the people and events they encounter.
Memories are formed in their wake.

And when she can take it no more,
Her lyrical gurgling turns into a roar.
Waters rise as they overflow
In an effort to purge all that they store.

Then, everything in her path is cleansed
Even if it means resorting to Death.
Men, women, children, and animals
All succumb to their karmic debt.

When the floods subside, Life goes on.
The ones that are lost are forgotten.
The river reverts to her peaceful form
Preaching away to those who can listen.

The Garden

In the garden of my mind,
There grow flowers of every kind.
They bloom in all shades and hues
Mirroring my emotions and moods.

The Cockscomb, with its brilliant red
Screams of passion and excitement.
But as it stretches out in excess,
It brings anger and is dangerous.

And the dainty yellow Billy Buttons
Spread joy, warmth, and optimism.
But every so often, their color leads
To feelings of worry and anxiety.

A patch of Himalayan blue poppies
Gives root to loyalty and peace,
But at times, as they overgrow,
Loneliness and cold take their hold.

And the purple Lily of the Nile
Births ideas of the creative type.
Whereas the bright orange Lion’s Tail,
Spawns enthusiasm and friendliness.

There’re also the pink Anemones
They show playfulness and innocence.
And the White Egret Orchid is so elegant
As it exudes purity and truthfulness.

As a companion to all of these,
Abound leaves in shades of green.
Signaling growth and harmony,
They’re also the harbinger of envy.

The Black Bat Flower also survives.
In a secluded corner, it thrives.
Shrouded with powers and mysteries,
It can heighten sadness and fears.

In another spot is Miss Willmott’s Ghost
With its pale grey blossoms
Flourishing with authority and dignity,
Along with those, boredom, it breeds.

You’d say my garden is a pretty one
With every color under the Sun.
But I, and only I have come to know –
That which I heed to is that which will grow.

The Seed That I Sowed

While traversing through the woods one day,
I met an old and wrinkled woman on my way.
She said my luck would change for the better,
And gave a magic seed in exchange for my heifer.

Excited, I skipped to my home at top speed,
And in a pot with moist earth, planted the seed.
In a few days, I clapped with joy unbounded
When two tiny leaves shone as the seed sprouted.

I thought I should keep the pot on the window sill
So that the sunlight would help it grow as well.
But that night, I saw quite the scariest dream
In which the plant was stolen away by a thief.

Afraid, in another room, I hid the precious pot
Away from prying eyes in a safe secluded spot.
There, I poured a mug of water in it every day,
And for it to bear the magical fruit, I awaited.

Each day, I spoke to it about my soaring ambitions.
I was so in love with it as if it were my own creation.
Days passed, and the two leaves turned to four,
And, then, the entire plant turned a pale yellow.

The leaves fell, and the stem drooped and wilted.
It didn’t take me time to know that it was dead.
O! Woe! The magic with the plant was snuffed,
And the thing that did it in was – my excess love!

My love for the plant had transformed into greed.
My possessiveness and protectiveness had blinded me
To the extent that I could never recognize nor see
That it was actually smothering the life out of the seed.

A little sunshine and rain were all it needed
To grow and bear its magical fruits unheeded.
I wish I had understood this much much earlier,
But now I’d lost the magic … as well as my heifer.

The Mountains Are Calling, And I Must Go

Across the veils of mist and streams of melting snow,
Through the darkness of this smog-ridden concrete city,
I hear the mountains calling, and I must go.

The voices voyage through valleys high and low
Inviting me to green meadows with flowers so pretty
Across the veils of mist and streams of melting snow.

To a peaceful place where fresh, cool winds blow,
Where there’s no space for stress and negativity,
I hear the mountains calling, and I must go.

The mountains hold the warmth of the sun’s rosy glow,
And the leaves in the trees whisper a slow and soft ditty
Across the veils of mist and streams of melting snow.

The winding trails reveal secrets I long to know.
As I seek to break through the hopelessness and self-pity,
I hear the mountains calling, and I must go.

This monotonous city life is so dreary and hollow
Like a drive on an unending desert trail that’s gritty.
Across the veils of mist and streams of melting snow,
I hear the mountains calling, and I must go.

PS: This poem is a Villanelle

The Party

Yes, there’s a party tonight!
And ….yes, you’re not invited!
Yes, there’ll be music and lights,
And conversations over wine.

For tonight, I will host
A special group of guests –
These are the ghosts
From my past, of myself!

To the child that was me,
I’d ask her to play more,
And to not so much worry
About grades and scores.

To my teenage self,
I’d tell her to laugh more,
And not really fret
Over the norms of the world.

To the young lady I was,
I’d tell her to love more,
And to take a pause
When it was needed most.

To me, in my middle age,
I’d tell her to spend more time
On things that mattered to her,
And she would just be fine.

Then, we’d all dance together
Having the time of our lives.
With no one to interfere or bother
Us till the wee morning light.

And I’d wave them all goodbye
As they’d travel through the ages
Leaving a feeling of peace behind
And the gift of self-compassion.

Hope

As the clock strikes three,
In the darkness of the night,
A frightful nightmare steals
Into my pair of sleepy eyes.

I’m walking in the forest
Stalked by animals wild.
Fear rises as they chase,
But I can’t run though I try.

And yet, against every odd,
I’m pushed into wakefulness,
And returned to this world
With a feeling of hopefulness.

Yes, hope is that brave knight
Who rides into all nightmares
Fighting valiantly against fright,
And rescuing people from scares.

And there is no well or storm
That can hinder his mission.
Be it a deep ocean or dark barn,
He defeats all ghastly villains.

And so, I go to bed each night
Unsure of what I may dream,
Yet, hoping to see the dawn’s light
Through the shivers and screams.

From My Dreams

A quaint little cottage on the hillside
With a warm fire burning in the hearth,
And a little window to peer outside.

A cozy rocking chair with a soft quilt,
And a mug of freshly brewed coffee
Placed on a small wooden side table.

A book about magic, fairies, and elves,
A carpet of verdant green in the vale,
The yonder hills wearing a misty veil.

And, me, curled up in that cozy chair
With no deadlines to chase that day,
Just taking in the fresh mountain air.

Sipping the hot coffee from the mug,
Reading, from the book, a happy tale
With my feet on a plush, woolly rug.

This is the place I visit when I sleep,
A place that’s warm, like your embrace,
This beautiful place is from my dreams.