Like Tarzan

Crossing the forest
like Tarzan
from one branch to another.

nani

evening rain

Mist clears
sun shines
through evening rain .

manas

Still sea

Still sea
empty horizon
bird twitters .

akash

Empty handed

It is as though
a loss is staring
every moment ,
as though
all can slip
out of hand
any time now ,
but , then ,
what was mine ever , anyway ?
empty handed
was the arrival,
empty
will be the departure .
akash

Roots

Here is where I feel ,
I taste , I smell
amniotic roots .
nani, akash

Earth

Long years of walking
on the same earth ,
decades melting ,
spinning , gyrating here
where seeds of love ,
seeds of life
sown with tender hearts ,
are growing ,
day after day ,
from mute eery silenced voices
into lilting music
that flows
with the bubbling surf
at the confluence
of contrasting rivers .
akash , nani

Soft and supple

An open balcony ,
breezy and bright ,
I hold
my mother's hand
soft and supple ,
a diffused
essense of
tranquility
and warmth.

akash

Where to ?

Spinning ball
sudden curl in the air ,
where to ?

akash

Hint of a downpour

Red , crimson canopies ,
clutching a green hand ,
hint of a downpour ,

akash

A drop of nectar

First sip of dawn
on the cream and peaches lawn ,
a drop of nectar
hunting for the soul.

akash

A flower withers , a stone crumbles

It is one of the many love stories
hidden in lush green meadows
atop snowy mountains ,
a stone crumbles ,
a flower withers ,
our story begins here ,
where a breeze draws them both close
down into the flow of
the most beautiful river ,
where they become the silt,
the alluvium ,
the air that breaths
a whole field of flowers into life
facing the Sun
without a shadow .

akash

Eyes on the sky

I see life
pouring out ,
moments of joy
rolling out
of gutters ,
children playing blissfully
in the warmth of sun
by the side of
sprawling filth and dirt ,
it's there I want to get
where a child rolls up
the trash
to make a wheel
to run with ,
on an empty road
fingers on the wheel ,
eyes on the sky .

akash

Moving ahead

Either way
the path has only one away
ahead ,
ahead .

akash

Buried

Sound of ceiling fan
buries in birdsong
and silence .

akash

One and only

One and only
question
that leaves loads
and loads
of words behind ,
when is July ,
when the
mountain flower blooms
in summer rain ?

akash

Attar-mitti (Scent of Earth )

There is no rain yet ,
but there is the prompting of it ,
fragrance of the earth
blending with water,
a rare scent , attar-mitti ,
smell of the first rain
touching the earth ,
vaporising,
infusing
into the air around .

akash

Well worth the time

Cautious ,
with an occasional step
tracing back ,
cautious
yet optimistic,
for it takes time
to rebuild ruins ,
it takes time
to rebuild trust ,
it takes time to
give the gift of
quiet listening ,
it takes time
to close eyes
in trust ,
but ,
it is
well worth the time ,
well worth the caution.

manas

Even as I walk

I don't see any flowers here ,
yet , there is a whiff , albeit faint ,
of jasmine fragrance ,
which I inhale
even as I walk
the miles
that I have to go.

akash

Wherever the wind takes

Flying high in the sky
not bothering
about directions ,
going on and on
wherever the wind takes .

akash

As pleasant as they can be

I will never hear this in any famous album ,
but it is more melodious than anythingelse ,
repeated patterns of notes
singing on new guitar strings
with the passion of a novice ,
my son has indeed arrived
with his brand new guitar .

akash

Inspired

Respected Madam ,

I have always found your words charmingly inspiring.
Charming in style and inspiring in essence .
It is true. We are not here to be just happy.
We are here to "matter" and "make a difference "
to the lives we come across.
Need to discipline oneself for that .
Need to be obsessed about that.
Need to be collected about that .

akash

Atleast to lighten it

It's true ,
it is easy to laugh with the laughing ,
I hope to go beyond that ,
into the depths of sorrow
whose imprints are
everywhere ,
if not anythingelse
at least to lighten it
by sharing and caring ,
and thanking all those
who have
shared and cared.

akash

Richness

Thank God for that
thank earth for that ,
old friends are
multiplying in numbers ,
waving to me
greeting me with a smile ,
with shining eyes ,
shaking hands ,
my pals all the way
from the time
before I was conceived ,
making me feel
how rich it all has been
how rich it is and will be ,
the lives through which
we walk
with closed eyes
and trusting , happy souls .

akash

Bitter-sweet

Only after long years of practice
would you understand
the sweetness of after taste
of bitter fruit like neem .
Fascination of the bitter
has always captivated me.

akash

Before

Before spring blooms ,
autumn sheds leaves .

akash

Which is real?

Unannounced
the day changes to night ,
night to day ,
which is real?

akash

Difficult

Difficult ,
almost impossible
to revive
a rigid
moth infested
dacaying life .

akash

Shhh.....

Shhh......
tread softly ,
slowly
taking care
not to awaken
the sleeping dream .

akash

No looking back

A crossing
an arch ahead
no looking back

akash

Scent of rain

Scent of rain
gentle breeze
a smile

akash

Rhythm

Missing a beat
walking down the path
a dandelion .

akash

Perfection

Few moments of
untouched perfection ,
of holding each other
in hypnotised
subconscious ,
a new wave of trust ,
a shared view of world ,
a feel of being whole .

akash

Back to innocence

Honey scented chrysanthemums ,
mirth filled smile ,
I hold your little finger ,
held captive by trust,
transfixed in a touch of fresh dew on cherry blossoms ,
sweetness of childhood swirling
on the merry-go-round ,
eyes opened ,
eyes closed ,
watching the raindrops roll down your cheeks ,
hand reaching to wipe them gently
to feel the reality of it ,
of being back to the innocence
of early childhood.

manas /akash

Holy smoke

This heart ,
it's not something
that can be touched ,
the hands that work,
the feet that walk
that is all
that is real ,
all else
is holy smoke .

akash

Longing

Gathering clouds
feverish song of rainbird ,
a flutter growing faint .

akash

Through the green

Half opened buds of Petunia ,
a whiff of lily's fragrance ,
through the green smeared by late spring .

akash

Baptised by fire

One in a million chance
to purify ,
to be baptised by fire ,
the burning rage of Sun
hidden in
the mid-afternoon stones ,
once in a lifetime chance
to walk barefoot
on the rocks on fire ,
once in a never chance
of being consumed
by the rage
of invisible flames
around the hills ,
baptised by the water
sprinkled
to cool ,
to heal ,
to hold
the fire .
(Today I had to literally walk barefoot on the blazing stones )
akash

Against all odds

Faith in adversity ,
trusting untrustable ,
let me break human barriers
to lose myself
to trust ,
to faith ,
and love
against all odds .
akash

Bhagavadgeeta

War between kin .
There are times when we have got to do it.
For a right cause .
The heart aches , feet don't move .
You would want to use the hands to hold them close .
You would wish that you would hold hands and walk.
But one has to do what one has got to do.
Till the end.
With a slender , fading hope that there will be peace
after the end.

akash

Suddenly

Suddenly
summer is in full bloom
in my vineyard ,
buds , flowers ,
fruits , raw and ripe ,
swinging branches
with rainbow whorls ,
singing along
to greet
a new me .

akash

The choice

The choice ,
my choice
is unambiguously
with the real ,
with the rational ,
with truth ,
with the steady,
with that
which enables learning ,
which discards
illusions
and ficklemindedness .

akash

Free to fly

One of those rare times
one celebrates
a closed door ,
and says a beaming
thank you ,
for allowing
the soul to fly free
with the breeze .

akash

Amazing !

I am amazed that somethings , some feelings are not
touched by the passage of time .

Age and time are not barriers . They are enablers
They open possibilities .

Each day brings fresh promises , new possibilities .

akash

Don't call me

Don't ask me today ,
don't call me today ,
I need to be here alone
to experience ,
to watch
the ever expanding ripples
a voice has created ,
I need to feel the breeze
taking them
back to
where they have come from .
akash

Again and again

The old gramophone record ,
a charming and reliable one
plays again and again and again ,
spinning whorls of life
into a dizzy joy
I can never tire of .

akash

Once again

Sentences getting formed feverishly
to capture the magic
of a library at 9AM
twenty six years ago ,
love was and is about
pouring oneself
into these books
and having a few other souls
mad enough to figure out
a world describing the world ,
amidst laughter , fun and frolic .
Rediscovering the magic ,
recreating life of
of twenty and six years ........

akash

Molting

I came here
to see the glow
that poets have failed to describe ,

I came here
to hear my name
called out by time

I came here to molt ,
to cast away the decaying skin
in exchange for a fresh one

I came here
in search of life
sprouting from dying embers

It has been an hour
and a half
of life flowing endlessly

It is a promise
of life flow
forever .

akash

Imbibing radiance

Crossing three ditches
to find a person
healing the sick ,
the unhealable minds
of bodies consumed with illness ,
I sit quietly
to imbibe
his radiance
casting
a spell on me ,
I sit quietly
to watch
a real God
really
being
with all
devotees
and non-devotees ,
I sit quietly
to know
what it means
to be a human being
with values in tact ,
with rock solid
unshifting
love for all.

akash

Changes

Subtle shifts
in the ways of winds ,
the fragrances they bear ,
the way they move ,
the way they make you move ,
with the lilting new rhythm of life ,
a new sway ,
a new horizon .
akash

With Sun and wind

Unforgettable day
today
I felt so light hearted , light footed ,
I ran leaving my body ,myself ,
across the busy streets
of my city , a huge one
with a throbbing heart ,
I ran not figuratively ,
but literally ,
across it's traffic ,
congestion ,
curves and straight roads ,
with Sun and wind
in my care ,
not a care on my mind ,
alone ,
not really
because
I was cocooned
by the whole city ,
I was like a baby
floating
in it's amniotics ,
blissfully ,
cutting across
all impossibilities ,
barriers and red lights ,
for they , my little ones
and I learnt a lesson
today
that
nothing , nothing
is impossible ,
we are the possibilities ,
and impossibilities .

akash

Music

Music ,
beautiful ,
soul lifting music ,
touching tenderly
at the thresholds
of heart and mind ,

akash

Comfort

Once again
a cosy , comfortable feeling ,
that comes with sounds
that I have been hearing
everyday ,
the Robin , The Myna ,
Koel and the Crow ,

calling out in a chorus
to take a second look ,
to look once more ,
to close eyes
and just listen ,

I forget all else
and surrender myself
to the familiar comfort .

akash

Action above words

Let me shed tears for every innocent that died ,
let me not be content with that ,
let me walk
just a step more ,
to help them rebuild ,
houses ,
human bonds ,
and the badly broken trust ,
which needs action above words .....

akash

What do I choose now ?

There were acts of terror again ,
bomb blasts ,
deaths ,
innocent victims ,
trust breaking down ,
tough to choose ,
what do I choose ?
what should I choose ?
trust ,
undoubtedly trust ,
undoubtedly love ,
give me the strength
now ,
in the hour of death ,
in the hour of doubt,
give me the strength
to trust ,
to love ,
as though
nothing else existed .

akash

Any difference ?

Sinking in the abyss of sorrow
immersing in the ocean of joy
any difference ?

akash

Come

I call out to breeze ,
to stars ,
to the grief waiting at the door ,
come , come in ,
welcome to the heart
waiting to flutter
with you all ,
life is not life
without
you all .

akash

How could I not ?

With orange blossoms singing from above ,
with snow white lilies touching my cheeks ,
with the receding of afternoon Sun behind the clouds ,
how could I not fall in love again
with all that life has to offer ?


akash

On new wings

Life opens here
under a renewing sky ,
on new wings ,
with a fresh purpose
as each fluttering leaf
whispers
to a new shade of blue
in the sky ,
the birds flying with
open wings ,
as though
they are putting
a new song
on our lips .
These gentle nods
from bowing branches ,
speak a truth ,
bring alive
a forgotten silence .

akash , manas

A fading memory

A garden
beautiful ,
breezy ,
the trees tall ,green
majestic ,
skyward ,
was I there ?
utterly lost
in the beauty,
in the shadows of the trees
in the still waters of a lake ,
an occasional flutter ,
an oft heard symphony
of the birds ,
through the day ,
from the sunrise
until sunset ,
till the dusk settled in my hair ,
till the first star came
to hold me by hand
and take me to the heaven
that never was .

akash

It all makes sense

Everything seems to makes sense
cosmos seems to be feverishly at work
to make sense out of all the gibberish ,
and finally I am on my way
to my home by the Ocean shore ,
to be sitting by it's side ,
in the moonlight
watching the waves gushing
to break on the shoreline ,
my heart returning
to a deep peace
hidden in the wild side of nature .

manas, akash

Greatest love

Love is at it's best ,
when it bows to the rules
that create harmony
in society ,
when it cares so much
for the next person
that it recedes
into the background
to make room
for care ,
only care .
akash

Pleasant and hopeful

Cloudy day
pre-monsoon winds ,
pleasant and hopeful .

akash

Searching for a word

Searching for a word
as imperfect as perfection,
something which means
leaving , relinquishing
all that which ever
has been around ,
no , not death ,
not even an end ,
it is perhaps a begining ,
an endless begining of
looking into
the undestructible inner soul ,
looking into the strength
of one's own hands .
Which could not be
said in a word.
akash

Are you still there ?

The birds greet me
now ,
in a new morning
to ask me
if I am still there ,
if I am conscious
of the fact
that a brand new day
is rising ,
the birds are asking
incessantly .

akash

Thank heavens

My world ,
my perception of it
is black and white ,
simple as simplicity can be ,
I can only relate to people
when I trust ,
I quickly turn back when trust is lost ,
Thank heavens that
there are so many of them ,
so many who can be trusted
silently ,
with closed eyes .

akash

Problem at Whitehouse

My son wrote to me from Washington ,
that weather is splendid there .
Occasional rain enhancing the beauty of his walk
around Whitehouse ....
However , one serious problem he
faced was that George Bush didn't
come out to join him in the walk .
I understand , son . His loss !
I hope the Whitehouse officials
are alerted about this !

akash

For July

I am not perturbed
by the summer heat ,
my heart cool as cucumber
for it is immersed
in thoughts of July
when winds from West
will usher in cool showers .

akash

Beyond the skies

Yesterday was truly enlightening .
We were after an impossible idea .
There seemed to be no hope of realising it .
The goal was and is ambitious .
I told them to go ahead -
it is not the end product that matters ,
what is important is that
my students ,
their imaginations ,
spirits
made an attempt ,
a sincere attempt
to reach out to
the spaces
beyond the skies .
They are on the way -
i watch them
indulgently ,
with a contented smile .
akash

Erase

Erasing
long lost footprints of winds on sand ?
drowning in the
melting glaciers
of falsehood ?
akash

Kali

The all powerful image of Parvati as Kali has it's roots
in the male dominated society .
It energises me to imagine destruction of the bad by Kali ,
right from the roots .

akash

Not just feel good

Is life just about feel good words ?
I don't think so .
Every once in a while
a sharp chisel ,
an edge of a wafer thin razor
is needed
to cut through
illusions , deceptions ,
so that life can thrive .

akash

Unexpected

To find something
just when
all signs seemed
so bleak ,
and to find
it sparkling
like a diamond
in the sky ,
an age old sky
when summer sang
with mango blooms .

akash

Normalcy

What is normalcy ?
The way we are
naturally
everyday ,
every evening ,
everywhere .

akash

A gift

Tell me
if there is anything
that I can gift
which will last
for all the time
that we can think of ,
a flower as beautiful as rose
as fragrant as jasmine
as frail as parijat
would wilt in no time
in the ambient heat ,
a dawn song
would get drowned
in the humdrum of
daily noises ,
a golden bracelet
would shine
but stagnate
depriving the skin cells
of the much needed
oxygen ,
wait ,
I have not given up ,
i have a treasure here ,
there is this never ending
string of moments of
simple pleasures
like that fraction of a second
that the eyes met
in the sparkle of a firefly ,
that slight shifting sensation
on inhaling a passing fragrance ,
an unexpected compassion
that lightens up your day ,
so many of them
through our days
of living ,
blissful living ,
this is the forever ,
the imprint
of a reverent moment
in the everlasting
forevers
of all lifetimes
in our lives ,
is the gift ,
my gift
for you.

akash

Still I understand nothing

I need this blessed confusion
where I don't know what I feel ,
and fingers type out on their own free will ,
and the bird song sings without end
through the ears
into the very essence of me ,
and still I understand nothing
of what I feel .

akash

nothing

When nothing

can be done ,

no explanation

will ever help,

may actually worsen ,

the least one can do is

to be

content

absolutely

content

with

nothing

and

smile

at life

for

nothing .

akash

nothing

Standing up

stepping down

taking it all ,

leaving it in thin air ,

living like there is no tomorrow

dying like there is no today

whatelse is possible ?

whatelse is true ?

nothing .

just nothing .

akash

Gaze still away , far away .......

This is one of those things
which can only be shared
from far ,
from so very far .....
to return home after a long ,
tedious , satisfying day's work ,
to sit on the floor
with a tea cup in the left hand ,
with a friend's call on the right ,
with a faraway gaze
at a bunch of leaves
against a pale blue ,
silvery shy sky ,
leaves tilted slightly
to waltz with the breeze ,
and Sun
delaying the Sunset
just to be around ,
tea simmering
with an unwinding mind
and an unwavering breeze .

Gaze still away , far away......

akash

For the invisible angel

I thought angels ,
lovely , sweet ,graceful ,
mysterious , charming
and invisible angels
existed only in fairy tales .
Here I find ,
or I don't find
you who holds an umbrella
of protection
through sun , rain ,
mist , hailstorm ,
cyclone and typhoon .
Dear gaurdian angel ,
voice of God ,
you hold me ,
unfailingly ,
so much so
I walk through life
blindfolded ,
fearless ,
happy
as happiness can be .
How can I thank you
when I don't know who you are ?
akash , manas

Congratulations and celebrations ........for Tomas Karkalas

Life is flying high
with feet tapping away
heart singing
like a lark ,
in a huddling cuddle
like a dove .
Theme song of Tomas Karkalas 's beautiful blog
fills my home ......
" Congratulations and celebrations .........."
Dear Tomas ,
I celebrate your life , your paintings , your words ,
your ability to rise above all that you face ,
the love and light you spread .

With gratitude ,
akash

Innocence

Innocence scripting
another story
where
only angels tread ,
and children play
blissfully
on wings of lightness .

akash

No other thought

Beyond this devotion ,
beyond this total dedication
to all that life has to offer ,
no other thought ,
form or action.

akash

For all the good

For all the good
that converged
to restore
the Universe ,
for all the good
that needs to flow
out of these hands
to restore
the glory
that life has always been ,
will always be .

akash

Suspended drizzles

Sun alternating
between gathering clouds ,
now bright and sharp,
now dull and soft ,
a constant chatter
of spring birds ,
a dull ache
suppressed for long ,
so many ways
in which
suspended drizzles
touch your heart .

akash

In the stillness of night

This moment
immersed in the
tranquil stillness
of light pouring
through open sky ,
connecting ,
converging
with light
twinkling
through millions
of years ,
can the mind ever
figure out
what would that mean ?
What was I
a million years ago ,
in the stillness
of tonight ......?

akash

Looking ahead

My eyes focussed
on a hopeful tomorrow ,
my journey bright
with the shimmer
of moonlight
on the
mystery filled
windings
unfolding on the road ,
erasing a past
to write a
fulfilling future.

akash

A feel of mist

Hand reaching out
to the loveliness of mist ,
to a freshness of dew ,
through a glass ,
as the palm caresses the glass
eyes shine
in the mist
with drops of dew
trickling down
the cheek
pressed against the glass.

akash

Now

Everything ,
all that can be outside this tiny little
speck I call now ,
is waiting in angst , in humility ,
in a delirously happy disposition ,
full of sorrow ,
a feeling of betrayal ,
a vengeful eye ,
a benevolent compassion ,
each for it's own like ,
a mirror ,
whole and unbroken ,
in the full essence of "now" .

akash

Growing up together

When you travel
together for decades ,
centuries ,
what you share
are not just the good words ,
yourselves ,
in totality ,
the good , bad , ugly ,
the smooth , the rough ,
the anger and the compassion,
hatred and love ,
lies and the truth ,
the laughter and the tears ,
precious tears .

( Long years of togetherness in a marriage have this amazing quality !)

akash

Clean up

All footprints erased
by the lashing winds and waters ,
the sands as pristine
as clean as eons ago
when untrampled sands
danced with the gentle
sway of trees .

akash

Dreamy ?

Ever since I can remember
I walked , talked
gold , silver , yellow , green dreams ,
floating forever
on the causeless buoyancy
of mind , body , spirit and soul ,
which often built
huge bridges
overlooking majestic rivers
reaching out
to wilderness wildly.

akash

Turning with my gaze

I who was so contented to be here ,
in the confines of the walls ,
why am raring to go ,
to fly across all the chasms
that divide humanity ?
Perhaps , the wings are right ,
and then
the irresistable call of sky ,
pure azure blue sky ,
turning with my gaze
in Oh so fresh breeze .

akash

Enchanting !!

Was it coversation ?
Was anything spoken ?
What was it that built bridges
across chasms
of gender , relegion and time ?
Patience , resilience,
charm , wit , magic .
love , life ?? ?
Reason ,
the fine art of learning ??
I am flowing
beyond time and space ,
all the boundaries broken ,
all levels crossed !
akash

Gracious fate

It was not clear before ,
yet another arch
leading me to another view ,
a total change of scenario ,
a green sanctuary ,
a sea change from
vast arid zone ,
without any of the
make believe pretences ,
how gracious can fate be !
akash

What does it take to be whole ?

How do we become complete ?
What does it take to be whole ?
Many people , many answers .
To me it seems to be
in being able to connect
to the world ,
at the spots at which it bleeds ,
in a way as to heal
the world
along with oneself .
Not as easy to do as to say .
akash

First signs

Wheels of time roll on
unterrupted through
heat ,dust and all that makes
the earth and us .
In what may have seemed to be
one of the hottest days ,
the body , mind , soul , spirit burnt
in an uncommunicable treason .
It must have echoed in the skies
across continents ,
for the breezy gray clouds
rushed over my head ,
but I couldn't believe my eyes ,
I still think it's a dream
like months before
on an earlier occasion ,
in another place ,
in another direction ,
the same feel
a soft , cool feel of tears falling ,
all around me , on me .
a sure first sign
of an impending change
in the season .

akash

Ultimate expression of love

Sometimes I wonder
as to what the ultimate
expression of love is ......
options seemed so many ,
spending time together ,
smiling at each other ,
expressing through art ,
expressing through learning ,
but none really reached the level of
being there for one another ,
being next to the other
holding hands
when fraility has set in
with age and health ,
and there are so many
hands to be held ,
so much of love to be shared .
akash

Emptiness

Just emptiness
the ultimate
source and sink ,
no other place ,
nothingelse
like that .
akash