Pitter-patter of raindrops
Grounds are swept with a tide
...
Hollow echos fill the deep holes
Muted cries shout far and wide
...
Clangs of chains and flesh and metal
Dragging weight are the doomed
...
Scattered and trodden lie white petals
Lilies scattered, fate entombed
...
Nimble hands, pointed shoes
Were not what brought her
...
Feet splash loud ripples
Red is the colour of water

-

Of little hearts and mighty men
Of mice and lions
Of shrewd and cruel fate weavers
Of jesters and courtiers
Our history and world is frought
With faces and names of men
Mighty men, weak men
Cruel men, hearty men
Kingmakers and jesters
Grand battles and laurels
Accolades won and toruneys run
All by the names and faces of men

But women
Women
They've been homemakers
Damsels in distress
Objects to be won
Beauties to be shelved

Their history has not been grand
Sweltering in the shadows of giants
Men
But they'll emerge, they're emerging
And a storm shall brew and sweep the lands
Rewrite the fate of women
Carve out a history of their own
With their names and faces

Oh, it's here already
Don't brace yourself
There is nothing to resist
Just wish that you don't get prosecuted
That you had no crimes.

-

One day,
I would have long hair
And swept they would be
Into messy tails.
Frizzy, knotted, tangled;
They would be a mess
For my mother to sort.
One day,
I would sit in her lap
And she would gently
Oil and comb my hair.
One day,
It would be me
And not my sister
Who hoards our mother
All to themself.

With glee
I await that one day.

-

Power, I'm back

I have not seen a pen in a while
It's been long since I've held one
And it's a sensation that a miss
Nay, it's an experience
It's an experience which I miss

The smooth contours
The thin neck
The choking grip

I miss the feeling of power
The ultimate Power
The power to sway opinions
The power to halt tides
The power of creation

The power of God

I miss being the Creator
The God of my Creation
I missed that feeling
But I'm back
I'm back.

And the chokehold is tighter

-

It's freezing.
In the middle of July,
it's freezing.
Sweltering heat,
but it's freezing.

I step outside,
I am melting.
It's freezing.
I stay inside,
I'm melting.
It's freezing.

The A/C is on,
I'm freezing.
Staying on the lawn,
I'm freezing.

Mother's embrace.
I am warm.
I am healing.

Now I'm burning.

-

The Banyan Tree

There used to be a banyan tree
Huge, looming - it's silhouette imposing.
It's leaves, they would flutter in these winds
The falling rain would make its branches gleam.
Memories are surfacing deep-buried ones
Dreams, the dreams I had are the memories.
I used to want to nestle on a branch of the giant,
Still have dreames about that.
The feel of the rough bark on my back
I want to feel that. Maybe someday.
Sadly, there is no such tree -
It ceased existing a long, long time ago.

-

It's becomes
Everything I've imagined
Everything I've feared.
'Society'
It's madness rolled into a blanket
It's dread given pairs of limbs.

I wish it were an apparition
Alas, it's a poltergeist.
My fears and dread given form
By none other than me
And other like me,
Many more like me.

We're but headless chickens
In these trying times
Running from problems.
'Society'
The blame game and pointed fingers,
Manifestations of our cognition.

What am I to do?!
These fools like me,
They're running! Idiocy abound!
What am I to do but wail
Wail, wail, WAIL
Ahh. The agony.

I'm running!
Face covered, eyes shrouded
Clothes sullied
With the blood of those
My hatred condemned.
My ears bleed with my own wails
And the wails of those I forsook.

-

Home

Sat, peeking, on the hill
Roof breaking the tree line
Window panes, glimmering in light
Home.
I'm reaching, reaching
I'm coming, coming
You're calling, calling
I'm on the way
Home.
It's been a while
Since the last smile
I had at your door
Home.
I'm going home.
The memories, they won't leave me
Your happiness, it haunts my dreams
Every whisper in mischief
Every cry of delight
It still echoes in me
Home.
I'm coming home.
Hope you're happy to see me
'Cause it's been a while.

-

I'm afraid
Afraid of happiness
Afraid of sadness
I'm afraid
Afraid of being happy and losing it
Afraid of being sad and overcoming it
I'm afraid.

I'm afraid
Afraid of clarity of vision
Afraid of haze of future
I'm afraid
Afraid of dreams and hope
Afraid of not realizing what lies ahead
I'm afraid.

I'm afraid
Afraid of me
Afraid for myself
I'm afraid.

I'm afraid
Afraid of so much fear
Afraid that "afraid" isn't real
I'm afraid
Afraid that "I'm" not real
I'm afraid.

Is it a word anymore?
Afraid
I'm afraid
It's not.

-

"Hum, di dum, di dum, hum, hmm"
I hum as a I walk along the road.

Stick swinging, boots beating
Hat tipped to the side
I saunter, with a confident stride.

"Hello"
I greet the fellow walker passing by
"How do you do?"
I ask jovially

"Hum, di dum, di dum, hum, hmm"
They hum, looking at me.

Troubled and freaked out
"Hum, di dum, di dum, hum, hmm"
I hum back.

They hum. I hum. We hum back.
It's been going for a while now
And we've gathered quite the crowd.
Some of them are humming too!

The blue shirts have to ruin the fun, always.
They come rushing in with my chair of wheels
And pull me into it, none too gently.

As I'm leaving on my ride
I cannot help but miss the fellow
Who was humming at me from the mirror.

-