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.

Overthought

So I thought aloud a thought
That differed from your thoughts.
Then I thought some more thoughts
About what you would’ve thought.

This led to a pile-up of thoughts –
The what-ifs and whatnots thoughts,
And I ended up with more thoughts
That I should not have thought.

I know you may not have thought
Thoughts that I thought you’d thought,
Yet, my mind dreads the thought –
You may have thought those thoughts.

If anyone has any possible thoughts
Of how I can stop these thoughts,
Then tell me so without a thought
And to try them, I’ll give it a thought.

To Learn from Children

Children are our teachers.
Of that, there is no doubt.
They may not be preachers,
Yet, they show the way out.

Children are very curious.
They like to do new things.
At times, trouble is obvious,
But that’s just a learning.

And regarding imagination,
They’re full of ideas to the brim.
They look for ways to use them,
And possibilities have no limits.

It’s easy to befriend a child.
They love making connections.
So, reaching out helps in life
To build and maintain relations.

And of the most importance,
Is that quality of fearlessness.
They face new experiences
Without fear of consequences.

The Rebel

“She’s a rebel! A renegade!
She doesn’t conform to our ways.”
Ever since she was born,
She couldn’t adhere to the norms.
Yes, she was very different
In her ways and opinions.
But, little did the haters know,
She had within her a diamond’s glow.
Her difference became her distinction,
And she left a lasting impression.
The same crowd now calls her the best,
And they yearn to follow her footsteps.

Fundamentally Not Right

In the great books of any country
Are the fundamental rights of its people.
For, the preservation of human dignity
And everyone’s development is essential.

But there is One amongst all of us
Who is not given equal consideration.
And day by day, it becomes obvious
That no one cares about Her exploitation.

Her forests are cleared to build cities.
Chemicals are dumped into Her oceans.
Harmful gases in Her air are released.
Every day, a species faces extinction.

As the Mother, She tries to give Her all
To fulfill the wishes of all Her children.
The constant taking will be our downfall.
When will we humans learn our lesson?

We wax eloquently about basic freedoms
Like speech, expression, and equality.
Yet, no one acknowledges the realization-
Mother Earth is fighting … to just breathe.

The Place I Call My Home

I am but a traveler.
In the expanse of this world, I roam.
And often, I wonder,
Where is that place I can call home?

Is it my mother’s womb
Where I took form and shape?
Is it the house from my childhood
With memories of idyllic days?

Is it my school or college
Where I received knowledge?
Is it the holy pyre
That my soul takes for its final travel?

Turns out it’s where I have a bit of it all –
Warmth, love, freedom, and expression.
My home is not just a roof and four walls,
But, of myself, it is an extension.

The Real Enemy

Every problem can be solved with empathy.
Maybe if you are open to accepting
Perspectives that are different
And take those few steps
To reach middle ground,
Helping each other,
Yet understanding,
A war is not the answer.
Nothing can come of bloodshed.
Dead men can’t love, laugh, and share.
With war, entire generations are scarred,
And all that’s left in the aftermath is hate.
Recognize the real enemy and let peace prevail.

PS: This is an acrostic poem. Join the first letter of each line and see what you get.

Chinese Whispers

Ah! The vagaries of youth –
A game of Chinese Whispers, too
Is a chance to profess, “I love you.”
Or, could it be too good to be true?

His plan was to say the words,
Whisper them in the ear of another,
And for that one to whisper to another,
Till it reached the ears of his love.

He: “I love you so much, it hurts.”
Friend 1:”I shoved you, so does it hurt.”
Friend 2: I shopped for you a red skirt.”
She: I should have you got a shirt.”

O Cupid! Your arrow strayed again!
The message was lost in the game!
What transpired of him and his secret?
Like the game, we’ll never really know it.

The Monster Under My Bed

In the deep darkness under my bed,
There lurked a monster, evil and undead.
It had gnarly, green arms and long nails,
And yellow eyes and hairy barbed tails.
It came to life in the dead of the night
Calling out to me in its rough voice.
I dreaded stepping out of my little bed.
For what if it just grabbed my legs?
I felt I’d be protected by my blanket,
But the monster just waited to yank it.
The Moon’s pale light did not help.
It got shadows-the monster’s friends.
“There’s nothing there,” my mother said,
The next day, as we peered under the bed.
But only I knew that it would be back,
And scare me to death by its attack.
It took me years of introspection, instead
To figure – that monster was in my head.

Dear Silence

Dear Silence,
Thank you for just showing up and being there.
Without you, there would be cacophony everywhere.
And with you, the noise makes sense.

Dear Silence,
Your value is beyond measure.
Just like pearls are discovered in an ocean by a diver,
The mind uncovers wisdom in your presence.

Dear Silence,
It’s paradoxical, but you are an excellent orator.
Of things left unsaid, you are the messenger,
And you have salvaged many-a-worsening situation.

Dear Silence,
I appreciate you being such a life-saver.
Serenity abounds with you as the mediator.
Thank you for creating the perfect balance.

Broken … And Fixed

It started with a fight.
We argued, shouted, sweared, and called each other names.
I stomped up to the attic.
My face flushed and teary-eyed in a fit of rage.

I somehow had to end this.
The only way to save myself was to conciously separate.
This relationship that I cherished,
A year later, had become stale.

Just then, my eyes fell on a wooden chest.
It was an old one made of wood and nails.
I mindlessly opened it,
Rummaging through the bric-a-brac it contained.

Suddenly, I found myself holding my dolly.
She was small, with a blue dress and a pink face.
Her arms were covered by bell sleeves,
But they were held to her body with tape.

There was an inundation of memories.
Decades ago, my friend and I were engrossed in play.
This dolly was one of my favorites,
And when we both grabbed it together, her arms gave way.

We tried to play with her.
But then decided it was useless and to throw her away.
Just then, my grandmother walked in.
She took one look at the dolly and shook her head.

With scissors, tape, and, in fifteen minutes,
My little dolly was ready to play with again.
“When something is broken, look for ways to fix it.”
Her words echoed in my mind at that very moment.

All of a sudden, I felt like a bulb had been lit.
Yes, there was anger, frustration, and rage,
But, I was going to try and save this relationship
I walked out of the attic, ready to calmly explain what I felt.

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.