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.

I Have Memories

I have memories
Of strolling with my mother in the evenings.
Of the nippy, gentle autumn breeze,
And the bright red leaves falling from the trees.
Enamored, I used to run after these.
It was like being in a magical land of fairies.

I have memories
Of losing my heart to him.
Of the laughter and love I felt only in his company.
With him by my side, I was never lonely.
I felt so much like the orange colored autumn leaf
That twirled as his love-like zephyr swept me off my feet.

I have memories
Of Death scarring parts of me.
Of stealing moments that were lovely.
Everything around me seems to weep mournfully.
And, yellow autumn leaves glide gracefully
As the light wind guides them to their destiny.

The Last Invitation

When my time on Earth is done,
And my last day will have come,
I will lay the table for two
For a dinner with You-Know-Who.

There will be roses and candlelight,
Music and glasses of red wine.
I will greet Him with a bright smile,
And invite Him to sit with me and dine.

There will be no tearful conversations,
No pleading for my life’s extension.
Rather, we will spend the time
Talking about the afterlife.

To Him, I will narrate my stories,
Only the best ones from my memories.
I will ask Him about the folks I knew,
Those He whisked away to a place new.

And as our tete-a-tete ends,
He will then take me by my hand,
And across the sunset, we will go,
To a place more peaceful than I’ll know.