With A Friend

When you’re lonely and down in the dumps,
And your spirit is in the doldrums.
When it seems that something has blocked out the Sun,
And Sadness weighs on you like a tonne.

What you need is a dose of laughter and fun
To make your grief come undone,
But no pill or syrup can give you that punch
Like your friend, your bestie, your chum!

With a friend, you know that you can take the plunge,
Venture into the deepest canyon.
With a friend, you don’t fear the things that go bump
In a night that would scare anyone.

With a friend, the worst days you can confront.
It don’t matter if you’ve lost or won.
All you need to believe is you have the gumption,
And, who helps? It’s your friend, your bestie,  your chum!

The Sparrow

Have you ever heard the breaking dawn?
Its tiny melodies of chirrups and cheeps-
Harken! the sparrow’s mellifluous songs!

Birds of feathers – buff, black and brown
Greet the big city as it stirs to its feet,
Have you ever heard the breaking dawn?

At times hopping, and, at times, airborne,
They convey their messages with felicity.
Harken! the sparrow’s mellifluous songs!

To their antics and ditties, all are drawn.
But endangered they are, as a species!
Have you ever heard the breaking dawn?

Will a time come when we all will mourn?
In their absence, will the morning grieve?
Harken! The sparrow’s mellifluous songs!

With them, all inspiration will be gone –
Of companionship, joy and simplicity.
Have you ever heard the breaking dawn?
Harken! The sparrow’s mellifluous songs!

PS: This poem is a Villanelle.

What’s in a Rainbow?

Behold the mourning June skies with a beautiful rainbow!
Well, if you ask me, there’s more to it than just its beauty.
It is a promise of hope that at its end lies a pot of gold.

It is a symbol of power as tiny drops split light into colors so pretty.
It is a sign of harmony as the seven hues blend and curve in unity.

It hints at being happy as its cheerful smile makes everyone smile.
It says there’ll be bad days, but they, too, will go away – such is life!

One Rainy Night

It was a moonless, cloudy night
As heavy rain fell from the sky.
The wind howled woo-ooo-woo,
And the thunder loudly boomed.
Forks of white lightning crackled.
Trees fell with roots unshackled.
A night as dark as a deep abyss.
One that’d scare even the bravest.
Yet, a handful of armed soldiers
Climbed up a hill in camouflage.
The mission – to rescue hostages
Captured by terrorists in a village.
They slid through the alleyways
Using the storm as a cover itself.
Upon the signal, they all attacked
Raining bullets on the radicals.
The hostages were then saved,
And they lived to tell the tale –
Of the armed angels saving lives
On that moonless, cloudy night.

The Power of Words

The pages of history are replete
With man’s quest for domination,
Of how the little atom was split
To create a destructive weapon.

But a more powerful one exists
That causes more devastation.
It is the words that one speaks
That are stronger than weapons.

If only one could clearly see
Through the veil of discrimination,
There wouldn’t be any hate speech
Leading to wars between nations.

If only one used their words wisely
Without ego, anger or bad intentions,
Then everyone would be at peace,
And this would spread in all directions.

Such words purify the soul and body.
They help dispel negative emotions.
They pave the way for good things
For the speaker and the one listening.

Echoes of the Rain

The drizzling rain reminds me
Of the green grass laden with dew
When I strolled on it with you.

And when it pours
With a constant pitter patter, I remember
Our conversations over hot tea and fritters.

When a storm rages with raindrops like whiplashes,
And the forked lightning crackles and flashes,
Bringing to life scary monsters in the darkness,
I reminisce the comfort of your warm embrace.

There are other people I’ve come across, too.
But the rain forever reminds me of – you.

My Angel

During dark and tumultuous times,
When conflicting emotions collide,
There shines a lamp of bright light
Revealing the path out of the strife.
With a word at a time, I get respite –
Poetry! Always my Angel, my guide!

The Flower and the Stone

The flower bloomed high up on the tree.
A splash of red among the green leaves.
The stone sat on the cold earth’s floor –
Midnight-black, and in a constant stupor.

Contented, they were, in their own worlds
Oblivious to how their fates would unfold.
The fragrant flower smiled in the breeze
While the stone stood unmoving, stoically.

One day, the rain fell from the grey skies.
Along with it, a gust of wind passed by.
The delicate flower was soon detached,
And it floated down from the tree’s lap.

It twirled away in its freedom newfound
Landing at the stone’s foot on the ground.
In that fortuitous moment of Pushpanjali,
The impassive dark stone attained Divinity.

My Mother’s Heart

There’s a place that has no boundaries,
Where love blooms in eternal Spring,
Where my infinite wishes are fulfilled,
And I can see the sweetest dreams,

Where the grass is soft as I walk,
And there are no hard stones or rocks,
Where I can share my deepest secrets,
And listen to lullabies when I rest,

Where the voice of wisdom speaks to me,
And the air has the fragrance of divinity,
Where a superforce gives me protection,
And I can seek and find expression.

This place is where I was moulded.
It is the bedrock of my existence.
It is where I can always get a start,
This place is in my mother’s heart.

The Mango Tree

The great Indian summer –
Dry, dusty and sweltering
With no respite or succor
As the Sun keeps blazing.

Amidst this, a mango tree
Spreads its leafy branches
Blocking out the cruel heat
Under its green expanses.

Many travelers on their ways
Stop to rest in its cool shade.
Birds chirp in their little nests.
Little squirrels gambol away.

And along with these mortals,
Also seeking shade…is a temple.