A Soft Pillow

My heart doth now become leaden
With aches and pains gets laden
When hearing news that are sordid
Evil deeds of creatures too horrid

Demons and monsters in stories read
Come alive to wreck lives unhindered
With their fangs and claws so hideous
And wicked to harm in ways insidious

When heavy sadness fills my heart
To some pleasant memories I resort
The happy carefree childhood days
Of fun, frolic and friendly plays

Beaches, flowers, hills and dales
Any scenery that my heart regales
Little favors that life brings
And a lot of my favorite things

Those little acts of my kindness
Deeds of tact and thoughtfulness
That brightened a worried face
And emboldened to run the race

Unflinching always in my duty
Guarding the kin with loyalty
To gather knowledge my thirst
And to share it was I first

Let the ugly face of life recede
Let me only the bright spots heed
Unknown are the ways of Providence
In its kindness have I confidence

A branch is not destined to carry
Fruit bunches that are too heavy
No grudges and ill-will I keep
A soft pillow I have to sleep

–

The Beach

On the beach I sit for hours entranced
Seeing how the world around me danced
A feast of cheerful sights and sounds
The spice of life's variety here abounds

Kids squealing in joyous laughter
The elders only happy to run after
Lovers are transported to paradise
The surroundings lost to their eyes

Friends gathered to forget their care
Breathing in the freshness of salty air
Fun and entertainment for all ages
Even fortune-telling parrots in cages

The kaleidoscopic scenes make me wonder
Making my harrowed mind cease to ponder
Lost in a state of blissful reverie
A magic eraser rubs my memory

I feel not the fine sand in my palm
Dripping through in celestial calm...


Two Faced

Is life a gentle, caressing breeze
Weaving through the leaves of trees?
Or a tumultuous gale with malice
Tossing the boat in rough seas?

Is life a baby's cherubic smile,
Utterly void of craft and guile?
Or a wicked grin born in wile,
Filled with cruel venom and bile.

Is life an uplifting wind blown,
Bent on bestowing the winning crown?
Or a deadly mire pulling down,
With definite design to drown?

Does life bring joys in bundles,
Where only easy jobs one handles?
Or a bitter race of non-stop hurdles;
And a hateful animosity, it kindles?

Is life a sweet bed of roses,
Which never a harm poses?
Or a game one always loses
And every exit to escape closes?

Is life a rare delicacy
Spiced with endless variety?
Or a path of unfathomable mystery
Thorned with merciless treachery?

Life indeed is a Janus-
With a face , fair and wondrous,
And another, freakish and callous.
Oh! Lord! hide the second from us!

–
Waiting Matters

Fast is man's pace-
Rocketing beyond space,
Webbing across cyberspace:
Yet waiting has much relevance !

Mother Nature certainly is patient-
Trees have years inside seeds spent.
Buds wait for the proper moment
To blossom and waft their scent.

Eggs hatch on the precise date,
Feathers appear at the set gait;
Nestlings must but wait
To fly and for the season to mate.

Neither is birth fast or easy-
The womb must but carry
For the counted days the baby
Till the mother's happy delivery.

It is after so many semesters
And studious, exam papers
Any university a degree confers.
Wait again for the job one prefers !

Queues are endless here and abroad-
Be it for the ration card or the green card,
Or for the green signal on the crowded road.
And the last wait is for life's burden to unload.


You and I

A figure has its shadow,
And a sound its echo.

You and I are a similar pair-
But not so well do we fare.

'Cos you're my distorted shadow,
And a perverse, contradictory echo.

I gaze at the rainbow with childlike glee,
You just shrug at the natural phenomenon.

A flowing, silver cascade again
Is for you a mere force of gravitation.

I rejoice when I hear wedding bells,
But you think of fetters and shackles.

Marital bliss as I see
Is for you a doom in disguise.

I find in the babe a bundle of joy,
The same, for you, is a burden of yoke.

I love youth, mirth and laughter;
Brooding alone is what you prefer.

I greet the day that is born;
You weep the day that is gone.

You scowl at the black cloud,
I smile at the silver lining behind.

Firm is my faith in Providence;
Resigned, you are, to Destiny.

North and south poles are, indeed, opposite-
Yet, there's an attraction they cannot resist.

An eggshell houses yolks two- yellow and white,
My soul ,alike ,holds minds two- grim and bright.

An intriguing psycho-paradox, perhaps,
Hard to define, harder to live with.



Money

Money is a tool, not all...

Times there were when muscle power ruled-
The caveman's main tool to wield.
An Atlas, a Hercules and an Ulysses
Proudly did parade their prowess.

Then came an age of moral power;
In supreme honor did Pandavas tower.
Lord Krishna's scriptures paved us the way
And in personal grandeur Lord Rama did sway.

Now reigns an era of money power-
Seen, felt, heard and sensed every hour;
An urge, a goal, a craze, a quest-
The very pulse and throb of human breast.

Money speaks- everywhere- with emphasis:
A magic key to open all doors, it is.
Admissions to schools and colleges are easy
When approached from the rear with sums hefty.

Petitions and applications of loyal citizens
Glide through the red tape with right lubrication.
You wish and it is done
When the packet to the party has gone.

Money manipulates marriages nowadays
Since grooms stalk with price tags-
Girls sweat in lewd office glare
The parents in penury the rest share.

The spirit and thrill of sports is forgotten
Because match-fixers have made the players rotten.
Horse-trading is the stamp of politics everywhere;
Bulls and bears in stocks do not play fair.

None works for honest fare;
Norms and ethics are nobody's care.
Every service demands you to tip,
The world's in corruption's grip.

Money is the pivot on which life now turns-
In the rat race all values it churns.
"Do or die" is the cut-throat competition-
Material comforts are the first consideration.

Money can make many things;
Money cannot buy many things-
A soft pillow, but not a sweet slumber;
A huge palace, but not a warm home.

Chase money with might and force-
Lose many simple joys in the course.
Desist the mad pursuit of riches,
Beware of money's cruel clutches.

Money is a tool, not all;
A path, not a goal;
Put mercy first and money next;
Live and let live, content is best.

–

The Rain

The rain, a harp of million strings,
In different times and in different climes
Plays a tune of different notes-
From a light beat to a full blast:
It's the sweetest lullaby and the worst nightmare.

A drizzle of tiny wet particles,
Almost a gentle mist floating by
Is cool and caressing,
Soft and soothing
Like a child's touch.

Secret word in rumbling sound passes around
To gather together the passing clouds-
A sudden summer shower pours
Drenching the trees and gladdening the hearts
In a quick freshening bath.

The monsoon rain is the hope
Of rivers and reservoirs-
It rains cats and dogs in this season
Keeping people indoors in cozy comfort
When the year's rain harvest goes on ceaselessly.

Cyclones and tempests are the crescendo-
Waves rise to many meters high and torrents
Lash with unexplained wrath and fury
Wreaking havoc, ravaging coasts forever:
No encores, people pray, to this awesome score


The Flowers

Great schemers, the flowers sure are-
Brightly colored for the day,
Brilliant white for the night,
Strongly scented in addition,
Announcing their location with assurance.

Full blossoms laden with nectar
Invite for feast the winged guests:
Buzzing bees and dainty butterflies,
Spotted bugs and shiny beetles,
Big and small, dull and colorful.

They come in hosts and in single file
To gorge in the sweet honey.
Drunk and dazed,
They waltz on the petals
In a tipsy dance of ecstasy.

The restless revelers leave the flowers
With their hairy legs and body
Coated with the yellow dust
That is sprinkled all over
The freshly opened honey cups.

The avid drinkers land again
On another bed of flowers-
A silent transfer of the yellow powder
Follows - a fantastic propagation mission:
Cleverly planned, but seemingly casual.

The pollen finds its destination-
Begun as a floral merrymaking,
Bringing about fertilization,
The fruition of love's labor
Is the joyous secret of Nature's perpetuation.


The Original Computer

Nature is the original computer:
A hardware wonder,
A software magic,
With downloaded clocks and calendars.
Infinite functions and commands
Activated by countless bits and bytes of energy
Each and every chip is loaded
With codes of all instincts and genes
Of each and every living creature-
Be it the amoeba or the whale,
The finch or the vulture,
The ant or the elephant.
Each and every phase is programmed-
Propagation and hibernation,
Ovulation and gestation,
Migration and mutation;
On the dot it occurs
With unerring precision.
That is Nature where
Law and order prevails.
God's in His Heaven
And all's well with the world.


The Particle of Wonder

The Particle of Wonder
The pines of hills, the pearls of oysters,
The peaks of mountains capped with snow,
The piles of vast desert sands,
The pebbles under clear waters,
The plumes of parrots and peacocks,
The plushy coat of feline creatures
Are a source of sensuous pleasure
And food for wondrous thoughts of philosophy.
Behold in the petals of flowers
And wings of butterflies
A painter with a palette of gorgeous colors,
An engineer with ingenious designs.


What is Fashion?

Fashion is a mirror-
It reflects day-to-day trends,
Showing man as a social animal.

Fashion is a feast -
It whets the appetite for attention,
Aided and abetted by flattery.

Fashion is a spice-
It adds variety;
Makes life's fare a delicacy.

Fashion is a molting process-
Old modes give way to new,
Reviving moods and mind-sets.

Fashion is a phenomenon-
It makes apes of men,
Prompting blind imitation.

Fashion is a wave-
It rises and falls;
There's no stopping it.

Fashion is a wind-
It is wayward and fickle,
Has no plan or principle.

Fashion is a wildfire-
It is self-created,
Burns out not put out.

Fashion is a flower-
It's first a blossoming glory,
Very soon a withered memory.

Fashion is a kaleidoscope-
It's ever-changing and enchanting
With its infinite scope.


Harmony

A big bang it was that started it-
What began aeons ago goes on and on :
The firmament of suns, stars and planets,
Filling awe and wonder in curious minds.

The Earth is Mother Nature's darling,
A stage for cellular growth,
A seat for origin of species,
An Eden of breathing life and treasures.

The fins, the wings and the the feet
Make Nature's animated fleet
Populating the seas, the hills and the dales
That dot the globe in riotous variety.

Coal, gold, gems and ores of different kinds,
Graphite, granite and silicon of various types
Are the abundant wealth of Nature
Buried in earth's bowels and crusted on its surface.

Endowed with senses six, man, the crown of species
Rests not with just adapting to Nature.
He learns to tap its resources
And yearns to curb its unbridled forces.

Tune in to Nature's harmony,
Throb alive with its basic rhythm,
Break into the mysteries of coded genes,
Synchronize life with Nature's pace
For greater peace and fuller pleasure
Is the target of human genius.

Wheels of Justice

Seven virtues, there are, to be acquired
For a happy, healthy human life.
Justice, one among them, is being fair and right;
It's also a punitive measure to set right a wrong.

Social and personal peace hang on it,
A hard job, it is, to keep it from tilting.
The tact of kings Solomon and Vikramadithya
Is the wanted but rarely found gift in courts of law.

Petty thefts and waylaying plunders,
Minor assaults and gruesome murders
Meet justice in fines and flogging
Or prison term and hanging.

Yet many a wrongdoer goes scot free;
A rapist very rarely is sued;
Seldom is a wife-beater disapproved;
Child labor laws are never enforced.

Manmade laws abound in loopholes-
Hairsplitting technicalities and callous practices
Make the goddess of justice holding the scales
Bind her eyes blind, perhaps.

Sure, we find it not proper
For the wicked and the mean to prosper
When the honest and the meek do suffer:
Justice seems an eluding enigma as ever.

Times there are when we wonder
If justice exists at all.
Can an eclipse rob the moon or the sun
Of its full glory and sheen?

Justice doth prevail unknown to many.
God, to execute it, has ways uncanny.
Guilt and remorse are slow avengers;
Each culprit doth face a sure reckoning.

The great bard Shakespeare scanned
The whole width and depth of human nature
And dramatically dispensed poetic justice
To a Hamlet, a Macbeth, an Othello and a Lear.

Wise men have left us fables aplenty
That speak of nemesis and retribution.
Know the milkman who added water to his merchandise?
A simple monkey trick deprived him of the undue profit.

If only we watch shrewdly
And with patience of a lifetime
We may feel the wheels of justice
Turning on as sure as life and death.




My Love

Nature, my lady love, she is:
The morning mist her fond kiss on my cheek,
The gentle breeze her soft whisper in my ear,
In flowery attire she feasts my eyes.
The flitting butterflies her flirting charms,
Her eager hands, the sea waves, appear.
Her brooks chatter with fun and laughter,
Her balmy woods caress my soul,
The stars, her eyes, wink with mischief-
An enthralled lover, I lie in bliss in her lap.


Forever

Happy was I to walk in the early morn
Watching a brand new day being born.
The blades of grass crowned with glittering dew
Wore the diamond for but minutes few.

Ambling along the gorgeous lotus pond
Sparkling drops on the leaves made me fond
Of marveling at Nature's sheer wonder-
Gems rolling down when a frog moved under.

Joy and sunshine abound where children gather
Blowing glorious bubbles from soapy lather.
I stopped enthralled in childlike fantasy
But catching the floating magic was not easy.

It's bliss to be with my beloved,
Till the parting moment in me moved
A sweet ache to see a brilliant tear
Collect in her eye, hard anymore to bear.

Yes, I know what I ought to do-
Catch and keep the sparkle too-
Make her my own with a diamond ring
Heaven's choicest blessings on us to bring.




Cyberspace

Cyberspace
Space is the place where
The heavenly bodies revolve;
Cyberspace is the internetworld where
The human beings evolve
Global communicationtechniques.
After the tom tom beat andpigeon missive,
The horseback courier, airmailand wireless
Flash now instant messages
On the monitors of homecomputers.

Oceans of knowledge, tons ofprinted treasure,
Packed in pin head spaces opento view
Without our straining a sinew!
Oh! The silicon wonder of bitsand bytes!
Surf across the net and get
Latest findings and hottestnews,
Tho' authenticity of a lot isnot warranted!

It's an amazing world of fun:
Brainy teasers, hilariouscartoons,
Gambling casinos, chattingcafes,
Bizarre websites, perversepictures
Are online pastimes round theclock.
Masked identities, droppedinhibitions,
Strange lingo, strangeretiquette,
Naughty chattings, naughtiergreetings
Are marks of this virtualworld.

Also, hackers with negativegenius
Are up to endless mischief;
Virus, the thief prowls withstealth
To corrupt wares hard and soft;
The highway teems with cheatsand freaks
Pandering to vices, abettingheinous crimes,
Leading unsuspecting prey todevastation.

It's thrilling to be anotherColumbus
Sailing through unending seas
Of sites, sites and more sites.
Pride surges within at power
To command knowledge andinformation,
To demand service andrecreation-
Too heady a menu hosted
To escape intoxication full andthorough.

And addiction seems inevitable-
Estranged from the real world,
Alienated from livingcreatures,
Living in self-imposedconfinement,
The mouse-potatoes put onweight,
Are prone to illnesses many,the statistics say.

Communal sharing via electronicmedia
In lieu of physical contact-
Does it bode well for man
Basically a social animal?
Will the computer surpass andoverpower
The human brain that begot it?
Posers worth contemplating-
Problems pressing for promptsolutions.



Animal Train

Our Earth is Lord’s wonderful domain
Bound by one long, intricate food chain.
Man is the leading engine with a clever brain,
Animals trail behind as bogeys of Nature’s train.

Engine and bogeys are in no way similar
Man motored by intelligence is singular;
Pattern of living in animals is regular,
For primal instinct are they popular.

From man do animals entirely differ
To walk on four legs they prefer,
Beautiful feast to the eyes they offer
Gifted with convenient aids to live safer.

Tails, mane and whiskers are their specialty
Each equipped with for a specific utility.
Gorgeous coats with dots and stripes of variety
Flaunt the Creator’s imagination and its fertility.

Unwritten law prevails on their roaming territory,
Herds obey leader’s orders that are peremptory.
“Live and let live” is their general policy;
Survival is their motivating force, not any vagary.

Unlike man they mate only in the season;
To kill, purpose not pleasure is their reason.
Tooth and nail, horn and hoof their weapon-
Thankfully no catastrophic, nuclear poison.

Untainted with wanton evil,
Too naïve for disastrous skill,
Unaware of the impending peril,
The unthinking bogeys may derail.

Engine with necessary direction,
Heeding some proper correction,
Hastening towards animal protection
Heads for journey’s happy completion.