A Love Story

Theirs was a match made in Heaven
… And on Earth.
Her effervescence
Perfectly complemented his calmness.

Love was but natural,
As deep as the still waters of a lake in the morning.
It was more than just physical.
It existed in everything.

She loved flowers.
He loved watching her braid them in her hair.
He loved his morning coffee and newspaper.
She loved hearing his views on making the world better.

She’d laugh like a gurgling river.
He loved it when she did.
He’d hum songs from the yesteryears.
She loved it when he did.

Even their moments of disagreement
Deepened their affection,
Like a special condiment
That added a flavor to their connection.

They were the kind of lovers
Who actually lived their wedding vows.
Each year saw them together.
Each year saw their love grow.

But, then, there came a wretched phase
When an ill wind did blow.
It took her away in its grasp
Leaving him pining and alone.

Now, in the autumn of his life,
He yearns to be by her side.
At times, a tear rolls down his eyes
As he searches for her footprints in the void.

The Language of Love

Golden sunflowers
Turn toward the skies at dawn.
If this isn’t love, what is?

Raindrops from clouds
Kiss the earth as they fall down.
If this isn’t love, what is?

White-crested oceans
Embrace rivers with open arms.
If this isn’t love, what is?

Silent Summer zephyrs
Carry with them sweet birdsongs.
If this isn’t love, what is?

Leaves in Autumn
Relinquish their space to new ones.
If this isn’t love, what is?

Silvery moonbeams
Shine their light on everything.
If this isn’t love, what is?

It would seem that love
Converses not in sentences or words.

It is the language of the heart and soul,
And to be fluent, one only needs to love in return.

The Field of Fireflies

Being with you is like
Running through a field of fireflies
Under the purple skies of twilight.

Tiny flashes, in the air, rise
Creating a show of sparkly designs
Like the stars shining in your eyes.

Glows pulse through the night
Relaying messages in a code divine
As you hold my hand and smile.

That moment etches in my mind,
And in that moment, I realize
I’m the night and you, my firefly.

Forever together, our fates entwine
As we make memories of love and light
In the shimmering field of fireflies.

The Bridge

Once upon a long time ago,
There lived a maiden fair
In her warm and cozy abode
Near the edge of a deep river.

Far across on the other bank,
There lived a handsome lad,
The bravest in all the land,
In his castle near the sands.

Every so often, the fair maiden
Would come down to the river.
With lilting notes, she would sing
Songs that floated in the zephyr.

One day, the princely lad heard
Her voice carried by the breeze,
And he sang in reply to her
In the purple twilight of one eve.

And with the songs, their love grew.
They longed to meet each other.
But their wishes were tossed askew
By the raging and abysmal river.

Never to give up, the young lad
Set out to seek the maiden fair.
On his steed, he rode far and wide
Till he found a bridge to cross over.

O! They were the happiest lovers,
And soon, they wed at the altar.
Singing their love songs together,
They lived joyfully ever after.

And if you don’t believe this tale
Of the fair maiden and her true lover,
Ask the witness who lived to tell –
It is the bridge across the river.

Perchance

She was ninety-six; he was sixteen.
Her days were ending: his were beginning.
She was a dreamer; he was called a geek-
Poles so apart they could never meet.

All that changed the day before the party.
Rumors were that he madly adored Betty,
A pretty girl who lived on the same street.
But scared, he was, to confess his feelings.

And so his ninety-six year old granny
Found him sighing, sulking, and lonely.
“It’s a girl, isn’t it?” She asked wisely.
“Yeah!” He said and told her his story.

“Well”, She said. “When will you do it?
Ask her if she’ll go with you. Why wait?”
Mortified he was as he exclaimed loudly,
“What if I do, and she doesn’t agree?”

His granny sat near him and said softly,
“What if you ask her, and she agrees?
Of that, there’s an equal possibility.
You should ask her, if you ask me!”

And she spoke something of regretting,
In the end, the missed opportunity.
But he had heard all that was needed.
And all the way to Betty’s house ran he.

He asked, and she agreed promptly.
And off to the dance, they went happily.
So my friends, truth be told truthfully,
A chance not taken is one lost, definitely!

The Lovers

The Earth and the Sky –
Bound together
By an invisible force
Named Gravity,
But could I call it –
Love?

The Earth and the Sky –
Meet each other
In the distance, yonder,
On the horizon,
But could I call it –
The Kiss?

The Earth and the Sky –
Merge with each other
With lightning and rain
During a thunderstorm,
But could I call it –
Passion?

The Earth and the Sky –
Give themselves
To each other
Creating seasons,
But could I call it –
Sacrifice?

The Earth and the Sky
Lovers by destiny?
Lovers by choice?
Lovers by force?
Lovers by chance?
Lovers…mysterious!

The Roses

That night,
As you walked out of the door and my life,
All that you left behind
Was a note in which you apologized,
And a bunch of roses – my favorite kind.

The roses.
They reminded me of our relationship –
Full of deep, passionate intimacy,
Yet so ephemeral and impermanent
Like the petals, now wilted.

The roses.
They exuded a musky fragrance.
Like the special something we had,
Or so, I used to think, but I was wrong.
For now, that fragrance was long gone.

The roses.
You often compared me with them.
You said I was more alluring,
And they less, but those were all lies,
Like that faded bouquet you left behind.

The roses.
I will never grow to hate them.
I don’t know how, but I will move on,
And the only thing that will remind me
Of you … and us will be their thorns.

The Spice of Life

Spices-there are so many
That make life worth living,
From happiness like sugar
To anger that’s bittersour.

But there’s a special spice
That makes all things nice.
It is the secret ingredient
That tops other condiments.

This spice grows in hearts.
When sprinkled, it imparts
A flavor that’s everlasting
With a freshness like Spring.

It has many superpowers.
It creates, unites, and cures.
But there’s also a caution –
To use it in apt proportions.

This spice is the only one
That makes us all human.
It’s a covenant from Above.
This spice of life is – Love.

The Hues of Love

Love’s first hue is Harmony.
Just like the colors
Of the sky’s palette in the evening
Or a bouquet of flowers
Create a vision so appealing.

Love’s second hue is Acceptance.
Just like the colors
Of a rainbow arching in the Heavens
Or the butterflies in the bowers
Come together in perfect balance.

Love’s third hue is Sacrifice.
Just like the colors
Of Fall give way to Winter’s white
Or when the Moon’s silver shimmers
Come alive after the Sun sets at night.

Love’s fourth hue is Purity.
Just like the colors
Of the Lily of the Valley
Or the blue firmament in summers
Stay spotless in their eternal beauty.

Love’s fifth hue is Love itself.
Just like the colors
Of the blood that pulses in veins
Or the ink in the quills of lovers
Run deeper than the ocean currents

Shhh!

Your eyes are a mirror of your heart.
They reveal the truth when you lie.
Feelings that you try to hide
Can be seen in your eyes.
So, just stay silent,
And let me gaze
Into them
Tonight –
Shhh!

PS: This poem is a Nonet.

The Perfect Love Story

The king and the queen were worried.
The princess was yet to be married.

But none of the suitors were perfect.
In them, she always found a defect –

Too talkative or boring or fat or thin,
None of them, her heart, could win.

She was waiting for the ideal prince
Like in the books she’d been reading.

Until one day when with her friends,
She went to the riverside for a swim.

As they played in the cool waters,
A huge dragon appeared from nowhere.

Clutching the princess in its talons,
It flew off towards the high mountain.

The word spread around like wildfire.
The kingdom was gripped by terror,

But, one brave and fearless warrior
Took off on his horse to rescue her.

He shot an arrow at the huge dragon,
And a fierce battle then commenced.

The dragon roared and spat flames,
Yet, he was quicker and dodged them.

Finally, his sword found its mark,
And he pierced the dragon’s heart.

By the light of the pale crescent moon,
He brought the princess safely home.

The kingdom celebrated and rejoiced
As the princess then made her choice.

In the glow of thousands of candles,
They both exchanged rings, and wed.

And as a new dawn broke in the skies,
With it, in the kingdom, peace arrived.

And as the story ends, I say these words –
The perfect love story exists in this world.

There’s one for each and every person.
Love, like the wind, touches everything.

Just believe in it with your heart,
And welcome it with open arms.

For the Love of Chocolate

Midnight’s bittersweet child,
Ambrosia from Paradise,
Harbinger of innumerable pleasures,
Enticing the senses beyond measure.

The smoothest criminal in history,
Unleashing a revolution culinarily,
The favorite of entire generations,
The star of many celebrations.

A soft silkiness that melts readily,
Fruity, caramel, nutty and earthy,
Even a whiff of it is magical,
A bouquet of aromas paradoxical.

Messenger of unspoken emotions,
There’s one for every occasion.
Tempting to every type of palate –
All this, is a piece of chocolate!