1. Words Are Mere Words, Alas

Contents

1. Words are Mere Words, Alas 2. The Horror of ‘Nice’ 3. Keep the Candle of Hope Lit 4. The Seasons of Life 5. A Requiem for Peace 6. Do Nothing 7. An Ode to Sleep 8. The Rose and the Daffodil 9. Re-Visit the Past, Occasionally 10. O, for the Once-Vibrant Spirit 11. I Have a Dream 12. Destiny 13. Raindrops From Heaven 14. The Eternal Slayer 15. Beauty Lies in Lines of Verse 16. Island unto Himself 17. Pink 18. Never Tell a Soldier the Cost of War 19. Humility 20. Never-Ending Bread, Miracle 21. Let’s Put Age to Pasture 22. Love 23. If Only I Could, Like a Bird, Soar 24. Speak to the Birds and Breezes 25. The Diadem 26. Nostalgia 27. Don’t Pull at the Heartstrings 28. First or Last 29. O, Waffling Mind 30. Unmoored 31. The Lantern of Light Within Me 32. Who Is a Saint? 33. Footprints on the Sands Of Time 34. The Bicycle Rider 35. Plenitude 36. O, for a Sylvan Setting 37. The Scythe of Time 38. A Pansy's Soliloquy, à la Hamlet 39. Don’t be an Ostrich 40. Some Things Take a Bit More Time 41. Leavened 42. What Will You Get From Them? 43. Staying Happy is an Art, You Know 44. Man and Beast are One of a Kind 45. A Leap into the Dark is Sleep 46. Eternity 47. The Fate of Man 48. Heaven or Hell 49. The Pillar of Repentance 50. The Scythe of Passion 51. Why Live a Life of Nothingness? 52. Where is Paradise? 53. Blasphemous 54. The Flame Within 55. Euthanasia 56. To Hell With Staying Sane, Folks 57. Quaint, the Magic of Childhood 58. Love 59. Warmth 60. A Soliloquy 61. The Destiny of Tears 62. Migration and Refugee Summits 63. When the Clouds Wage a War 64. Woman in Love – a Soliloquy 65. Who Knows? 66. I am Clay, What are You? 67. The Breeze and I 68. Life, the Well of Joy and Sorrow 69. Let’s Give Peace a Burial, Folks 70. Give Peace a Chance 71. The Tavern and the Temple 72. The Paradox of Dichotomy 73. ‘Colombia Needs Peace,’ Says the Interior Minister 74. Summits and Sermons at the Turtle Bay 75. The Bleeding Heart 76. O Sun, What Would We Be Without You? 77. If… 78. I Love My Wrinkles and Creases Too 79. Random Thought – Meanderings 80. If… 81. Walk the Path that you Know Best 82. You Can’t Change Destiny 83. The Delhi Golf Club 84. While Angles are Wise And Wistful 85. A Date with the Devil 86. Is Man Out to Prove his Mortality 87. Vulnerability 88. Friendship and the Parting Pangs 89. Randomness 90. Enchantment and Ecstasy 91. To the Saints, the Preachers and the Popes of this World 92. Music for the Gods 93. Maybe 94. Actors in a Show 95. Beautiful Visions – Tongue-In-Cheek 96. Rapture 97. Thus Spake the Mountain 98. Life, the Wall of Joy and Sorrow 99. The State of the Word, Its Awful Plight 100. The Voices of Reason 101. Refugees 102. New Versus Old, the Same Old Story 103. The Helmsman, the Archer 104. Sunset by the Evening Sea 105. Let Not Conscience Go To Sleep 106. Till We Meet Again 107. Hypocrisy 108. Random 109. My Duvet and I 110. My Windowsill 111. Lily, Rose, Pansy or Me 112. Make Time a Friend 113. The Mirage Called Contentment 114. The Great Deceiver 115. The Tin Man 116. Sunset and Solitude 117. Dark Dreams 118. Regal Indeed Is The Majesty of The Sun 119. The Once-Lovely City Called Delhi 120. The Winter Flower that Softly Swayed 121. Time 122. Don’t Bet on an After-Life,’ Says the Ad 123. Time, The Great Imposter 124. Fickle Destiny 125. Promises 126. On The Fringe of Lunacy 127. The Heartbeat, The Trumpet and The Clarinet 128. Utopia or Dystopia-Choose 129. The Sad Demise of Globalisation 130. Peace Is But a Whirlwind and My Enchantment an Illusion 131. I Am 132. The Pangs of Winter and The Longing For It 133. Rose Petals Meet The Ground 134. Memories 135. The Green Man 136. Grains of Sand 137. The Silent Voter-The Decider of Electoral Fortunes 138. Keep Away From Rancour 139. A Virgin Heart 140. For The Love of Music and More 141. Me 142. My Tenuous Faith 143. The Movers of Our Destiny 144. To My Children and Grand Children 145. Fun and Games –Laugh and Be Merry 146. The Winter’s Sun 147. Lahore of a Long Time Ago 148. Zarra( A Grain) Sahil ( The Shore) 149. Time Without a Story 150. The Ship of Life 151. Is Paradise for Real? 152. Beyond My Solitude 153. My Heart And I 154. The Bud That Never Flowered 155. Happy New Year 157. The Ephemeral Nature Of Reality 158. Truth Hides 159. Eternal Sleep 1. Words Aare Mere Words, Alas

The words I leave behind, they say, Will ensure and guarantee That, I'm still around, alive And, not just a memory

But, what greater guarantee is there, tell me Than the dust with which I shall meld, That eternal guarantor for all Dustdust, In whose arms I shall be held?

And, stars that lonely shine above Though themselves a mystery Will, keep me alive, eternally, In the annals of history.

Words, alas, are mere words, O Poetpoet Like birds do they fly away, Actions alone speak for us The rest is all, ephemeral play.

A pantomime, and no more A Punch and Judy show, A little glitz, some false glamour Ere naked, at last, we go,

To forever live as dust To dust be and dust remain And, like dust, Eternity, attain. 2. The Horror Of of ‘Nice’

O 'Nice' ‘Nice’, I weep for you, I do But, I weep for Man more, Cos he rides the ship of destruction A million miles from the shore.

No aliens do we need Alienate as we do each other To, force extinction upon us Where brother annihilates, brother.

The once-touted brotherhood Lies shredded, now in tatters And, nothing but a strange madness That defies sanity, matters.

Inanities we hear From the powerful of the world, Those that we protect From the stuff, that’s at us hurled.

Ensconced in Palacespalaces And, Houses that are White, They preach to us harmony Even, as they exercise their might.

Whoever a ghost fought And earned victory, If the adversary is formless It is a mystery.

Will he now get back from the brink? Will sanity ever prevail? Or, will there be no one soon To speak of Man's sorry tale?. 3. Keep The the Candle Of of Hope Lit

If the world was to plunge into darkness Would it, I ask, blind me? The answer is were, but never And, it's no great mystery

For, I carry within me a torch That burns eternally, It's a flame that I call Hope That enables me to see

When all else and around is black Hope brings on the colour grey, With hope and will by my side I'm able to find my way.

The glow within is brighter Than the sun and the stars put together And, it'll be with me till the very end For it's not that friend of fair weather.

I cling to it , I do And, we often have a chat, Occasionally, to be honest We also have a spat

But, you take the golden candles, folks I'll make do with the one called Hope, So that when I need to deal with chill I will know how to cope.

The Seasons Of of Life

Another winter, another Springspring Summer and Autumn autumn have a familiar ring, Seasons change like some folks do Chill and cheer, they often bring.

From bare trees to signs of green Sparrows chirp and peacocks preen, Summer's heat, a sweaty brow Falling leaves, the Autumn autumn scene

Back then to where we started From winter when we duly parted, A full circle, a full season From snow to apples that we, carted.

Life is like a pretty verse Seasons, alas, in reverse, Winter does not many Springs springs see Winter can be an awful curse.

O, for winters that are mild O, for the heart of the spirited child, Innocent, true, and trusting too Sometimes behaved, mostly wild.

5. A Requiem For for Peace

It's all about ego and military might Long-gone the talk of the fundamental right To peace and justice and, of course course, To a life well-lived and a restful night.

Guns now essential to peace keep Cameras and alarms to induce sleep, A pipe pipe-dream, indeed, is talk of peace Doesn't it make you want to weep?

It's not even ironic, it's pretty much a joke Like the constant battle between Pepsi and Coke, Fear fear generated by one or the other other. When was the last time of peace, we spoke?

As if Peace peace had already been, sadly, interred The case to the Coronercoroner, sadly, referred, A demise like any other, temporarily, mourned A storm in passing, somehow, weathered.

Divide and rule was a British invention Split the people, then the nation, Scrambling now to stay whole What have we done? they ask, in consternation?.

Maim and kill for the sake of Peacepeace Fear instill for the sake of Peacepeace Anything, but live peacefully Anything, but anything, for the sake of Peacepeace.

Once a year, marches for eternal Peacepeace The world in turmoil from Turkey to Greece, Homilies, sermons, warnings too How about, folks, a Requiem requiem for Peacepeace.? 6. Do Nothing

Why must we do something? Why can't we just let it pass? Time waits for no one, so why worry? Try the swing, loll on the grass

And, do so without feelings of guilt Of missing out on heaven Heaven-knows knows-what, Dump materialism once in a while Be happy with what we've presently got.

Insatiable is all human desire And, the appetite for worldly goods, Why not a languid night with the stars On our backs in the nearby woods?.

Why not just vanish for a while? Take a one-way ticket to nowhere, Just be with the self, ignore all else And, come back when we like, from there.

Why carry the burden of expectation Our own and of others, too,? We only have our own lives to live Why let others make us, blue.?

Watch Time time go by, friends That is what contentment means, Watch the peacock as it spreads its wings Watch it as it preens.

To do nothing, folks, needs effort For a waster you will feel, Goaded by those that envy you Cos they want a free meal. 7. An Ode To to Sleep

Where art thou, O Peaceful peaceful Sleepsleep Gone from me like a dream, Memories of you I still, fondly keep As I do, of strawberries and cream.

I could choose the dreams I once wished to see Then, will them to come true, Dreams I could turn to reality And, my skies were always blue

But, if ever they changed colour to grey And, the stars left the sky, sad, I would never give the grey, another day For, you O Sleepsleep, left me rested and glad.

Strange that I who treasures you most Should miss you, as much as I now do, You were my guest and I the fond host And, together we saw the night through.

Alas! Nothing that lives is eternal Who knows that better than, Lifelife, Without you, O Sleepsleep, life is infernal Between night and day, just strife.

Gone are those days, forever lost In the fields of wilderness, called Yearsyears, O Longevitylongevity, you do have a cost Remorse, a sigh, and some tears.

8. The Rose And and The the Daffodil

Seen in deep embrace they were A rose and a daffodil, Unlikely as the pair seemed They lived on the same hill.

Side by side did their beds lay Perfumed and nicely made, Neat and tidy, trimmed too The Oak oak providing shade.

Different in texture and colour too The rose was kind of dark, The daffodil a golden yellow, Like friends in the park.

How different we are to those flowers Who do but never discriminate, Between white and black and colour too Flowers they love, not hate.

Teach us, O Flowersflowers, a lesson too In the essence of harmony For, there's nothing else to applaud In life's discordant symphony.

Re-visit The the Past, Occasionally

Re-visit the past for old time's sake When mountains were easy to climb, When rivers were there for you to cross Each moment of life, sublime.

When the stars shone brightly in the sky And the moon, spotted yet divine, It's virginal beauty out-rivalled all As the heavens looked on, benign.

When both Man and his world Were at one with each other And, peace was the purpose of living, Not forcefully, sought Nor shadily, bought Great joy in the act of giving

But, live in the past we can't and mustn't For those times will never return, We must happiness seek in the moments of today The past, an ember that will burn.

Re-visit the past when by yourself, Allow yourself the wry smile, Cos you've walked the woods and swum the seas Mile after mile, after mile.

O For for The the Once Once-Vibrant Spirit

O, for the once-vibrant spirit That lies now beyond repair, O, for reasoned thought and hope Now, often given to despair.

Years that like the cuckoo, flew And, sang their own melodious tunes, Starlit nights and gentle breeze No yearnings then, for new moons.

Best, embrace the challenge of 'now' For, life once lived never returns, However much the 'wanting' heart Desires or beseechingly, yearns,

Keep the embers of Hope hope burning Let each moment feel like life, itself.

I Have A a Dream

When the Yesterdays yesterday’s outnumber the likely Tomorrows When when remorse and regret and the weight of Sorrowssorrows, Weighs you down and doubles you up When lips can't get to the waiting cup And, the sweat of the brow comes streaming down Your face, and The the head that once wore the shining crown With ease, now sways, willy-nilly With the whiff of a breeze, gently nodding as it were As the cat in the lap begins to purr, Waiting waiting to be gently stroked.

I have a Dreamdream, It’s strawberries and cream Where, Yesterdays yesterdays were strawberries And , Todays today’s the cream The Morrows ’morrows can take of themselves, I shall in the present live Take gratefully what I get And, give humbly what I can give, Ask each moment that leaves me and goes Its joys, its pleasures, and its woes, Live each moment as if it were the last No future, no past, It's all a matter of here and now It’s all between the moment and thou, Nothing should nor ever do The present intrude; You and your time need privacy For a têete-àa-têete, a quiet cup of tea, As you dream of the next moment to be That, alas, you call the future When, it is no more than a moment at a time Rue it, repent or make it sublime. I have a Dreamdream And, I shall live it Fully and complete, I shall fill the gaps that the dream Misses out on I shall never feel sorry for the moment's that’s, gone.

Destiny

Why do you, O Destinydestiny, play with me As though I were a pawn on the board, To be moved around from square to square Chequered, slain and then, somewhere, stored?

Until, your whim and fancy divine Bored of those that you've tossed around Looks again, at those that you cast away And, mercilessly, rubbed into the ground

To now anoint a new King king or Queenqueen To gather a new sycophant Me, the ant that you once quashed To bow, to kow-tow to you, the elephant.

I call you the jumbo, thin kingly, I do For you took a long time to get back to me, Part of your plan or a mis-step, perhaps, Tell me, O fickle-minded mistress, My my Destinydestiny.

Do I make you or are you supreme? Do I earn you or is that a dream? Do I to myself the power arrogate To go get my champagne and my cream?

Don't blame me , O Destinydestiny Go fight your battles with my Egoego, Tell me too, how to drown that devil Or, go to hell and I'll show Youyou

What I can do to change your mind To make you feel you owe me one,? Give me A a Rolls for the Porsche I have Already, from Dubai, won.

I'm married to you , O Destinydestiny Sometimes wife and hubby sometimes So, I guess, O faithless, friend It's songs and then just nursery rhymes.

Goodbye to you, O Destinydestiny Keep me alive, Or You, not I, shall be history.

Raindrops From from Heaven

Raindrops from heaven or a heart-broken sky Where lightning is anger and thunder, a sigh, There's a wail from the clouds as they silently stare Wondering, if the end of Man, is well-nigh.

The green of the trees and the blue of the sky The flapping of wings of the birds on high And, then the mayhem and dust that lies around Makes the heavens weep, makes them cry.

Peacocks preen then say goodbye Not a lump in the throat, not a tear in the eye We think so, cos their lingo is strange Just as they can, and we can't, fly.

Come on, O Man, let's give it a try Pull back from the brink, why are we fighting shy, We've been around for thousands of years We can do it, if we treat the earth as our, ally.

14. The Eternal Slayer

It's the one foe whom I can never defeat But, only keep at bay, With dreams and prayer and plenty of hope And, some divine invisible play.

No sword, no spear, no lance was designed No armour ever so strong, To withstand the might of the Eternal eternal Slayerslayer And, to tame it with the nightingale's song.

It's a battle that I know I shall, one day, lose But, fight I must until done, It's the only one I cannot choose And, from which I shall never, but never, run.

My foe or friend, as the case may be Can also an ally become, The one on whom I could call one day If it's cold outside and I feel numb.

No eyes, no hands, no arms, no feet Demise is nondescript, indeed, How do I or anyone other, challenge A faceless horse, an Invisible invisible steed.? I'll go when I know I'm beat, O Demisedemise Till then, O heartless Destroyerdestroyer Be patient, it's a virtue you know And, wait you shall in my foyer.

If your'e you’re in a hurry with no time to wait Go find yourself some other, Some hapless souls maybe looking for you Go sister, go brother

For, I know not your gender, dear Don't intend to find out either, don't fear.

15. Beauty Lies In in Lines Of of Verse

Beauty lies in lines of verse Not in ephemeral cups of joy, Tempt me not, O tavern- keeper Your offering's a fragile toy.

Enticing are the lights within Your casks all full of grape, It is a mix of din and sin As Man man turns to ape

For, it is the place to monkey around As brew takes over from blood, The coursing through inflamed veins Till body meets ground with a thud.

A requiem then for tavern and man A lustily-cheering refrain, Three cheers, it says, for the place to be And, the one who was merrily, slain.

Island Unto unto Himself

Every man is an island unto himself Don't let the dreamers fool you, If you can't find happiness within The noise outside is just pure din.

There was a time when we co-existed That time is now long gone, past, It's now me for me and you for you One for one, cos two haven't a clue.

If we don't and can't with each other live Harmony with Nature nature is a pipe pipe-dream, Co-existence a mirage, indeed Your little pond, heaven's stream.

Try cynicism ,, folks, it's not a bad tool To understand the intricacies of reality And, if you still don't get it What an awful shame, a real pity.

From blossoms to cheeks Pink is the colour, And, in the pink of health Do I want you, forever?

It's cherry pink in Japan And, apple blossom white, The beauty of Springspring The, soft, morning light,

The colour of Dawndawn O Pinkpink, what a sight, Red is the colour All dark and bright, Gives even me Sometimes, a fright

But, the softness of it Is what we call Pinkpink, It's soothing, it's calming Makes you, coolly, think,

Of elves and fairies And, the prettiest of flowers, I wish rain was Pinkpink I'd have 'pinky' showers

Carnations and Sweet sweet Williamswilliams Are very pretty pink flowers But, pink gin and pink elephants Will ground you for hours

Join me then In celebrating, Pinkpink A mix of red and white That also makes me, Winkwink. 18. Never Tell A a Soldier The the Cost Of of War

Never tell a soldier the cost of war Nor a fish that the sea's a whore, Man eats man in callous fashion For Man man today, is just Carnivorecarnivore.

The jungle a more civilised place Live and let live with seeming grace, The Lion lion knows he is the king While disarrayed man, is in disgrace.

Survival of the fittest, that is all Stoop to conquer or try stand tall, Any old how is the name of the game Win, at any cost, but never fall

For, helping hands are far and few As Time time leaves Man man lagging behind Confused, unsure of where he's going In search of peace, in a mental bind.

19. Humility

The stillness of the sea reveals Its depth to the shallow river ,, Take what you will, earn or usurp Humility is the greatest giver. Just walk on earth Earth with head bowed low That's all the prayer you need, For, He watches and carefully At the good and bad deed. Humble is the winner always The guillotine awaits the proud, Humility is the essence of life The silver lining of the cloud. Feet on the ground, eyes on the stars And, a stillness in the heart, Humility is the best place To be light of heart. Be humble and sincere And, you'll have nothing ever to fear.

20. Never Never-Ending Bread ,, Miracle

Never-ending bread, miracle Statues that weep, miracle Definitions are wonders, indeed, A world of Truthtruth, miracle

The world's all lies, true That bird sings, Man's man's cuckoo, The ant knows more than Man man ever will For, mMan of life has little clue.

Rivers run dry, so we say Without the sunsun, there is no hay Make the most of little drops Of God's mercy, that come your way.

A grateful, thankful Manman, miracle A million miles from what He created Bent on proving Nostradamus right All hot air like a balloon, inflated.

Miracles too, made by Manman Stories of all that only he can Do, For Prophets prophets and Saints saints are Men men too Good Men men are all messiahs, true.

Let's Put Age To to Pasture

Let's put 'Aage' to pasture And, let the heart decide instead For, how does it matter how old we are When finally declared, stone-cold, dead?.

The beat of the heart is impulsive Driven by impulse as it is, Salute those who until they go Retain both the buzz and the fizz.

'Age is a number' is hackneyed A clichée that needs a quiet burial, Age is the state of the heart Mere numbers are funereal.

So let's turn the page on 'Age''age' Let's never ask again 'How old are you', my dear?’ Let's leave that to the dried-out pen.

So, let's celebrate each day we live Give the heart a pat on the back, Put that number thing away Let life be fun with some coke and some crack.

A look in the eyes A smile on the lips And, welled-up Emotionemotion., The need to touch, hold Consummate love Fruition.

Walking together On the sands of Timetime Hand in another's hand, Viewing stars and the moon Waves caressing tired feet Moments of love, unplanned.

Wanton, carefree, love Swaying in the breeze Billowing hair and all, The world your oyster All at your feet, At your beck and call.

Love is love, unburdened Uncluttered, Givinggiving Free of bonds and chains, It's ecstasy It's orgasmic It's also aches and pains.

All said and done All done and dusted It's all-encompassing, You can't pick and choose Like the weather, you can't For love is there, else nothing.

23. If Only I Could, like Like A a Bird, Soar

As I lay on the grass today The stars my friends alone, I saw a bird soaring high And, wondered where it planned to go, And, why?

For, birds to me are aimless wanderers Much like me, I fear, In search of what, I don't know I travel far and near And, like them, high and low.

They swoop and soar with seeming ease All spaces theirs for flying, I look at them in bewilderment And, hear myself, sighing, Somewhere deep down lies, a common sentiment.

If only I had wings, I say I'd take the skies from them For, I could speak to the heavens, I could While while they would do 'ahem', And, wouldn't be understood.

Like a bird on the ground, grounded Do I feel myself in chains, Tied to an unseen pillar In search of meaningless gains, The interim a lifeless, filler.?

Oh, if wings could somewhere be got In exchange of whatever it takes To whisk me away to far off places I'd gladly offer the real and the fakes, Bereft of all worldly graces.

24. Speak To to The the Birds And and Breezes

Speak to the birds and breezes When you find yourself alone For, they alone understand No heart is made of stone

And, even stones are known to weep When grief overwhelms them, Nothing, but nothing, is more profound Than pathos, friendship and compassion Cos from these alone does love, stem.

The language of silence is least understood For, Man man is given to his own trumpet blow, The birds and the bees, the breezes too Are wiser, they well know.

They listen, they comfort, silently It's calming, it's soothing, true They have no axes to grind No bones to pick, too.

Speak to the birds and the breezes, Speak to the ones who understand., Speak to those who, when you need, Lend you a helping hand.

The Diadem

The diadem, too, will one day meld With the dust of the royal courtyard, As will the kings and queens there And, the nightingale in my back yard

For, while Man man foolishly does In eternity, arrogantly believe, Destiny knows better the fate of all It is mostly, a birth to a hundred, sieve.

Why must we then always grieve When the inevitable takes place,? Whoever steps on dust must know Life is never an endless race.

Let's celebrate life, not weep, friends, When life it's journey, ends.

Nostalgia

O, for the once vibrant spirit That now lies beyond repair, O, for reasoned thought and hope Now, often given to despair.

Time flew then, like the cuckoo bird And sang its own tune, ’Midst starlit nights and gentle breeze Blue was the new moon.

Winters were never, never too cold And, the Summer's summer's heat was a treat, Autumn, a different kind of fall And, lovers in Spring spring would meet.

Where, O Wherewhere, has the cuckoo bird gone? Flown to distant lands, Time, that once like it flew Now still, as are the sands.

Vibrations then and vibrations now A lot different from each other, Like the muddied waters of the pond And, the clear aqua of the spring, brother.

Nothing wrong with nostalgia ,, friends Re- living life is fun, So long as we don't forget ever The distances, that we have run. 27. Don't Pull At at The the Heart Sstrings

Don't tug at my heart strings Don't tempt my tears, Lest they fall and hurt you And me, my fears.

Let the dormant lie dormant Why awaken the unknown? For, the heart that can cry Can also turn to stone.

Let the ambling river it's stroll To the sea, continue, Why raise a storm, And, drown both me and you.?

Don't pull at the heart strings Leave melancholy alone, Strum the guitar instead Or, play the saxophone.

Don't tug at my heart strings Leave silent the drum, That which we call the heartbeat Let it quietly strum.

First Or or Last

Sight it is that tells me How I ran my race, Did I the podium see? Did I win a place?

Was I first or was I last? Was there even a race at all?, Was I slow or was I fast? Would it have mattered if iI'd had a fall?

Is it only a matter of sight then? Is the world just for show?, Beautiful women and handsome men However, however they manage to glow.

Surely, beauty and intrinsic value Can't be left to 'Ssight', Heavens would fall if this were true Extinguished the 'iInner lLight'.

How fortunate then the lucky blind Whose light lies within, They that move with a 'lit' mind Oblivious, to noise and din.

The race we run is the race of life There is no first or last, There's happiness and some bits of strife A present and a past.

How simple, when we simply think, Is life's conundrum, It's no puzzle, no need to blink And, it comes easy to some.

It can be ours quite easily If we forget about breasting the tape, And go about our chores, daily Letting humility be the shape.

First or last, the end's the same Whatever be your game, When the curtain falls you're nondescript Buried, your name and fame.

29. O 'Waffling' Mind

Much like the ephemeral nature of all things Is the waffling mind that shifts stance. From happy to sad does it wildly swing To a music of it's own does it romp and dance., Is it all a matter of unknown chance!?

How much of this lies in our power And, how much beyond the arrogant man,? The one who knows what Destiny destiny is Yet, believes in the fallacy of 'I Can'can' And, then does it all his own way To only find a shaken faith In his own, inglorious self.

Better he who understands How little he knows Except, the certainty of demise, He alone can then be called Seemingly Wisewise For, waffles still his waffling mind

As it mirrors the likes of Night night and Day day Between the clouds and sun's ray, Between the dark and shadows light Sometimes blinded with no sight Is the state of the waffling mind, Between the 'yes' and the 'no' Is the waffling mind, on show.

Every mind but waffles some Like the sailor with the bottle of rum, Listen more, talk less O waffling mind, don' beat your own drum.

30. Unmoored

Afloat, adrift, Unmooredunmoored Like the ship that it's anchor breaks Is the plight of the human heart As, it see-saws between It's dreams, it's desires unquenched And, the ugly face of Reality.

It sees, it saws and tears apart The fabric of peace and calm That it does, but, reluctantly Wrap around itself, It's falsity, it's balm.

The pitter and the patter of the ticker That the civil call, heartbeat ,, Is no more than it's constant struggle To break free from it's cage, To hit the street As it were, It's quest Excitement, rousing passion And, the earthiness that it misses Where it resides, Not out of choice but perforce Keeping itself and its Ownerowner Seemingly alive While, it yearns to break free From its shackles And, like the ship again Afloat, adrift, unmoored Sail to the middle of the sea In search of it knows not what, Perhaps, just perhaps, Eternity.

Does the heart really crave comfort Of the peaceful kind,? Do we not miss the turmoil That occasional storms leave behind,? What would be the state of The empty mind?

Afloat, adrift, unmoored Is that how how we're meant to be, Like a ship that loses its way Then finds itself, Adrift, Far away at sea?.

The Lantern of Light Within Me

There is a lantern of light That within me does loyally burn, Its flame there to light the dark paths That I am prone to tread And, the shadows that lurk In the bosom of passion Ready to strike, as is A sSerpent's tongue.

Burning bright, unwavering In its commitment to me Even when I (not the light) Sometimes, flicker. Some call it Faithfaith, but I have no name for it For, names take away Beliefbelief Which, lies at the heart of All things.

Why must we give names For ,, they only cause dissension? Why not just the Light light that burns Within?, Why names for the Almighty? For, no one, but no one, Has exclusive preserve. Why different Gods When the Light light within Is Allall!

Who Is is A a Saint ?

Show me the Saint saint who has not sinned And, I will show you the Saint saint in every Sinner, . Who, then, is a Saintsaint?

Don't pick stones to glass houses, break Look into the mirror you call your own, You'll see them both: Saint saint and Sinnersinner, Who then is a Saintsaint?

We canonizecanonise, we lionizse ,, we heroes create And, leave heroines to, mostly, their own fate, We decide (and who are Wewe?) Whom to crown and Saints saints make, We, who sin beyond count We, who live a lie a day, Make Saints saints of those God mortal made. Then, Who are we to shower eEternity?.

Who's the Ssaint and who the Sinnersinner? Who the loser and who the winner,? Are we not all running a race? Breasting the tape at our own pace, Doing that that which we please Values gone with Yesterday's yesterday's breeze,.

Let's forgive the Sinnerssinners, folks And, blessings seek, Let's paint them true Let's make them Saints.

Footprints On on The the Sands Of of Time

There are no footprints on the sands of Time time That last beyond the next step you take, Posterity doesn't look at what's behind But, what's ahead, what they can make.

Whoever learned from another's woes To play the hand that's dealt And, who the need for advice Has ever, truly felt,

Cos we are Individualsindividuals, all Different from the days gone by, Where strength lay in unity Not pieces of the sky?.

It's all a matter of connotation And, so's the word 'sublime', Gone the footprints, swept away Unrelenting, the hands of Timetime.

Sublime today is name and fame The world's a Jungle Book., Who cares who went, who came And, what with him he took.?

Man eats man, cannibal style No quarters ever given, Never has Man man so selfish been Never so devilishly, driven.

They are, indeed, lovely lines They are indeed, sublime, Alas! Blown away by modernity And, the sands of marching, Timetime.

The Bicycle Rider

There's a nice little nip in the air today A freshness, some swaying leaves, The breeze and I, most thankfully Then ,, look upon the kindly tree As, more than just a shade-provider To the tired bicycle-rider W Who, does and must his journey make To and fro, every day To keep body and soul together To help, father, mother, sister, brother For, like the tree so must he Do more than just, shade provide

For, just as the tree breathes my waste So does he the brunt bear Of those that he must nurture And take care of, For, they are his own His alone.

The cycle-rider rides to shop, His place of work, his abode From the rising sun Till the stars do shine Until, his work is done. Then wearily look for his friend, the tree To breathe fresh air, that That is there for free, and Say hello to the waiting Me me Then, move on To to the night spend With those that, on him, depend, As the moon pats him to sleep Ere the sun awakens him To challenge the day To another, fight.

It's survival time for most of us And, for some A tiresome, struggle., O, thank you night You are the balm I need The one I snuggle down with Nightly.

35. Plenitude

Do you even know what the word means, dude dude? In this world of avid greed, Where grab is all we ever do Whoever thinks or speaks of need.

Abundance, profusion, completeness Is what plenitude means, commonly, We need plenty of it today, for sure In the form of contentment and harmony

Alas! It's the ugly form that's taken shape With plenty of 'take' and no 'give’, We've simply buried what we once knew 'The art of how to live'.

The purpose of life now re- defined By the power of the mighty Dollardollar, When I speak of 'good old times' People get hot under the collar.

Plenty of peaceful nights and days Plenty of stars we can see, Not clouds of dust that hide the moon That is Plenitudeplenitude, at least, for me.

36. O, For A Sylvan Setting

O, how I yearn for a sylvan setting Where green and blue is all I view, The grass, the trees, the skies above For that is all I now find, true.

The stream that I once played with Now dried, as are my bones within, The banks weeded, no pretty flowers No little fish, no tiny fin.

The orange glow of the setting sun That heralds the advent of night, A shadow now of its former self Polluted, is that glorious sight.

It's all a concrete jungle now Brick and mortar and GDP, Whatever those letters mean to you It's gobbledygookgobbledegook, to the naïive me.

No free lunches, as they say You pay for sins that you commit, Everything comes with a price Peace and calm have taken the hit.

G20/30/40 or a hundred Matters little to simple folk, I know what you will think, Ddear Reader, Let let him carp, let him croak

But, the frog's you, not me, for sure Cos, I'm happy in my well, You have the ocean and, perhaps, more But your'e you’re not happy, I can tell.

37. The Scythe Of of Time

Wordlessly, soundlessly Does it the harvest reap Of all mankind, The scythe of Time time Does quietly lay to rest All that moves, A bloodless beheading And, like grass that winces not When cut, Does Man surrender To its whims and fancies For, Time time is no eternal lover Of anyone!

Clothed in ephemeral garb Change, Inconstancy inconstancy its traits No one's friend for long is Timetime, Fickle as a mistress divine Whoever said, 'Time is mine' Knew not much Cos, each moment of life Owes its existence to The benevolence of Time, Life at its absolute mercy.

The Scythe scythe of Timetime Wielded by the Angel of Death Spares none, Not even Nature As, it dries out rivers and seas Fells the strongest trees And, Turns to rubble, all in its sway

Then, moves on to other things do For, Time time is restless, Like the hands of the clock That won't stay still, Like the beating heart That a rhythm keeps, Untiluntil..... Movement, the essence Of Timetime. So, do what you will In the time allotted, A slot for each Destined. The strongest, most powerful Amongst us Will too be laid low To meld with The Dustdust, To never rise again To become one With Timetime.

The Scythe Of of Time, hangs Like the proverbial sword of Damocles Waiting, yes waiting To strike.

A Pansy's Soliloquy, àA La la Hamlet

I am a little Pansypansy They call me a flower I'm tiny I know But, I grow by the hour.

I'm varied in colour Blue, black and yellow, I'm also there in pink For, the dainty little fellow.

If I look like the cat's whiskers And, mustachioed too, Let me tell you, I'm feminine To my words, very true

When I'm worn on lapels The wearer's called, 'Pansy', That should tell you, dear reader I'm nothing but girlie.

I'm as pretty as they come Prettier than a Roserose, Much prettier I can tell you Than even Shakespeare knows.

For, the Bard was all Rosesroses Even Pansies pansies were them, I wonder, just wonder Well! I wonder, ahem!

Don't Be be An an Ostrich

Don't bury your head in the sand, ever Your'e You’re not an ostrich, are you? You may look like one, but that's different And the sand, of your worries, has no clue.

Don't face the mirror and ask questions That you should be answering on your own, Your mirror knows you, not your puton image And it might well, you, disown.

Life is like a game of darts ,, folks So ,, aim for the bull's eye, A tunnel vision, single-minded In pursuit of the constant 'high'

There'll be highs, and lows, too, of course As is the nature of tides But, the striving must never falter, As you journey through life's, rides.

You'll never get the pearl If the oyster you don't catch, If you don't play the game How will you win the match.?

So, plumb the depths you must For the treasure that lies beneath Else, still waters will only carry A flowery, saddened, wreath.

Some Things Take A a Bit More Time

Give yourself time to pluck the stars For the skies are some distance away, Give time to prayers to reach their goal Then, see what the Lord has to say,

Cos some things take a bit more time To find their destiny, Some waver, some halt and some carry on But, they all make it, finally.

Some things take a bit more time And, call for forbearance, '' They also serve who stand and wait '' As those who frenzied, dance.

Patience is a virtue indeed Where Time time and Tide tide don't tarry, Some things take a bit more time And, some things you have to carry.

Leavened

O, Thoughtthought, Leavened by history Influenced by another's story Were you ever mine, Mine, Originally? Or, were you no more Than a product Of Timetime Of Accidentaccident, Where I have no Role to play.?

I am myself The embodiment of Childhood And the years, since, Leavened by All I see, hear, touch, feel And, smell.

Do the senses Determine me!? Fashion me!? Am I simply, Programmedprogrammed, Genetically, environmentally, Willy-nilly? All an exercise In Futilityfutility.

I wonder. Are we all just Leavened? Even those amongst us Who arrogate to themselves Superior intelligence, ability Et al, The Living living Gods With feet of clay Chained, To dust, Eternally,

42. What Will You Get From Them?

What will you get from them Bar noise, shouts and din?, Turn your back on Crowdscrowds For, peace reigns within Each one of us, As, does turmoil in Equal measure,. Life is indeed a treasure Yours, if only you see the wealth Inside of you And, not go seeking approbation And, acclaim from those others Who themselves, rudderless, Do the same.

True contentment and realisation Come only from knowing and being Yourself, For, you can't another be Why try? If you are unhappy with yourself How can anyone create joy, within you.?

He, who ’midst the throng Remains true to himself, He, who never gets carried away By praise that, mostly, is laced with Hypocrisy, falsity and untruth, He, finds true contentment, And, is then the recipient of A calm state of mind.

Strive then, to know yourself Keep in their place both power and pelf, Let nothing, but nothing, make you feel Anything but mortal Cos, that's all we are!

Staying Happy Is is An an Art, You Know.

Prune the trees or hack them bare Spring will never let them down, Smiles will always cheer the mood And, your sorrows, smilingly, drown.

Leave the frowns and the creases too In the closet where they belong, Beyond the recesses of the mind Replace them with some a soothing song.

Staying Happy happy Is is An an Artart, You you Knowknow And, if you don't then learn it now, It won't drop from the heavens, for sure No Monsieur, no Gentle gentle Frau.

It is all up to you to happy be It's not external to you, It's not money nor filthy lucre Nor fame that will see you through

The torrid turmoils of nights and days Their toll take from one and all, We all have our debts to pay There will be, for all, the final call.

So let's live and die, happily And, make up our minds to do so, No, it's not the modern-day 'crap' Where only 'lolly' is what you know.

And, if you don't know what lolly is, call me!

44. Man And and Beast Are are One Of of A a Kind

Man and Beast are one of a kind Just labelledlabeled somewhat differently, Two extra legs and a curly tail And, a life lived more patiently, That is all the difference, folks, Speaking, existentially.

So frenetic is the pace today No time to breathe, literally, For, what we call breathing now Is shallow, in both substance and form, Deep breaths just sighs and no more For, such a waste of time is breathing Cos it takes away many a 'Crore', Lost because of moments wasted, Breathing.

No such problems in the animal kingdom For, kings and queens still rule there, They all have time, perhaps too much To live, happily, Breathing air that's fresh from trees Surrounded, as they are, by leaves, Fresh for them, unpolluted, Is the cheery, nippy morning breeze.

Man and Beast are one of a kind Which is why we say 'beastly man', I wonder if they, our brothers in the wild, Have something called a 'manly beast' ? Not, if I know my onions, friends, For, they don't envy us ,, I'm sure, They don't massacre their own kind Unlike Man, whose who’s lost his mind, They don't make arms galore Cos they know something much more, They know what harmony is They know, what is Lifelife.

For us, it's the Southern Seas And climate change, if you please, We'll soon discover 'greener' ways, to kill, No, I'm not speaking of Oak oak trees Nor am I of perfumed breeze To maim and choke And, annihilate the other bloke. Simply, cos he's not like me, I am tiger and he a flea, How can he then stand up to me? How dare he? I am white and he is black He's designed to carry my pack And, if that's how it was once ordained How am I to be, blamed,? ‘How and Whywhy?’ Says the arrogant Man. Ask, if you will, the Man in the sky Why, today, is the Beast On a higher pedestal Than Man.?

I am Man But, I don't know, . If you do Do let me know, Make me wise to the goings-on Of Obama and 'Puton' Let the 'Pings' play their pong You tell me where I belong The jungle, or Where?

Beasts have no pretensions, While Man is all fake, Plastic and malleable, Robots on the make.

Note: A ‘Crore’ is ten millions.

A leap Leap Into into The the Dark Is is Sleep

Where dreams, like streams, are barely deep, Where vaulted are some memories Some secrets that we all keep, Some laughter from the good old days

And, stories that still make us weep, Songs and bits of nursery rhyme Jack and Jill and Little Bo Peep, Lost we are in reverie As sleep does, nightly, upon us creep And, drift we do into Dreamland dreamland Where the Everest was never, never too steep For us to climb, mentally, Soar into the skies blue Within touching distance of Heaven too, Into into spaces we never knew Existed, Andand, of these we had no clue, For we are grounded, Bound by chains of empathy Human ties, the 'you' and 'me'.

From up above, it's all so different Crimson not blue are the seas Blood carried by the breeze To gently mingle with the water In the hope that no one sees The mayhem and destruction there Caused by Man everywhere.

The Earth brown with little green Barren seems to be the scene, Battlefields can't look much else As, smoke rises to the skies Nature's truth and Man's lies, Revealed.

Dreams to nightmares slowly turn Will Man never ever learn? Are we going to destroy each other? Loot and kill and places burn Or, Will sense someday prevail? Will someone live to tell the tale? Or, Will Noah's Ark, without Man, Sail?

Eternity

The river does eternity seek As it flows towards the sea And, When the journey in the merger ends It attains, E eternity. Why then does Man fear demise And, cling to breaths of air, Restive, move from place to place Not knowing nor caring, where.?

The form's the same Of the swirling river As is the life of Man, Ripples, waves and storms too Moments of calm and placidity With each passing moment Nearer, destiny.

When the summit is attained What have you left But, the journey downwards For, that is Allall?, And In that All all lies wisdom and Truth, The realisation that breasting the tape Ends the race And with it All dreams And, That is why the Thinkingthinking, Worrying human being Fears, nay detests The thought of Eternity,

And, the river knowing better The truth of all existence, Craves and searches for Eternity.

Strange That the thinking Man Is unable, unwilling perhaps To face the truth And, The silent Riverriver Drifting quietly Seeks it.

Strange.

47. The Fate Of of Man

I’ve seen the depths to which Man can fall And, the heights to which he can rise, I've seen dwarfs who stand tall And, I've seen murder in the eyes. A myriad shades are there to Man Many more than what he shows, Buried deep within his Beingbeing Secrets, that only he knows. Complexity, thy name is Man Perplexed, Vengefulvengeful, Shallowshallow, For all his compassion (when it suits him) He still can't see another, grow. One-upmanship, an inherent trait Because of the demon of demise That, hangs on his head, until He finally closes his eyes. Forever trying to prove himself To those he's allied with, No friends, no foes, it's expediency All else a story, a myth. He's like the Curate's curate's egg, he is, That's good and bad in parts, Envy lies within him, always As does mercy within all hearts. From the ashes does Man rise To meld with dust again, That, alas, is his Destinydestiny The fate of all, Menmen. 48. Heaven Or or Hell

Heaven's a 'given' if we live well So, I've always been told Else, waiting are the dungeons of Hell Which they say, are cold.

Technology's taken a giant leap And, 'Met' forecasts are generally right, Might well be worth my while to ask Hell's temperatures, at night

And, then decide how I wish to live To choose between Heaven and Hell, Hope I get an answer quick And, before the tolling bell.

Wonder if all Saints saints to Heaven go Wonder if they's they've ever sinned? Wonder if they really had a choice Wonder if they'd never a pin-up, pinned?

Stop wondering will you, Ashok And do what you have to do, To liven up this dreary world Cos most haven't a clue.

No regrets, no remorse, no doleful memories Is not a bad place to start, You need to paint life's canvas bright Cos living well is an art.

You can't, like a goof , always smile Cos then they'll think you're a moron, So choose when to shed your tears And when a true smile, put on.

Don't fake it, cos you can't fool yourself And, others aren't fools either, Drink your beer as you like But, it's drunk best as Cidercider.

It's all here and now, folks You can't live the morrow, Nights and days all ordained Not another, can you borrow!

49. The Pillar Of of Repentance

Pillars are good support, we know To keep what you've built, standing Else, it all comes crumbling down An awful, crashing, landing.

Faith too is but one such pillar That supports all mankind, Faith it is that lends strength To the burdened, weak, mind.

Fragility, frailty, perplexity et al The inherent traits of Man, Weak in spirit and in flesh We all make the mistakes, we can

And, that is when another pillar Shows us the way to follow, It's the pillar of Repentancerepentance, folks That fills the moral 'hollow'.

Honest repentance brings relief And, with it forgiveness too, We're all prone to 'failings' We know that is but true.

Light of heart and a de-stressed mind Is what 'owning-up' brings, Repentance is good for body and soul Cos the dart of sin, forever stings.

50. The Scythe O of Passion

Scythes are of all kinds But, they all cut and slice, Uproot and tear and lay bare That which seems well- clothed And, oOrganized, But, the scythe of pPassion Bares all, No shred of modesty left Grass and weed and stones too All covers removed, no sheets No shrouds Just pPassion, Senseless, overwhelming, beyond repair, Oblivious of who Who else is there, Passion, a life of its own Short, sweet in the eyes of some And, for others Lifelong.

How dull and drab a life without passion Sensual or addictive, Love for another Love for aArt Love for sport And, above all Love for Life.

What use a life lived without Storms?, What use the desire to a star be Like Venus in the sky?y And, no passion, no will, To get you there.

The Scythe scythe Of Passionpassion Ignites, Inflames And, lights up the Alleys of darkness we all walk For, it is that alone Which clears the way For life to sing and sway, For moments to pass Before you know they were there, Passion has wings to make you fly The Scythe scythe of Passionpassion To make you laugh, sigh And, make you cry.

The Scythe scythe of Passionpassion Is but a friend, To see you through to the end, Burn within you as a lighted lamp And, even when it's No more than smoke Will still your hand hold, Keep you warm Away from cold. True Passion passion lingers Forever.

Why Live A a Life Of of Nothingness?

If you feel strongly about something But, refrain from voicing your thoughts, And, you don't say what you really wish to. If you hide behind false meaning, If the heart is never the speaker And, the mind that is a self- seeker Is allowed free play, You will live your life in Nothingness nothingness And, nothing will you then ever say, or do Of import.

If tears that well- up Are not allowed to flow Cos you don't want the world to know You are human with a heart, Even as the heart is wrenched by tragedy By grief overwhelmed, If it still has to be a 'show' Of a façcade of a 'put-on' stoicism That bears no resemblance to the truth within, You Have have lived a life of falsity, insincerity, Nothingnessnothingness.

If rivers dried up And, clear blue were the skies always What then would be the sea? Where would the waters find eternity? A pond with no water Could no lily nor lotus, flaunt, It's dryness would forever Its spirit, haunt, The heart too an outlet needs To lessen the weight that it oft carries, The weight of grief and loss And, To to that end does it need the Eyes eyes to shed tears, Its tears, For, tears are no more Than the voice of the broken heart As, are laughter and the smile A token of the joy within.

No spoken Truth truth hurt ever so much As a Lie lie in a golden garb, Lies carry the weight of a sledge-hammer And, Truth truth the mere sting of a barb. Lies lead us into the world of Nothingness, Where nothing has meaning And, Nothing ever happens Of consequence. 52.

Where Is Paradise?

Paradise rests within us If we only know where to look, Nothing holier than the heart No holier, holy book.

Nothing more scared than Truthtruth For Confession confession is deliverance, Light of heart is he who learns The words, Sorry sorry and rRepentance.

Beyond the stars, the moon and sun Is a lot of empty space, Who knows who the occupant is? In whose hand is the mace?

What is within us, we well know The good, the bad and the ugly, Heaven and hell, it's all here Make what you will, simply.

Paradise is but a state of mind Not a place that we will ever, find Look for it within you then God's resting in your den.

Gaze at the stars all you like It's a pretty sight, I know But, Paradise paradise is much nearer home Go see the heavenly show, Within. 53. Blasphemous

Don't read this if you're a prude Or, a misguided Believerbeliever, I am a Believer believer with the occasional doubt As all Believers believers are, I think the Lord has tresses I think He could woman be, I think that's the Empowermentempowerment That women wish to see, The Lord with the tresses

And, I'm all for this For god God as woman has long been revered, Show me the man who never in his life A woman ever feared Or Revered.

It may well have been passion Or lust Or, true devotion ( not many will qualify for that) But, then, where are the Mary's and the Sita's In a world of Kaif's and Chopra's Divine indeed, but Divinity transformed.

The Lord with the tresses Or Will it then be The Lady with the tresses,? Jolie as goddess And, Streisand ?

Lordships as Ladyshipsladyships What on earth is happening to Cargo ships? What are they carrying? Perfumed guns To fight the war in Syria Differently, Bamboozle with beauty The IsisISIS. Consider O 'Ob' Consider O 'Put' Don't get left behind, Xi Ping, Tresses may work where planes don't, Try, Help me, O woman in the sky The one with the tresses on the fly, You're nicer by far Than the radiant star And, The god God I know Is, just too far. 54. The Flame Within

The flame that burns within us Does never the inside burn For, within lies the Divine Light That darkness lifts, at every turn, It's flickering light, not a steady flame Varying with our belief Which, sometimes, lacks constancy And, acts like a thief Who takes, artfully, takes away Faith, Casting casting doubt in the mind Pulling a veil over the eyes Cos cos The fallen angel, can and does Surprisesurprise, And, even the most pious amongst us Succumb to Temptation temptation In the belief that Forgiveness is a 'given'. That is dangerous For, while the Almighty is Munificentmunificent Merciful, His ways only He knows, and They can seem strange. 55. Euthanasia (A pPoem Inspired inspired By by the Sstory Of of the Paralympic paralympic Female female Athlete athlete Seeminglyseemingly C contemplating Itit. - A a Simple simple But but Heartheart-rending Interview interview I heard today).

Euthanasia is not an option for the weak It is, but for the strong, When life becomes unbearable Then, what with it is wrong?

It's for the one contemplating it It's for him or her to decide, If miss-use is the worry, folks It's safeguards we need inside

The system, to ensure that With law it complies, Transparent, not opaque Open to all eyes.

Different laws in different countries And, within the same country too, For, one people as we say we are Is travesty, doesn't that sound true?

If it interfered with eternity And, the future of the human race, It might then make some 'possible' sense And, there might be a case

To disallow the taking of one's life Euthanasia or otherwise, How do onlookers have the right To decide who lives, who dies.?

Those responsible for procreation Mostly go before those they create, and They're the ones who could have a 'dubious' right To take an alternate stand.

It's my life and I must have the absolute right to pull the plug, When I Wantwant., Because I bear the pain, suffering and humiliation You don't. Don't you think so???

To Hell With with Staying Sane, Folks

What is the point of staying sane When sanity is a curse,? Will you ever for the living Call for the hearse?.

Those that rule the world today Are pretty mad ,, we know, When every day in Syria A new 'Cease 'ceasefFire', they show.

The good old times were good indeed For, Sundown sundown brought back Peacepeace, Everyone looked at the sun and fought True of Kurukshetra, and Greece.

'Crisis' was too long to pronounce For the 'quick- wits' of today So, the ‘cease –fire’ went for a toss And, Isis ISIS found a way

To move the world from crisis to crisis I Guessguess, what better place to be,? Constant turmoil, no wasted time All ships out to sea.

To hell with sanity, folks I'd rather be insane, Probably am, in this very 'wise' world Cos the mad don't suffer pain.

Why suffer then, when an option Stares you starkly in the face,? Look at the mirror and tell yourself 'I'm out of this Sanity sanity race’. 57. Quaint- The Magic Of of Childhood

Quaint was the town, the fields and stream My childhood was, indeed, a beautiful dream, Delve deep do I in the dungeons of memory Then, taste the freshness of those strawberries, and cream.

There is to childhood a magic we lose Like the wearing of two different coloured, shoes, The beauty that 'Aging' 'aging' does also share The freedom to any time, anywhere, snooze.

Dolls and marbles are all you need A patch of grass with some weed, On which to loll, tumble and frolic The patch enough, for there is no greed.

Envy, a word that I never heard Even as I saw the soaring bird, I had no wings, I knew that So, flying to me, never occurred.

I was little, so little was enough Joy and happiness made of 'little' stuff, Rubbers and pencils, homework all done Wary of the teacher who was, sometimes, tough.

Both laughter and tears were plentiful And, both of them were beautiful, Tears used to Parents parents entice Over their eyes some wool, pull. Innocence was the name of the game No one shunned you if you were lame, Birthdays were fun time, presents galore Mattered little who wished, who came.

The world was tiny, within my grasp And, my little fingers the world did, clasp,. 58. Love

''Love is a smoke made from a fume of sighs'' Of 'lows' and some bewitching 'highs' Fleeting moments of passion and warmth Then, beating hearts beseeching the skies.

Love embraces both truth and lies Even as it soulfully, cries Knowing, nothing lasts forever The eternal fountain also dries.

Then, as it says its last goodbyes It doesn't ask the 'hows' and 'whys', As it looks at the fabric of love In tatters, as it quietly lies.

Love is cruel, love is kind Don't believe me, ? ask Ask the wise., Love is eternal, so they say Who says love, never dies.?

The first line is Shakespeare's 59. Warmth

In the misty morn of a wintry day When fogged are my eyes I shiver, Entangled, As driftwood in the weeds Of a gently flowing river And, plead to the One in the skies To give me some warmth For, he alone is the One Who mercy showers On all who His blessings, seek, To them does He then silently, speak, A whisper, that only the heart hears And throbs to; The beating, pulsating heart knows Who the Drummer drummer is And, who the strings holds Of the violin, to which it waltzes And, stops when the music is over.

To that Great great Violinist violinist then do I appeal To turn the pages of Winter winter over And, let the book of Spring spring To me, the warmth I need Bringbring. The melting snows I love to see For I know what they herald for me, Warmer climes,.

Warmer climes That ease the chill in my bones And light the flame of Hopehope That I shall soon be dancing again With the Daffodils daffodils as they sway To, not misty but, fresh breeze that Spring from somewhere, brings, I shall hear the nightingale That, in the woods, cheerily sings Warbles, trills, And in my heart, warmth, fills.

The majestic sight of snows, I love But, alas, now only on the silver screen Where Kilimanjaro is close, very close And yet, far enough to let me stay Warmwarm. I adore you, Winterwinter But, with your snows in Summersummer To make you a warmer friend And, Summer summer a tad cooler.

Dreams cost nothing Even, conjured-up ones, Me, my dreams, My world. 60.

A Soliloquy

Is Life life An an Interval interval Between between bouts Of of Sleepsleep?

O, how I long to sing with the birds And with the brook, weep, Envy the soaring eagles The mountains that are steep, The waters in the distance That seem so very deep And, Dreamdream Undisturbed, long and, maybe, Forever. Is the state of awakening No more than an interval between Bouts of Sleepsleep,? I wonder.? For, there is a Sleep sleep forever But, no life forever. The river knows where eternity for it lies It knows it merges with the sea then dies, Is Sleep sleep, then, not the sea for Man? As the river careers through Land and hill, single-mindedly On its journey, Is the awakening then for Man The sojourn Before, eternal sleep? But I must, I know My promises 61.

The Destiny Of of Tears

Saddened to the point of tears, free flowing As I, in dismay, am witness to Time time a-going, I know not where and I know not why As I implore the silent, observant, sky To my aid come, and, make time stand still, Tilltill, Till I’ve had my fill Of of the transient spell called life, That must give way to an eternity without strife,

But will the Bowl bowl that is blue Stand by me, faithful and true,? Can it, will it, hold Time time still? Can it silence the moving hand Of the clock?, Can it stop the tick-tock,? Can it?

Or does It it, too, the moments count Knowing there is no eternal fount To rejuvenate a dying soul, The elexir elixir of life a mirage To keep me going, Undeterred By a wasting body and a fading spirit, The fate of all mankind

But, what will I do with the tears within If not shed them? And, so I must bring about sadness To give to tears their destiny, Their consummated happiness!

I am sad but my tears are happy And, so I too must my mood, lighten And, within me The shadows of darkness Brighten. 62. Migration And and Refugee Summits

Under the aegis of the United Nations Is the Summit summit being held on Refugeesrefugees, For those who are driven out of their homes By the blowing U S and Russian breeze Pray, how did they migrants become? Was it a matter of willing choice?, Did they in their own disruption Indeed, have a say, a voice? The 'Powers' 'powers' decide who lives, who dies Usurped this is from the Almighty, These gods of clay and mere dust Playing the roles of the mighty. The U N is worth not a U S cent Its validity down the drain, Its survival depending on a calm Hudson And, the absence of torrential rain. We destroy, we annihilate, each other In the name of preserving peace, Then force those whom we make homeless To move to Germany and Greece And, then in NY, try make amends Platitudes, homilies, sermons et al, Oh! How fake is Man today, how unreal. Speaking as he does in the gilded hall Suave, persuasive, slimy to the core O, the poor refugees, need I say more! 63. When The the Clouds Wage A a War

When the Clouds clouds wage a war O Man, what will you do? Where will you run? Whom will you bomb? Exterminate whom? You'll be wondering if life Was better, In your mother's womb! No Isis ISIS around, no terror to fight Mo meaningless putsch'sputsches, Even in the darkness within, All light. Cared and loved and nurtured well No hunger, no thirst, no warning bell To drive you from home, to god God knows where No place to hide ,, no place to share, Storms and lightning to strike you down They can be ruthless if they hit the town, Don't let this happen, don't anger the skies Don't make up stories, don't tell them lies., They see better than both you and me For, they have vision and 'seeing' eyes, Not those that only look or seek But eyes that volumes of wisdom, speak, Don't incur the wrath of the One above Don't test His patience nor His love, He's merciful, he is, we all know that But he carries a heavier than 'cricket' bat. 64. Woman In in Love –- A Soliloquy

Perfumed seems this starry night Scented the heavy air, Caressed am I by a gentle breeze As it plays, with my billowing hair. The nightingale sings a song for me In apparent sympathy For, it too is lost in love, I know Pining, in empathy. I am a woman lost in love And, like the crescent moon, I lie in wait for the other half, To come join me, soon. Being in love is consummate No feelings of emptiness Except, when I am left by myself Shorn of tenderness. It's then that I the pangs feel Through the veil of latent desire, It's then then that I realizerealise Love is, a romance with fire. It's then that smoke gets in my eyes It's then that my heart, quietly, cries, It's then that I make do with A litany of passionate, sighs. O love, thou art cruel too As thou are, indeed, divine But, can I not have you by my side? Forever and ever, Mine. 65. Who Knows?

Who Knows knows where I come from And who, where I will go? Who knows the lines of my song And who, to whom I belong?

Who knows who sent me here And why, ? pray tell me? Don't ask, it's not a choice Says the silent Inner inner Voicevoice.

No frog does ever ask itself Why, the well is it's destined place. No leaf that sways, breezily Why it's on, that tree.

Never does the river its destiny, ask What lies in store for it, Nor plumb its depths, for it just flows For the river its fate, well knows

It knows well its end, the sea The pendulum of night and day, It knows no lamp forever, glows It knows, it well knows

For, it too will one day merge, indeed With the hoping, waiting, sea, Cos, the sea too its rivers, needs As does He, His weeds,

No more than weed is Man, truly In the grass that He laid out, The flowers that bloom in Springtime springtime now The weed will lay low, and how.

When the cup of joy is full to the brim The dregs we do not see, Drowned we are in ecstasy Till the silt shows, how empty.

So, look at the heavens all lit above Looking at Man, with love, When we look at the dust that is the earth We see, our dusty worth. Start with Spring spring and end with winter All days must turn to night But, will we another day, see Who knows fragility's plight.

As we sow, so shall we reap Forget we do, the adage, Chained are we by greed and desire In penitence, singed by fire

Who knows, then, what the balm is And who what salve to use?, Like the river of no-return knows It's just a ripple of, flows.

Who else Knows? 66.

I Am Clay, What Are You?

I am Clayclay, What what are Youyou? You might well the Potter potter be, How do I know, what I call the Truth Until, I also see Who moulded me, Into the shape and form, that I am.?

Fragile and weak as all flesh is Fragile, as is Clayclay Am I, Tell me ,, O One, in the sky If you are truly there Or, Do you pull wool Over my eye.?

The blind believe, O 'seeing' Man What mothers tell them to, Is the moon not there cos you can't see Renew your faith anew In me, For, I have never let you down Replaced with a smile, your frown, Your heavy heart, lightened Ignited the dying flame within you So, you never lose faith, Absolutely.

I am the Absolute absolute And, you no more than Clayclay, For, me to do with you What I will, I hope you understand.

Questions, I ask you to ask yourself And, to also ask me, To keep your faith in Truth truth alive, Else, I know Faith, dies. 67. The Breeze And and I

The breeze carries me with it, as it blows To places that only, it knows For, I know not the reasons why, Why it chooses, where it goes.

Its frontiers are its very own To it only are they known For, who can stand in its way?, Not together, nor alone.

From gentle pace to rising storm The breeze adopts many a form Don't count on it to make you sway, For hurricanes too, are its norm.

It whistles, sings and melody brings To drab everyday chores and things O, Zephyr zephyr do I forever cherish you, Like a mother to her child, clings.

Destiny, too, is like the breeze Warmth it shows and then the freeze Like the breeze does it lift you up Then, bare is the tree shorn of leaves.

Can we not live 'sans frontièeres' Always smiling, no time for tears? Can you not O Lord of All, Put to rest good men's fears?

For, the world has, beyond redemption, changed Mankind now all deranged Breezes turned to flames and how Man engulfed in baseness, strange.

Where are you, O Gentle gentle Breezebreeze? Gone with the wind, I now see. 68.

Life, The the Well Of Joy And Sorrow

O Winterwinter You hide the seeds from the harshness Of snows, until The advent of Springspring For, them to then Flower,. I too, hibernate To be with myself, Never alone, For many a thinking hour, And, Like melting snows that rivers become I get lost in a swathe of tears That awakened memories Bring, Waiting for the coolness of Springspring To germinate ideas That, in the harshness of your cold winds Await, The mellowness of A welcome, Springspring

But, like the well that does Hold both joy and sorrow, I also know that Within me lies the hope for tomorrow And, As the tears that lift weight of the mind To comfort give I welcome the burning of wood, the smoke, For the warmth that home fires Provide.

I know That life is not a train with different compartments, As some believe, It is but one whole, indivisible Journey To , Nowherenowhere.

In the living is Lifelife And In time Extinction.

Let's Give Peace A a Burial, Folks

Wounds that bleed And eyes that plead To the skies and the heavens above, To silence the fury Of the destruction unleashed By a world devoid of love.

Razed to the ground Cities laid bare Which people leave and drown. We call them migrants Never the homeless Forced to leave their town

By strikes and raids By murderous design By greed and unholy desire, By rapacious Man For power and glory We set all ablaze, by fire.

There's a Positive positive to conflict Feel some I know That leads to development and growth, I'm afraid I can't To this view, subscribe For, conflict I simply loathe.

Warped for me Are minds thosewhich On conflict and killing, thrive, Human endeavour Must always for me For Progress progress with Peacepeace, strive.

Faster planes And accurate missiles And rockets that propel the shroud, Should make us feel Revulsion, Not arrogant and foolishly proud.

We've lost our marbles In our childhood somewhere Cos adults play different games, Rape, rob, loot and ravage Familiar sounds Familiar names.

Let's give Peace peace a decent burial, folks For, Peace peace is mirage and, a tempting hoax.

- 70. Give Peace a Chance

If Peace is interred, think What the world will look like, Aleppo in Syria is a perfect example Of mayhem, carnage and spike No people, no homes, just ruins Nothing left of what was a town, While the homeless off the coasts of Europe In search of livelihood, drown. They didn't choose to leave their homes They were driven out by force, All that what we get from the powers powers-that that-be Are sermons and squabbles, no remorse?. Will they stop taking sides And, let people decide their fate,? Who has the right, divine or other To fuel enmity and hate.? Let's give Peace peace a chance, friends Let the Hawks hawks fly in the sky, Hawks are birds we all know that But the one's on earth, can't fly. Imagine the hawk who that can't fly How hopelessly grounded he would be, Hope these on the ground too Are made to wisely see, rReality. Peace is not an object That you can buy or enforce at will Nor can you seize it by sleight For it lies in all hearts and minds Until...... 71. The Tavern And and The Temple

He shuttles between the tavern and the temple With the waning and waxing of his faith That, which varies with the vicissitudes of life, The doubts that arise, the questions too, The answers to which he knows not, But but asks, And, when the answers he doesn't get Is when faith like the lamp, quivers In the dark of night And, the fear of the unknown he drowns In whatever way he can find, His sorrows, his tears mingle With the drops of forgetfulness That, he himself creates,.

The 'Saqi' lying in wait Grape in hand A mirage creates, The slate of life wiped clean Ecstasy stares in the face, Untiluntil The elixir it's truth reveals, that There is nothing eternal.

O Man, who ecstasy seeks in both Tavern and the temple Its fleeting, ephemeral nature Should be known to you.

The Priestpriest, god's God's good man As he does himself proclaim (As if all priests are prophets) Knows well, that Everyone is first and last, human And, those who with compassion live Are all Priestspriests. Show me the saint who's not a sinner And I will the saint in every sinner show, So speaks the Oracleoracle.

Man is weak in spirit and flesh And, the tavern on the way to the temple Is is inviting. 72.

The Paradox Of of Dichotomy

There is a veil of desire and a longing That enshrines the human heart And, gives it an aura of resplendent beauty, The inferno of passion burns and scalds But, aA sparkle in the eyes Like a diamond in the skies Glows, brightly,.

The ecstasy tinged with remorse When it its boundaries it crosses Helplessly, In the throes of the fire ignited within, By a look, a touch, a smell.

Left then is a sorry tale to tell, O Waywardnesswaywardness, if only ,, If only, you learnt to walk the straight and arrow There'd be no hell, But, could there be a heaven without Hades? Could there be beauty without the ugly? Could there be life without death?

There is no single- sided coin There is no action without reaction What is joy without sadness? 73. ‘ Colombia Needs Peace,’ Says the Interior Minister

Colombia needs Peace peace says the mMinister Profound is all I can say, Who, Mr Minister doesn't need peace? Tell me, tell me, pray.

It's a telling comment indeed On the state of mind of Man For, he's bent upon doing all To destroy Peace peace if he can.

It's facetious and weird to hear this Where a Ministerminister, for Peace peace is pleading, For his country to win survival To halt the fatal bleeding.

Summits for Peace peace are a wonderful show An exhibition of great import, For the world to see how superficial it all is Where Peace peace is no more a sport. 74. Summits And and Sermons At The ''Turtle Bay ''

The East is a lonely river That's always full of tears, As a litany of empty sermons It almost daily, hears. The ''Turtle Bay'' does resonate With a pious show of wills, That little knows and even less cares The state of the world's ills For they are, indeed, man-made What the U.N. witnesses, The conflicts, the wars, the tensions As the assembled, go about their businesses. A Pantomime pantomime show, if you like All glitter and lots of glam, Everyone there knows well The difference 'tween bread and jam. It’s a world of strange alliances now Self-interest the only goal, No one cares about humanity Man's lost his noble soul. A hundred kids killed in Allepo Since last Friday, if you please, Ban Ki Moon calls it a slaughterhouse But, the words will go with the breeze For, sunrise will see fresh carnage And, the rest will be old news, Sadly, tragically, in different words Will we then hear the same views. 75. The Bleeding Heart

Is that the orange glow of the setting sun Or, a bleeding heart that I see, ? Sighs that reach the skies above Lost, to Eternityeternity.

O, how deep our emotions are Deeper than the oceans wide, Flow as they do, relentlessly Like the ebb and the rising tide.

No ocean deeper than the human heart No storms that churn as much, No waves ever so slippery As the sands of Timetime, they touch.

No drops from heaven show greater pain Than the tears that the heart sheds, No land so parched as the ticker within That a dried- out canvas, treads.

The bleeding heart a picture paints Of woe and a tragic sadness, As it, tortuously, beats On the fringe of an inner madness. 76. What Would We Be Without You?

The golden grains of sand I see Are the work of the sun and no more, Dull and grey and sombre too Are the grains of a sun- less shore.

Dark forever would the night be If the Sun didn't knock on its door, There'd be nothing left to speak about If it wasn't for history and folklore.

The Orb orb with the golden garb above The one bright spot in the sky, That one ray of light from the Sun, I see And, my heart wants to sing not cry.

You may just be a ball of fire, O Sun But, there is a mystery about you, To some you are a yellow dwarf star And, your'e you’re worshipped by some, too.

I love your warmth and so I keep A safe distance from you, Too close to you and scalded I'd be Alas! That is but true. 77. Love ......

If I were a little Cloud cloud I would never ever pour, I would but lightly drizzle, Not keep you away from the Sun's warmth Just save you from its sizzle

And, if my fate was a star to be Up in the heavens above, I'd shower you with my blessings for sure And, shower you with my love.

And, if I was a flower to be In your pretty garden, I would your Robin Hood be In the verdant Forest of Arden

And, if I were a nNightingale I'd come and sing for you A refrain, from my heart That always would sound true. 78.

I love My Wrinkles And and Creases Too

Each crease does a story tell Of a hoary past, some bits of hell, The lines on every weary face Invite, the final tolling bell.

Smile through the creases, O Creased creased Face face Life, indeed, is a hundred-yard race, It does sometimes seem marathon- like When time stands still and dead is the pace.

Some lines look nice and some don't Some fade away and some won't, Try all you like, do what you can Some are meant to forever, taunt.

But, there's a lovely thing about the creases They hold you together, there are no pieces, Seamless move from childhood to 'aging' When you look at all the nephews and nieces.

I like my wrinkles, yes I do I hope, dear friends, you do too, I hope you don't have 'surgical strikes' They're in vogue, I know, isn't that true? 79.

Random Thoughts – - Meanderings

O, what a mirage is Lovelove, indeed Goes, as it does, against the grain Of fidelity, monogamy, At least, for 'a' species it does As it reveals its shallowness, Its nakedness, Its 'freeness' In the world We call the jungle, Where truth and true desire are Never, artificially, chained.

Whoever heard a lion or an ass Do anything but follow instinct,? Whoever, a bird not fly to wherever it desired?, Whoever, a fish not plumb the depths Nor swim from shore to shore, Unbound!? Why, then, is Man so hemmed in By the rules another man makes,? Why Mastermaster, why Slaveslave? Who, but who, to another gave The power To rule over you? The rule of law is man-made For the Lord made no such provisions, Why then have we in folly, not wisdom, Chosen earthly divisions, And On colour and creed Divisions seed Consign Peace peace to the flames, Ignite the world With bombs hurled And, call each other names All in the name of Brotherhood brotherhood Love and Peacepeace, How false, how hollow, How political.

Will Man man survive the onslaught of another Manman? We destroy hospitals, convoys, innocent lives, . whyWhy?

If......

If the Sun wasn't there The snows wouldn't melt And rivers would, but, be a dream, Where would you then O, Angler angler friend Go looking for golden bream.?

If the feet keep dry And the lapping you miss Of the waters that caress the sand, If your head’s in the air No feet on the ground You'll be sorry you left your land.

If trees were barren All naked and bare Where would you the leaves find,? There's only one place for you If ever you feel You've gone and lost your mind

No, it's not the mad-house What That they call the asylum It's the 'you' that lies within, You need to be With the one you know Away from the mad world's din. 81.

Walk The the Path tThat You You Know Best

I wandered through the mist and haze Through many a fog did I walk, Silent and happy with myself No urge within to talk, I loved that which is called loneliness For I loved being alone, I spoke with everything I saw I spoke with every stone, I loved the echoes that I heard I flew with every bird, I touched the grass, I smelled it too And, as I did I found Happiness lay within my grasp And, joy was all around, Where was I? lost Lost? I wondered then In the crazy world of Menmen, Why had I not realiszed What life was all about? Why had I moved, gypsy-like In the falsity of clout?, Why had I missed the beat within Enamoured by the noise and din Of that which we call progress now? To mayhem that is akin, The world is lost in what it knows not How then can it ever stem the rot?, The river knows well its home's the sea Alas! Man knows not his destiny.

Let each one find the way, Ashok, Life's a continuous test, You walk the path that you have chosen The one that you know, best. 82.

You Can't Change Destiny

Don't dam the flood of emotion Let that river gently pass, They know they have to live together The weed and verdant grass.

Let the churning of the seas A lesson leave in its wake, Still waters run very deep And, shallow is the lake.

The barren tree knows well enough The end of Winter winter is Springspring And, that will always unfailingly New leaves to it bring.

Snow-clad mountains meet the sky What do they speak?, I wonder, Just listen to the birds on high Or, the sounds of impending thunder!

The Great Wall has partly collapsed Succumbing to strong Chinese winds, Immortality is mirage, indeed In Nature's nature's scheme of things.

Go with the flow is an adage old Rivers find the sea, Try all you can and what you will You can't change destiny. 83.

The Delhi Golf Club

The DGC was a hallowed Clubclub O, once upon a time, Shambolic now, to say the least Black sheep and Baa baa-bBaa rhyme.

The barrage of wasted paper That arrives in the mail daily, Lots of fun and games And, sordid, nasty tales.

Is this a pantomime show, I wonder, That we are forced to see,? Cos you have to open the envelope For the farce and comedy.

Save your time and money, folks Don't send these missives to me, I tear them up without reading And, then reach the dustbin, you see.

Dust thou art to dust returnest? Fits these missiles, true. 84. While Angels Are Wise And Wistful

While angels are wise and wistful How foolish the ways of Man, He claims to fly higher And on earth, destroys what he can

In the name of progress and peace Does he raze all to the ground, In Mammon, dear folks Has he now a new God found.

GDP he calls it, metaphorically This god lives in filth and human misery, It's gross that's true, it's domestic too But the product is pure chicanery.

Too bad if you don't know what that is Go ask the bloomin' dictionary. 85. A Date With with The the Devil

Let's play a game with raging fire Let's see the Devil's pent-up ire, Let's abandon all that's good and true Let's enjoy some mush and dirty mire.

The temple's good for the seeking soul But, I want to live it full and whole And, that includes bits of Hades too Burning ember and ignited coal.

Heaven's waiting up there somewhere Beyond the stars, some place out there, I guess plenty of time to live free of sin So, let's live on earth free of care.

Let's take the Devil for a dance Let's play with fire, let's take a chance, Life's a casino, come lay your bets With Rouletteroulette, spin and romance

Or darker, wayward, paths endure Succumb to temptation, come inure, Human nature can very base be Let's enjoy affliction, to hell with cure.

A date with the Devil devil might be fun, you know Don't know where he might take you and go, It won't be Paradise paradise, that's for sure It might set you on fire, all aglow

Now that might be fun, so try it A date with the Devil devil might well be a hit And, if your'e you’re a saint then all I can say is Give yourself a chance, learn bit by little bit. 86. Is Man Out out To to Prove His his Mortality?

Why do clouds darken and the seas churn? Why is the world such a mystery?, Chaos brings order, we all know that There must some method in the madness be.

Does anyone understand the carnage around? And, why it's all so topsy-turvy, Someone with vision beyond simple sight Someone who can really, see.

What can you expect from mMortal Manman But to kill and maim and destroy as he can Live up to his mortal name, and His own embers gently, fan.

Then cry and wail and shed some tears In seeming sympathy, Like crocodiles swimming in waters deep Waiting silently

To strike again at the heart of Anotheranother Stranger or your own brother, Who cares for the one who bore them both? Those helpless lies of a luckless mother.

Surely Lord, you can't be blind To the intrigues of the human mind, Enough, enough, of your .mortal Manman Is there something called 'Godkind'?

I Wonderwonder.? 87.

Vulnerability

Between right and wrong is the heart oft torn ’Midst meadows of truth and rivers of lies, forlorn, Was I, O Lord, a plaything for you, no more Flowers all around me, and I the lonely thorn.?

Hovering between joy and sadness Moments of light and shafts of darkness, A vision clear then clouded skies A charmed existence then solitary madness.

How does a gentle wave, a storm become? How does a feeling heart turn suddenly numb?, How does familial love turn to water? How does one forget to old songs, hum?.

Rivers flow, and they know, to the waiting sea Why must I then in the dark forever be, Staring at the stars and the spaces beyond Seeking insight into my unknown destiny?.

What would satiety be without a thirst? Who would be second if there was no first?, The mind is designed to question, Ashok Till sanity within gets set to burst.

Questions, questions, questions forever But, the One in the sky answers, never. 88.

Friendship And and The the Parting Pangs

This is the story of a Pine pine tree That allowed a bird to come perch for free, In return the bird would sing a song And, then for the tree, it could do no wrong, For, the bird and the tree were in harmony One sang, one listened perpetually.,

The Nightingale nightingale that oft there happily sang In tune with the bells that sweetly rang, Has flown, alas, to distant lands And, a tree despondent lonely stands, With drooping leaves in sympathy Sharing the tree's angst and agony, For, it’s lost the mate that perched there Verdant tree or tree, bare.

No howling breeze, no storms around Just silence and the air profound, For, even breezes know when to blow When to scream, when to lie low, They too did listen to that Nightingalenightingale That did to new pastures sail, For the tree was old and bending now Its trunk weak and a weaker bough.

And, the bird that seemed a life-long friend Did that friendship quietly end, Cos it knew better than most there That, nothing is meant to last forever And, all that breathes must one day die, Meld, and then with dust lie, No feeling, no sense, no memory Gone, gone eternally.

I too will to silence succumb One day as I lie cold and numb, The earth beneath will then rejoice When it finds I've made the final choice, To meld with it forever more To join the seas and leave the shore, For travels unknown to time and space The destiny of all who run life's race.

The story of the tree and the little bird You may or may not have ever heard, But, know you would what friendship is And that parting is, pain incurred. 89. Randomness

We know Armstrong walked on the moon long ago The Moon's moon's the same and so is Man's woe, The Eiffel, the Kremlin, the White House is are the same But, battered beyond hope is the city of Aleppo.

Wonder what the Moon moon looks down to see Now that Armstrong's lost to eternity, Does the Moon moon pity the plight of Man He who's chained and calls himself free.

He who is at the mercy of the a vengeful sword That hangs o’e'r his head as a very thin chord, That barely does a few fig leaves provide To cover his nudity and that of his broad.

Lip sympathy to Man does Man pay As everyone tries to have his own way, No one listens and no one cares To what any other, but ever says.

Thump my own chest and slap my own back White supremacy rules over the black, Did I choose the colour of my skin? O, was that also a contrived hack.?

Wonder if the roses wished they were not dark Seeing as they do preferences in the world's park But, ducks are white and they can only quack, so So, dark is better when you can sing like the brown lark. 90.

Enchantment And and Ecstasy

The shimmer of moonlight on sand and sea Each grain, each wave, then magically Begins to waltz and tango too To a music its own, its own beat, .

The flow of the waters, the ebb and the tide The shimmer begins to enchantingly ride The vast expanse of the shoreline, As does the steed of Arab descent O'er dunes of sand through dust and storm The world of the Desert desert and its fearful norm, Nomads and travellers of all hue That walk the sands for miles on end To howling winds who never bend For, the resolve within of pilgrimage Moves mountains, Within within the heart lie both Springs and Fountains fountains The waters of which quench all thirst, Cos the urge to merge with the all-Provider provider Brooks no hurdle of any kind When the lamp that lights the darkened mind Is lit, That that is what is, Frenzyfrenzy.

Enchantment and the ecstasy Of the Dervishdervish As he whirls and swirls in that shimmering light The gods look down upon that heavenly sight, Their hearts alit at what they see Man in the thralls of divine ecstasy, All else forgotten, Oblivion complete, The dervish, the grain and the gentle wave One, As is the world meant to be Man embracing flower and tree Union and just, Unity.

Why don't we learn from that grain of sand That shimmers in pure ecstasy, The little wave that quivers too And, does so enchantingly, The Dervish who on land and sand Shimmers in the glory of the Unseen Hand. Why don't we? 91.

To the Saints, The the Preachers And and The the Popes Of of This this World

Tell me not what I should do Show me ,, Preacherpreacher, what you hold true, Be the living god God for me, then Why would I plead beyond the blue?.

Be like the tavern- keeper, proud Of what you do, don't wear a shroud, Be like me, for Saint saint your'e you’re not Your'e You’re as much star as you are a cloud.

The tree I see and every day Speaks not words, but has much to say, It's home to leaves, to birds and ants And, filters for me the sun's ray.

The Nightingale's Nightingale's wails I hear at night But, winter still seems out of sight, You bring me to the tunnel, Preacherpreacher While I need to see some bits of light.

Preach to those who need you most Those who play to you the regal host, Those that raise to you, a toast, The poor and needy make do with God They need you most, who others roast!

Look around you, O sSermonizers See the mayhem all around, On the carnage in the world today I struggle to hear your powerful sound. 92. Music For for The the Gods

The music that the soul creates And, your heart sings for you, The chimes of bells that ring within And, sound as though they're true, No symphony ever matched that. Clear skies were never as blue, That melody of those sounds Unsurpassed, No genre of music can ever do What the soul can do for you.

If heaven on earth was reality Then the strains I refer to, Will make you feel your'e you’re close to there With what is now a clue, No song or tune will ever match In depth or melody, The surge of emotion that rises within And, what for you it can do.

Listen then to the voice of the heart That makes you want to flip And, turn around, waltz your way To your i imagined ship, Then ride the seas, joyfully And, give the storms the slip, Paradise then is at your feet You can dance at a frenzied clip, The heart is the voice of the soul And, that voice is what makes us whole. 93. Maybe

Have dusk and dawn to the night succumbed? Why dusty and bleak are the hills today, ? Has the Sun lost its 'rising' way way And, trees forgotten what it is to sway, ? Have gentle breezes stopped to blow? Has the kindly weather turned ugly foe,? Is this is all a comical show Or, is there something more sinister Brewing in some distant canister canister? Tell me brother, tell me sister Do you know anything, anything better?

Is it bright and cheerful where you are? Are you then from me, very far/ Do you hold a lamp or jar,? Alladin or some genie maybe By your side Houdini, maybe Maybe your'e you’re just lucky, maybe.

Maybe your'e you’re in Argentina In your hands a glass of 'Vvina', Maybe it’s the tango for you Cloudless skies and brilliant blue Maybe all this is true Or, Maybe, just maybe What I wish for you.

Time and tide are never constant Things change in less than 'instant', Maybe I shall wing my way To fairylands far away Maybe, Oslo in Norway, Maybe that will cheer the mood Turkish olives and Chinese food, Who knows what lies ahead/ Who, Dudedude?

Bleak and dreary, Tomorrow maybe quite, contraaaary, The extra 'a's are for rhyming I know my spellings and my timing, Both are good, now and then Specially when I hold the pen To write as I do now, Maybe, just maybe I shall say goodnight Maybe, I shall take a bow. 94.

Actors In in A a Show

You are Indeed indeed the love of my life For, I love you more than I myself, do, O Lifelife, where would I be, tell me Without a lifelong friend ,, like you.?

With you there I have no fears, no tears Dusk and Dawn dawn are my friends, indeed, For I know then that you are around And, I'm still there in the living breed.

When you keep demise away from me What more can I ask you for,? On a lighter note, O Life life of mine Without me, you'd be dead on the shore.

We must walk in step, you know Wherever you and I go, You and I are partners, Lifelife Both actors in a show! 95. Beautiful Visions – Tongue I-n in-cheek

A mermaid seated by the side of a brook Midst willows that smile, not weep, A chef who knows how to beautifully cook And, a good night's heavenly sleep.

A field of flowers bathed in the sun Roses, pansies, and daffodils, Snow-capped mountains, O what fun Running up and down the verdant hills.

A child at play with a doll or bear A school of fish with no teacher, No sermons, no lectures, anywhere A church without a preacher.

A heaven on earth to travel less And, a saved broken back, A feint, a swerve, a Pelée finesse Some nectar on the rack.

A sea that only waves knows And, gentle waves at that, A place where no one ever grows Beyond the doll and a miniature bat.

Alice in Wonderland ,, maybe With Carrol by my side, Dreams of eternity So, forever I can ride

On Arabian steeds and golden sands With houris all around, Why wait for heaven, if they're on lands And, in Arabia to be found.

Visions, Visionsvisions, just limited by The depth of your intellect, If you can 'see' beyond the sky Then, on visions you can, reflect.

See godGod, perhaps, the formless One And, now my Visions visions done!

Up to you, Readerreader Do what you will, but feed her, The cow will never oblige If your'e you’re just a breeder! 96.

Rapture

I sat looking at the moon in a trance Wondering if she would like to dance, Her eyes like little stars alight Rapture truly, was that starry night., The wind was blowing but softly so Caressing cheeks all aglow, A strand or two of billowing hair Designed to enhance the beauty there, The lapping sounds of waves on sands The gentle touch of caring hands, The orange glow of the setting sun The Day day proclaiming it was done Keeping the dark and unknown away, The night now holding, complete sway.,

Thoughts of daybreak crossed the mind Home, through the woods, we'd have to find But, Rapture rapture is beyond all reason Else, the heart is trapped in treason, Not true to itself, nor another.

The pathless woods are dense and deep For, many a tale of trysts they keep, Of stolen hours and memories Of lover's lovers’ tales and histories Then, through these woods we'd make our way With nothing left to do or say For, the stars know all well enough See, as they do, from the sky ,, all stuff.

Eerie the sounds of woods, within A different kind of quietened din, The kind that holds the future in its spell Tight-lipped Destiny destiny just won't tell, Will there another night of rapture be? Rapture, shrouded in mystery?

We wonder as we then trudge on The sky lit up, the night now gone, The lighter orange of the morning sun And, we step on it and begin to run, Rapture is indeed, great fun,

But, Rapture rapture is not all about love Cos rapture's also the cooing dove, Not for mate nor the flock But the beauty of dawn and the ticking clock That heralds the break of day to it And, the dove's eyes are then all lit, That too is rapture for the bird, Who has never a nightingale heard And, not felt rRapturous.

Rapture is being with yourself Singing like a lark, off-note maybe, Happy without and within too Rapture is To be, jJust be. 97.

Thus Spake The the Mountain

When the mountain moved an inch or two To look at a speck of dust, It saw the frame of puny Man And, moved back in disgust.

Was this what you made, O Lord? Is this your creation?, For he bears no resemblance to Adam, and seems to him no relation.

He's pummeling me to powder, To tunnels within me make, I'm far less than whole now Some measures I'll have to take.

You gave me the power to slide And, to Thunder thunder that awful rumble, The two of us together can Teach him what is humble

But, the innocents win our hearts And, we restrain from action, We hope you will, O gGentle Lord Direct him to move with caution?

My friend the tTree spoke with me Feeling a little denuded, Lying on the ground all torn and bare From the lLiving, feeling excluded.

The Ooceans too don't kindly view The attempts at rReclamation. Doesn't your mMan understand The effects of Dehydrationdehydration?

No one's happy with this Man Prevent annihilation, if you can, Don't let's see a powerless Youyou For, it puts in doubt your existence too. 98.

Life, The the Wall oOf Joy aAnd Sorrow

O Winterwinter You hide the seeds from the harshness Of snows, until The advent of Springspring For, them to then Flower, I too, hibernate To be with myself, Never alone, For many a thinking hour, And, Like melting snows that rivers become I get lost in a swathe of tears That awakened memories Bring, Waiting for the coolness of Springspring To germinate ideas That, in the harshness of your cold winds Await, The mellowness of A welcome, Sspring

But, like the well that does Hold both joy and sorrow, I also know that Within me lies the hope for tomorrow And, As the tears that lift weight of the mind To comfort give I welcome the burning of wood, the smoke, For the warmth that home fires Provide.

I know That life is not a train with different compartments, As some believe, It is but one whole, indivisible Journey To ,, Nowherenowhere.

In the living is Lifelife And, In time, Extinction.

The State Of of tThe Word, Iits Awful Plight

In the still of the night When the stars are alight And, the moon a. silvery blue, I lie awake Wondering what to make Of a world that's anything but true,.

Is it all mirage, Oasis in the desert? Or, is there more to lLife? Is Time time really cruel? Is the world meant to last? Or, is Man's destiny, strife?,

Caught in a whirlpool Midst stormy seas Is he designed to drown? One by one As we all come The pauper, and the man with the crown.

From childhood to demise Man seems to devise Ways to prove Nostradamus right, Peace is being sought By destruction and mayhem By the use of uncaring might.

Ceaseless is the attempt To bolster armament And, guard against another Manman, Not castles in the air Man has missiles there No place for the also-ran.

A martyr for one Is another's enemy Celebration and Tragedytragedy, Hand in hand Is Might might and rRight This world's an outright, comedy.?

Will sense prevail? Will we weather this gale Or simply, simply go down under, In the quest for Peacepeace? Will we just move From blunder to, another blunder?. 100.

The Voices Of of Reason

The voices of reason Recede and coalesce With the voices of the past, Muffled sometimes Never drowned Reason will always last.

Two plus two Will always be four And, nothing can change that, Boundaries you will hit If cricket is your bit But, only if you know how to bat.

Passions submerge Reasonreason But, only for a while Cos right can never be wrong, Crowds are motley Herding's the style Then, reason is lost in the throng.

Reason demands honesty And purity of thought, Alas! In the world of today Reason is easily, bought. 101.

Refugees

1.5 million Refugeesrefugees. Are they predatory fleas? To be driven out from home To nowhere but their tomb, In these terrible times Do these senseless acts Not constitute war crimes, What are the facts I wonder?

To tame a monster Who has the license To innocents kill, Maim, and destroy Lives forever?. To protect lives do we Have to take lives Or, is that a natural corollary That must be borne?.

The graphics we see On the coloured TV Revolting, but no tears shed For those who lie innocently dead. Is this strategy? Is it wisdom? When will Man stop playing God?

Those in power Nobody's without it Arrogate to themselves The might and the wherewithal To decide people's Fate.

A hundred thousand troops Trying to clear Mosul., How many innocents deaths? How many hands full Of blood? And, how many will flee To an unknown destiny?. How many? Who cares?

New Versus Old, The the Same Old Story

New versus old Is the same old story, That we heard from Grandmother Till we were weary Of being told how times have changed, Good times gone Minds deranged

But, O Youth youth of today Don't ever forget, With the same stony look Will you be met, By those that follow, You.

Your 'newness' of now Will then be old hat, The 'apps' that you use Will be for the cat Cos, they will have with them Something that's new And, you will then your 'newness', Regretfully, rue.

The earth deserted And, Man man on the moon, The odds are better That it will happen very soon, Then where will be Ee-com? What will you sell To the mMan on the moon Or the one living in hell?.

You can fly to Venezuela In less than a day And, an 'app' will show the pilot The shortest way, But what will you do in Venezuela If no one is there?, Cos we'll wipe out humanity From everywhere.

The 'app' may be ecstatic And, make you feel so, But, it's all so transitory What use when you go, There might be an 'app' That 'll tell you when you'll die For, you to then say That, that 'apps' a lie.

Things are just things And, will always be so, Your new 'app' of today Will then have been new But, long ago.

There is no one born Who remains as he was, once. Time is the master Man is the Duncedunce. 103.

The Helmsman, The the Archer

He is the Helmsmanhelmsman, the Archerarcher Who, in his hands holds Both the bow and the arrow, And, as the dart that towards The board, flies He releases the arrows of joy and sorrow.

He is the Grandmastergrandmaster Who on the squares of the chequerboard Chooses, black or white,. Life too has no bullseye that We need to hit For, it’s fine to be, sometimes, wrong But mostly, right.

The creation of nights and days Was meant to teach Man A lesson, To learn of paths Too dark to tread And, to wait for light, to hasten.

Beyond the skies Does the Helmsmanhelmsman Present, both calm and stormy seas, To Life's life's boat And, to its rower Bouts of Zephyrzephyr, the gentle breeze.

We need to be grateful For, that is all we can be, When we realize realise that the end walks with us All the way, and That is the reality. 104.

Sunset By by The the evening Evening Sea

Bits of orange and bits of red Bits of blue too, Sunset by the calm sea And, sounds that ring true, Like the chirping of the flying birds To rest some place for the night, Then wait for Dawn dawn to shed its cape And, to darkness bring its light.

The raging sea of the day Now calm as it can be For, it too does rest seek To pass the night away And, Be ready then for ships and boats Of all colours and hue, As fishermen do then undertake Journeys out of view, To unknown places far away To earn shekels for the day

But, only if the fish too, Like the sea, co-operate And, don't plumb the sea's depths Looking for their mate For, prescient fish smell danger well And, in the waters hide, The fisherman, weary as the day ends With the bait by his side, Must row his boat row back to shore With hope for the morrow, Cos there is no time left for him To wallow in sorrow.

The sea is home for the fisherman As he watches the sun set, To turn in for the night ahead And, some dream-time get Of the fish that he saw today Come to him then run away, To give him another chance Perhaps, lead him another merry dance, Hunter and prey, a battle old Like the fisherman who to the sea Is, sold. 105. Let Not Conscience Go go To to Sleep

When Conscience conscience comes a-calling In its hand the warning bell, From deep down within us It has a tale to tell.

Wayward is the path sometime Lined with bush and bramble, When walk we do on slippery sand We mustn't carelessly, amble.

We go to sleep, Obliviousoblivious To all that is around us, while, Conscience keeps its eyes open To ensure, we always smile

And yet, we trample Conscienceconscience Without a single thought, Overpowered by the sinner within The Devil devil we have sought.

O, weep not my Conscience conscience For I mostly lie awake, Living life in such manner Where, I give more than I take And,

That for me is enough As I tell myself “''well said''”, I shall try to keep Conscience conscience awake Until I'm, stone- dead. 106.

Till We Meet Again

Stay well, take care Till we meet again, somewhere, Time is cruel, merciful and kind Both stale and fresh is Nature's nature's air But, I hope we do meet somewhere

I hope the ship of life sails well for you Without strife, on waves that are true And, accompanying you everywhere Are skies that are forever, blue, I hope this holds true for you.

Your nights and days smile with you Hold your hand and lead you through The storms, that rise in every sea Pass you buy and always do And, the hand of god God never leaves you.

I hope you find happiness God keeps you safe and you find bliss In the little things that life offers And, accept that you will also miss Some dreams, and to them goodbye kiss

To some dreams and some hopes too Some folks will let you down, as they always do, Life is never a bed of Rosesroses And Rosesroses, aren't always without thorns and true, I hope you never have anything to rue

But, if you do, then you must to destiny bow Never ask the why and how Cos, when fate ordains differently From palace to a lonely plough Remember, all ships have both a stern and a prow.

It's hackneyed but it's true of both sides Within you good and bad resides, The choice is yours to always make But, the good person never derides That which is right, cos Truth truth he rides.

So, it’s always till we meet again. 107 Hypocrisy

British American Tobacco merging with Reynolds But, smoke we mustn't, for we could die, At our expense then, O dear folks These two, indeed, would have a great 'high'.

Every packet and every film Must the death warrant display And, then it's business as usual Cos we love a 'fag' all the way.

Do I need to be told that I will, one day, breathe my last,? Do I need to be reminded Of my sinful past?.

When smokers find pleasure And the makers 'lolly', make, What use these homilies? What is your take?

If my well-being is of concern To you, dear law-maker Then, have the gumption to do something Not just warnings to the 'poor' smoker.

I loved my puffing days, indeed I did And never, in retrospect, would I abandon the 'Cig''cig', Those words of advice on labels, I see Are no more than the proverbial leaf of the fig.

Don't be spoilsports, You you Rulers rulers of the world You'll soon be the laughing-stock When ' butts' at you Are freely hurled. 108.

Random

Does the river ever dream? What if It it were a little stream? Rolling pebbles it would see Flowing to their destiny The end of all, is the Seasea.

Streams know more than rivers do They're closer to the ground, that’s true, No rushing, no gushing, just a gentle flow For, they know where they ultimately go T The Master master of destiny, they well know.

Wending its way thru vale and hill The stream flows unendingly, till Both vale and hill are flattened out Nature and Time time cause the rout Nothing's left, bar the shout.

Being little, the stream can hide some place Then slowly move at snail's pace But, that is true of the river too And, so it is of the sky blue, Cos nothing ever lasts, for me or you.

Stream or river or the yawning sea You, me or the giant tree, Dream we do of a life forever Of magical carpets, red and gold On which to fly to, Eternity. 109. My Duvet And and I

O, to curl up in my duvet And, in winter, have my say, Let the warmth within be amplified By the peeping sun's ray. From the window I see the trees With their curled-up frozen leaves Swaying gently, in the stillness Of the softly-spoken, breeze But, I know breezes can be fickle And, while they may your rib tickle, They carry within them the awesome power To howl, scream and whistle. Comfy where I'm snuggled now In the duvet rolled-up how, What better place to be Far from all the din and row. 110. My Window Ssill

From my window sill do I get to see The mood of the waves of the sea And, then decide if the day is meant To step outside or indoors be. My window sill has Xx-ray eyes That see see beyond the skies, To the other side where they say The Almighty, somewhere, lies. I see the path to pPurgatory Where, of my sins I shall be cleansed Before, I join the alleys of heaven Where all is perfumed and incensed. My window sill shows me the way To the valley and the hills far away, I spend some hours, dreaming But, never for the night stay Cos, sleep and duvet beckon me, and That my window and the sill, accept, For they too feel the winter's chill And, the biting cold, reject. I toss and turn in the quest for sleep And, to the window sill return When, the stars I see in the skies above That shine and brightly burn. O, if only I were inanimate As is my window sill, I'd do as I please, forever, Forever would be my will. 111. Lily, Rose, Pansy Or or Me

If a Lily lily were a Rose rose and the Rose rose a Pansy pansy Tell me, would they then cease to flowers be? A little different shape, perhaps, a different colour Would that shatter their camaraderie? They're part of the same garden and, hear the same song That the nightingale sings, for them all day long, Does it matter then, that there is no apparent connect Between the flowers and the bird and nothing seems wrong.? They love the same sunshine and the twinkling of the stars Matters not to them which is Venus and which, Mars, Forfor, stars and planets are are just that to them But, what happens to People people just simply, jars. We'll never look alike, we'll be black and white And, colours brown and yellow will also be right, Look at Obama and Putin and you'll know what I mean, One black, one white, yellow and brown missing, out of sight! Alas! The world's not a garden and we're not flowers Plotting, as we do, for never-ending hours, Thinking of ways to annihilate another For we now have, at finger-tips, great destructive powers. We'd smell so much nicer if from flowers we would learn We don't need perfume nor incense burn To, exude all the time something nice about us We just need to be thankful at each and every turn. Thankful to our kind;, grateful to the Lord We have connecting us to each other the umbilical cord Of our oneness as people, despite differences, Let's strum to each other, not put each one to sword. Come teach us ,, O Flowerflower Rose, Pansy pansy or Lily lily in the bower, Teach us to be good human beings Not, strut like Emperors emperors with ephemeral power. Teach us ,, O Flowersflowers, that like you we shall wither Accept we are dust, why, uselessly dither, The beauty of Spring spring and the harshness of Winter We shall all see all seasons ere we quietly, slither Then, meld with the dust that awaits all of us. Why then, O Peoplepeople, why such mistrust, ? Simple is life, so why all this fuss fuss? Why the distinctions 'tween low and high crust? The dust will toast us all alike Welcome O Roserose, Welcome welcome Mike, I'm here to show you who you are You start with me, and then You don't go very far Before you return to me, Your Dustdust. 112. Make Time A a Friend

Make Time time a friend, not a foe Less will then be your woe, You can then sit back and enjoy As you see it slowly, gently go. There is no holding back Father Time. Trying to do so is, indeed, a crime, Time flows as does the river to the sea In search of eternity, Time time is prime. If you hold its hand and walk with it It will guide you through, bit by bit, The darkness of caverns that come your way Will fade, as tunnels for you are softly lit. Don't curse it when the chips are down Time will never let you drown If, faith you have in yourself, and A forehead free of worry and frown. Acceptance, is the name of the game That Life life plays and it's always the same And, has been so since Time time began Cos no one has ever been able to tame Time. 113. The Mirage Called Contentment

Oft have I sat pensively To review what I have achieved, To only learn, but, ruefully. Not much, not much indeed, It's left me feeling incomplete In a life that I thought, was a real treat. Why this feeling of emptiness In a life so fully spent ? Why impatient restlessness The fabric of life, rent,. Dust, I know, is only dust And, the lust for life, just lust For, no one ever lives forever And, the wise know that well, No one ever is so clever As to beat the tolling bell That rings, for all in time due To sound the knell, and always do. Contentment is no more than fable Ask the constant roaming mind, Who, but who,, is ever able To lasting peace, in living, find?, It's ephemeral, it comes and goes Where and why, that, no one knows. 114. The Great Deceiver

O vVanity, thou art the great deceiver As you pull the wool over my eyes Then, arouse within me passions and fever To make me feel I own the skies. I walk on water because of you As you, falsely, keep me afloat, To make me believe you are true And, my protective moat. Why must you, O vVanity Wrap me in the robe of deceit When, the essence of life is humility I need the humble, sheet For, with you I am conceited With a soul that slowly, erodes, No grace when I am defeated As I walk the 'high' roads. O vVanity, you are my greatest foe And, my weakness too, I am left with a lot of woe Whenever I walk with you But, little doses of pride Are good for one and all But, never let it get you Else, you will, surely, fall. 115. The Tin Man

The world is just a temporary inn A circus full of noise and din, Men and Women women of great style But, no more than toys of shiny tin Who spend their time engaged in sin Looking without, but never in For, within them lies a rotten core Sharks all, with tail and fin. The sea's a safer place to be Despite the storms and its mystery For, below it lie exotic things, and Man would pollute the depths, you see. Man is just dust and no more, we know From dust does also the garden grow, Will he ever a flower become? Or, to the waiting bin just go? Cos dust does only the bin find. 116. Sunset And and Solitude

The lonely sun waiting to set The night ahead unknown But, it knows it will rise, so why should it fret? Alas! My solitude does not forget How flippant is life, how fickle., Will I, like the Sun, Rise?. Like the tree that has leaves Which, one day, will fly away I'm carried away by the breeze That comes my way For, Solitude solitude is both light And heavy, Light when I am truly with myself And heavy, very heavy When, I carry the weight of solitude On shoulders, weary, Very weary. The Sun before it sets Exudes the orange glow Over the waters blue, Like the flame that flickers Before it dies It looks at me and, verily Do I feel, Its Solitudesolitude As it descends into The dark abyss of the night, The black hole that it leaves behind The only sign, of its existence In the minds of those who Its demise, Witness. No greater feeling of being alone As I watch the oOrb, dip, I know it shall rise again, and again And, again But I, ??...? 117.

Dark Dreams

I wandered through the forest gate In amongst the trees And, saw there an old slate Covered by fallen leaves.

Curiosity got the better of me And I swept the leaves away, To only heighten the mystery That my mind began to play

For, I found on it a name engraved That shook me by my frame, I wondered if was for me, made Cos on it was my own name.

Could it be another sign Of things that lay ahead?, Could it have been by design That I had just read?

For, when I entered the forest green I was in for a surprise, What I saw was a strange scene From nowhere I heard some cries.

The wailing was loud and clear 'Twas mournful and sad and lamenting, It did instil within me fear And, there was I repenting

Why had I come at all Into a forest unknown, Imminent seemed the fall Would I be bludgeoned by a stone?

And, now with the slate in sight My worst fears seemed likely true, Is instinct always right? I wondered, as the fear within me grew.

I ran from there as fast as I could Hoping I'd see the light of day When, I passed the dark wood To a clearing on my way.

I was all sweat at the thought of dying For living is such great fun, I knew then my dreams were lying And, I needn't, like mad, have run

For, I was in nightmare world And, that is terrifying, I calmed myself and, nicely curled Slept peacefully, where I was lying.

Come, take me to the world of dreams And, there lull me to sleep For, if I wake at the break of dawn I have promises to keep.

Much ground to cover over mead and dale Before Ii cross the seas, Walking on water is easy stuff Make me dance with the breeze

Then fly like a bird and soar like it Into the vast empty skies, Tired am I of the taverns lit Let me feel the star-like 'highs'.

Sing me song, a lullaby Of times when sleep was simple 'Twas enough to look at the deep blue sky At the moon and its little dimple.

O, how times have changed now Where sleep is termed as a 'waste', Frenetic indeed is the pace and how 'Apps', that cut and paste

And, if you can do that really well You can be sure of fulsome praise, You can then brag and tell And ask the office for a raise.

Sorry, if it sounds facetious But, it's indeed a crazy world, Nothing stable, it’s all capricious Invectives happily hurled. 118.

Regal Indeed Iis tThe Majesty Of of tThe Sun

Regal indeed is the majesty of the sun At its zenith, profound, Waning as the day goes by Soon, much less than round.

Soon will it beyond the waters, set And its orange glow, fade Soon will it in the darkness meld And, dark will be the glade.

The sun I know is sorry to go To leave me for the night And, I, too, am lost and seeking That shining ray of light.

I know it will come back again But, does it know my nightly pain,? I wWonder?. 119.

The Once- Lovely City Called, Delhi

When the Sun looks like the Moon Will Day day meld with Nightnight,? Cos the air is black as soot And, there's a paucity of light.

I thought it was the winter air That seemed the culprit to be, Until I looked around and saw Specks of black on me.

‘Good godGod,’ I said to myself, I did ‘The heavens must indeed be angered, To shower upon us such awful blight Where lives are now endangered.’

Or, is this a man- made fiasco To devastate the earthEarth, To annihilate all life Or, to cut the rate of birth. 120.

The Winter Flower That Softly Swayed

The winter flower that softly swayed Golden petals in the breeze, Bending like the willow- tree To and fro with ease., It took me back to yonder years That memory stores so well, Faces lined with smiles, not tears The sound of the ringing bell, When school was round the corner And, the playing- fields beckoned me, When first I heard of Horner As I read my poetry, When the world was just a ball Kicked around the ground And, the goalpost was all Till the net when it was found. O, how far back did that flower take me Down a faint memory lane?, To times when life was about giving Not mundane loss or gain. Hoary indeed were those times of old Some I lived and some I was told. 121. Time

When Time time stood still, not a leaf moved And, I became a part of that stillness, It's then that I my blessings counted And stopped at the number one For, both head and heart turned silent The mind in limbo, When not a leaf moved. Time, then truly immemorial, eternal With no form, no figure No measurement, no design, A mere record of nights and days That, they themselves don't know about Nor care for. If life was eternal, what would Ttime be, ? Nothing, cos it is, just a concept Linked to the mortality of all things. Mortality it is that invests Time time with a form That we recognize recognise Andand, give it names, Night and Day day, Years years and Agesages. The wise know as did The sages, that Time is no more than mirage. 122. ‘ Don’t Bet On An an After- Life’ Says The the Ad

Don't bet on an after-life, says the Adad Don't bet on this one, I say, It's short and it's not eternal Have fun along the way For, unknown is the future As is the light of day, No night does ever know The look of the next sun's Sun's ray. Strange indeed is life, friends For, it takes my breath away, To watch the twists and turns That inevitably, must come my way. So look for the Sun and the hay And, make the most of it Cos you never know if the road you walk Will all the way, be lit. 123.

Time, The Great Impostor

No greater impostor than Time That lulls you to feel Your'e here eternally, When 'Moments' it presents As days and nights And years, as Eternity.

O fleeting Time Fool me not For I am not naive, To fall into Your little trap And, your eternity, believe

For, you are no more Than the breaths I take Each breath a measure of you, Where would you be If this were my last Gone, vanished into the blue.

They give you a name It's Father Time And father's are mortal, we know, Then how come you think We'll believe you And, not know where you go.

Don't kid yourself O Father of mine You with no body nor form, No life of your own Cos you’re linked to me And, demise is Nature's norm. 124.

Fickle Destiny

Some walk the road of life complete With no destiny in sight, For some does fickle destiny At two paces, hold a light.

Are we all as are destinies Prone to fickle be, No endless days, nor nights Is that Nature's homily?

Then why O, restless Man Does acceptance not come easy? Masters of our destinies, we say Yet, uncertain and queasy.

O, Arrogant Man, just think if you will If you were the Master, truly, You'd never need to the temple, trudge To seek mercy from Destiny, the bully.

So much then for confidence In yourself and the morrow, Wise is the one who accepts best Both, happiness and sorrow. 125.

Promises

Make no promises You'll speak no lies, Then honest will be The look in your eyes, No remorse felt No repenting sighs, And, happy will be The One in the skies,

No weight will you carry On drooping shoulders, Just pebbles within Not burdensome boulders, Truth is frail and easily hurt When a hand you need, hold hers, Make it a habit And, it always recurs.

Easy to make And, easy to break, Promises you can't Lightly take, Else, you'll soon be Demonetised , fake Or, considered No more than a worthless, rake.

The promise you make Is to yourself, my friends, Not easy for the ones broken To make amends, You know the maxim Of means and ends, An unkept promise Regret, portends. 126.

On The Fringe Of Lunacy

On the fringe of lunacy Hovers the Man of today, Between Left, Right and the Extreme The Centre's just breezed away.

Ultra right and Ultra left Ultra is the fashion, Burn the flag of Peace, if you will Do it well and with passion.

Survival of the fittest Was not just grandma's tale, Darwin wasn't an idiot Cos to each his own, we hail.

Who cares for another, today It's the world against mes So, I shall do what I think fit And, leave you to you’ re destiny. 127. The Heartbeat, The Trumpet And The Clarinet The heartbeat of the living Can thud and, like the trumpet be Then, softly as the clarinet Beat, near speechlessly. From the onrush of the storm To the gentle, caressing, breeze, Does, the heart beat, forever Till it’s time for it to leave. We do take it for granted When it wraps itself in silence Then in simple retaliation It begins to wildly, dance. Its gyrations are aplenty Painful too at times, Loud can the tick-tock be Then, soft as musical rhymes. 128. Utopia Or Dystopia- Choose Why do I recognition seek Why must I crave, praise? Why must I be the only one On green grass, to graze While many don't have the wherewithal To even buy some hay, Their roads are not paved with gold And, lit is not their way. No meaning has equality When might is all we understand, Where the dispossessed live in shanties And, palaces are mighty grand. Innate in human nature Is the desire to be recognized, Inflated ego is the driving force That needs to be de-recognised, Man is Man everywhere And, Woman too, the same, It matters not what my colour is Nor the origin of my name. Let’s find the Man within The one whom the Almighty created, Where no one is ever under Nor grossly over-rated. Will we ever live in peace Or is that pure Utopian, Will the base within each of us Turn the world, dystopian. 129. The Sad Demise Of Globalisation Is this the end of Globalisation The rise of Nationalism to the fore, Will we soon be partitioned And, disunited even more. Each nation now independent There’s little care for the other, Everyone vying and desperately To become the Bigger Brother. Build walls and erect fences To keep people away, Hold those that are yours In your dominant sway Is progress going backwards With the build-up of arms, Forgotten forever The old world of charms When sharing was all With harmony around, In being friendly lay A philosophy, profound. United Nations is the assembly Of the disunited of the world, It calls for Unity As more flags are unfurled. Are we moving from II To a WW III, The heavens seem to think Well yes, Maybe!

130. Peace Is But A Whirlwind And My Enchantment An Illusion Peace is but a whirlwind and my enchantment an illusion That I carry with me in my solitude and will do so to my grave, As I see the frenetic energy of the youth of today And, no longer do I such restiveness, crave. I look upon youth as the engines that propel Change, some of it good and some bad, Forgotten the purpose of life, and Just the groping for more, makes me sad. Youth, per se, is energy par excellence I agree But, i too had my days of youthful living, It was never about greed and 'impoverished' success That leaves one poorer, and not just by some giving. Eagles soar into the skies for that is their natural home As all youth leave the once- feathered nest And, seek for themselves pastures anew Soaring into the world, doing their best But, they would do well to bear in mind, that There's more to life than just flying around, Lucky, the ones who in the madness of today Have for themselves, the true meaning of living, found 131. I Am I am the flower, the bee, and more The sea,, the sand, the breeze and shore, I am the tree that provides the shade I am he hill the glade, The face of God and heaven too Satan and hell and the sky, blue, Within me lies Eternity Endless, formless, the little 'me' Who, encompasses all that Nature offers Its wrath in sheerness quietly suffers, I am the star in the sky I am the apple of someone's eye, I bear the brunt of mutiny That rises profoundly within me, As I rebel and often do Against what i believe is untrue, I am the mist that fogs the mind And, clarity seeks of mankind, I am the snow on the mountain peak The flying bird and its beak, The chirping sounds are also me As is the fickleness of destiny, For, within me lies my Creator Guiding me as I go along, Trudging the road of life alone Completing my journey with a song. 132.

The Pangs Of Winter And The Longing For It

Winter looms and then does Spring For Summer is long gone past, And, the red and gold of Autumn Colours that don't, forever, last.

The fearsome, biting, trembling cold That chills all around, Blow away the castles of sand To leave an icy mound

But, where then would the fires go If Winter were to disappear, Homes would freeze and those within So Winter just better, appear.

And, the icicles on the windows That only show all white, The green of the leaves dipped in snow O Whiteness, what a sight!

Warm hearts keep the cold away As does the tot of rum, For glows within an invisible light And, the heart begins to hum

In tune with the musical beat That is the giver of life, I cut through the sad dirge As does the carving knife.

Oh, for the warmth of the duvet That clings to the form within, A bit of shivering and then Away from the noise and din

To a world that no one knows For that is the land of dreams Where, you can wish what you will Tadpole and bream in your streams.

Seasons will come and seasons will go As will this winter too But, when it's gone to some other land I will miss it, that's also true. 133.

Rose Petals Meet The Ground

Rose petals meet the ground When age is not their side, Do what you will, try what you like Wrinkles you cannot hide.

You can powder your nose And, the eyebrows slant But, the lines just won't go, The heart can beat fast The mind in a whirl But, the tempo is very slow.

Age is a number, so it's said But, only upto a point, Flex the knee and bend the arm And, you could soon be out of joint.

If only we could Just child remain Leave wisdom well alone, There'd be rivers of joy No tears shed No sighs, and no saddened moan

Alas! the Rose must fade away As must we all do, one day, Droop and wither as time goes by With nothing left to do, nor say.

In silence does the Rose accept Demise unlike the human form, The flower it is that knows better The ephemeral world and its norm. 134. Memories

Memories are like waterfalls That merge with the waters blue, Rising from obscurity When no one's looking for you.

Like sands spread across the desert That bedouins tread forever, One with their loneliness Not far from them, but never.

Memories too, tucked away In the crevices of the mind, Needing a jog or two or three, maybe Often, not easy to find.

The only things that stay with us As long as we breathe and live Are, our memories that cling to us And, to us some succour, give.

Dashed hopes, false dawns And, the orange glow of Hope, Memories are made of these and more To help us with life, cope.

When Autumn gives way to winter, bleak The red and gold stay in the heart, To form for us a memory To give the cold, a cheerful start

Then, stay with us forever Buried somewhere often deep, To remind us when we simply forget We have promises to keep. 135.

The Green Man

Was I once a Green Man Fig leaves and all, Standing like the trees around Erect, and simply tall

Or, was I like the bamboo stick Lean and thin and bent And, did I carry with me Its scent wherever I went

Or, was I like the Silver Oak Or, the great big Banyan tree, My roots falling everywhere And, of course, all over me

Or, was I like the sedate Palm That stands by itself All alone, the shade- giver To the itinerant without pelf

Or, was I the green grass That mixed with the weeds so well That, even I couldn't for the love of me The difference, sometimes, tell

But, whatever I was or wasn’t I was the Green Man In love with Nature, for sure, I looked at the sea The skies above And for Nature, forever more. 136. Grains Of Sand

The vast expanse of the ocean blue And, that of the skies above, Home to all and sundry, true Birds, bees, tales of love.

The shimmering waters, silver- lined Reflect the clouds on high, Grains of sand that leave the shore Oblivious, of the where and why.

Grains of sand that stick to us Are those when Time stands still, The relentless clock ticks away Until, until, until...... 137.

The Silent Voter- The Decider Of Electoral Fate

Shuffle to your feet And work up the dander, Discretion is fine But, you also need candour, Else, tyranny stares you in the face You can't be both goose and gander.

'Left' and 'Right' must walk in step Else, all you get is Anarchy, See how on the wane now Is the institution of Monarchy, Replacing it in varying forms 'Leftist', 'Rightist', Democracy.

People know what's good for them Don't need others to tell them that, Election time is fun and games The voter is an erratic brat, Win him over with 'goodies' and more Chocolates, 'lolly' and a cricket bat

But, don't pretend profundity Don't ever be the Preacher, Sermons are fine from places of worship Electoral battle is a fickle Teacher, And, the Voter well knows that you, O, Candidate are just a plain ‘Vote-Seeker’.

Spare me please, the homilies Let me live my life in peace, No slick tongues, no verbal smoothness No oily stuff, no palming grease, I'll vote for him or her, alone Who doesn't treat me as human fleece. 138. Keep Away From Rancour

When you harbour bitterness Happiness will dock elsewhere, When your heart is truly lit Light will overcome despair.

When you smile and joy show It will spread everywhere, The sun lights up the world, we know Not just places, here and there.

When shadows lurk around you They give no time to prepare, Spare a thought then for god He will then your torch repair

For you to see and clearly too For He's the one to really care, To show you the way to verdant pastures Not leave you alone, in land that's bare.

Keep away from rancour, folks That's not the road to take, It's for you to live life happily And efforts to that end, make. 139.

O Virgin Heart

O, virgin heart where art thou chastity Drowned as thou art in the throes of depravity, Like the flower that portrays innocence Till the bee sucks and stings,

Not malice but unquenched desire Its heart on a searching fire, The Bee with a heart of its own Like everyone else but, alone,

Like the earth that's parched and dry Does passion often cry its heart out, and then Looks for a play-pen To burn in hell and fire extinguish

And, smother all desire and every wish, Till spent, devoid of all feeling, dead. 140.

For The Love Of Music And More

Dead is the soul that's moved by words And, to Music does not awaken, What use sleep, such artful slumber If lilt doesn't transport you to heaven.

If the heart within that constantly beats Does not to a rhythm keep, Eternal then will surely be Your less-than-divine, sleep.

Even heavens respond to the sounds of music Pitter-patter is music to the ears, Ask the parched land, the shrivelled tree And, you'll soon be moved to tears.

High notes, low notes, and all in between That flow and also staccato, Whisper to the soul, bring it alive For they know, they well know

The power of music, the ecstasy The thrill of being in a trance, If the soul didn't waltz to music Tell me, how would you ever dance! 141.

Undisciplined, out-of-the-box That's me, not my T V, I hate order and love chaos I challenge both norm and eternity,

I'm describing the one I know best I don't need to pass anyone's test, Look at yourself in your mirrors, folks The face you like and then detest.

That's you not me, surely Your fault if you look, poorly But, it's not the face it is the head Believe me, the one that is truly, guilty.

You can't change the way you look Never mind what the surgeon from you took, You can only change the way you feel If you read the pages of my book.

Books and pages lying around Nothing kept, then ever found But, that's me and I love it You can follow me or go round and round And, round. 142.

My Tenuous Faith

The Tempest's fury The wrath of Thunder, The creases of Lightning The futility of Anger, The emptiness of Passion And, the pangs of Hunger, Man moves from blunder, To another, Blunder.

Is this your Creation O, Lord of the World Did you imagine this mess? Shorn of love, compassion and more Devoid of joy and simple bliss Destruction of mankind, the common wish.

The seas will rise The mountains revolt And, the heavens shed tears of blood, You'll drown, O Man In the seas of your making When waves turn to flood.

The earth will quiver The trees shake There'll be cracks below your feet, No place to run Nor hide anywhere When Nature turns on the heat.

Sad indeed is the plight of Man Cities a desert Where nightingales used to sing, If you don't do Whatever you have to, O Lord To what will my tenuous faith, cling? 143.

The Movers Of Our Destiny

A wistful smile, a little sigh Curled-up lips, a tear-filled eye, Dots of light I see on high And, call them stars in the sky,

They seem so many altogether Beds of roses, Rows of heather, Soft and gentle, light as feather There for me and you, forever,

They seem so close and yet so far No one knows how many there are Which is planet and which a star Is there for them, an eternal jar

To hold as many as I can see Of the 'starry' family, Those that move and do so freely Pearly strings that look so pretty.

O, keep the paths lit for me Keep darkness away, eternally, You are the stars we look up to The movers of our, destiny. 144.

To My Children And Grand Children

Was I guilty of perils overlooked And, storms unseen, Was I driven by scorn Was I ever mean, Did I take from another To make my own scene, Did I ravage and plunder Did I ever myself, demean

Or, was I true to myself And, the goodness within me, Did I conduct myself With true humility, Was I kind and benign Did I see travesty, Give of me freely And, from the Lord seek mercy

Or, was I somewhere in between Justice's scale, Am I telling the truth Or telling a tale, Was I all success Did I never fail, Did the ship of life stall, Was the wind always there In my billowing sail.

I think I can say so truthfully Holding nothing back at all, I've lived my life to the fullest Never stooped, stood tall, I did what I could for all I met In my own way, however small, Cos it gave me fulfillment To save another from a looming fall, I avoided like the plague All drama, all brawl Much as I liked The laze of the Texan drawl, With gumption I faced life Never with gall, Cos impudence can only Result in a fall.

Some lessons are here My kids for you, I hope they will stand you In good stead too, As they did me in the years gone by And, this is altogether, true. 145.

Fun And Games- Laugh And Be Merry

'Cee' says the 'de-monet' scam 'Jay' says the 'coal' scam, 'Tween the bacon and the sausage Lies 'Us'', the useless 'ham'.

Scam after scam after another What's the difference 'tween cousin and brother, These are the guys we 'pedestalise' And, all they do is plain smother.

We make them the 'minister' They're supposed to ad-minister But, all they do is advertise Somewhere lies the deep sinister.

Fifteen lakhs in each account That was the electoral 'bount', So said the gentle man Coins from the 'Roman' fount.

Interchange one for the other Never mind what they say, You and I must toil all day long While, the 'honourable' make hay.

Nothing changes it's all he same What said Shakespeare is in a name, '' Plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose" The french surely know the game.

Let's learn from the French Stink is stink and so is stench, Let's hold them to their promises Or, make them sit on the loser's bench. 146.

The Winter's Sun

Winter does a different Sun bring Warm, mellow and soothing, Its wrath and pure ferocity Tamed by the cold and its mercy, The chill welcome for a change As the rays of the sun are within range To heat somewhat the bones within As I sit in silence without din, And, Then reminisce of Autumn time The red and gold, the basil and thyme, I think of rain, I think of cloud That which is the sun's shroud, And, I think then of winter rain I think of freeze, I think of pain, I think of life as it is Not in terms of loss and gain,

A stroll in the park With the rays on my back A feeling of gentle calm, The trees look at me They stare all bare The leaves, the missing balm

But, I long for you, O Winter Sun When Summer strikes me down, When I look for a place to run somewhere Somewhere out of town.

We are indeed fickle Never are we content, You made a puppet, Dear Lord That knows not where it's going Nor, where it ever went. 147.

Lahore Of A Long Time Ago

Lahore was a riot of colour And, yellow was the colour of choice, 'Basant' was the name of the game And, hoarse was each one's voice

Their world a sky full of kites The ones made of pretty paper, Scarlets and blues, reds of all hues Running was sprinting and caper

The ladies joined in The great backroom support, Getting kites, string and 'maanjha' ready Getting ready to have fun and cavort

'Bo-Kaata', the phrase That touched hearts, rented skies, Brought smiles and laughter to some And, for some brought tears to the eyes

For, it was warfare as I recall it The friendliest fire around, Winners and losers didn't matter Cos we all stood on happy ground

And, everyone knew what was to follow Remember, the colour of the day, Saffron this and saffron that Saffron all the way But alas! Basant lasts a day alone Then there was school and a 'marbley' game, Ma made the 'dhibbrees' out of crown corks When Vimto was the most well known name.

I could go on and on through the haze Recounting those misty days That clouds now the blurring vision And yet, of Lahore a lot says.

Notes: Basant - Festival of kites Bo - Kaata - when anothers kite is defeated. 149.

Zarra ( a Grain ) Sahil ( the Shore )

A grain of sand, a Zarra am I Zarras like me line the shore, That anchor provides to one and all Cos Sahil does that and no more.

A speck of dust or a heap of it Will I pass for Time is what you learn, I take the heat of the Golden Orb And, in that do I, the Zarra, burn.

Zero encompasses all things And, all things are Zarra, we well know We all come, bide our time And, then to eternity, dustily, go.

In the Zarra then lies true life In the speck of dust the dust it will meet, The end lies in the beginning, folks And, history is just a Zarra sheet. 150.

Time Without A Story

O, tormented soul Why are you so, Tormented by that Which you do not know Nor, fathom,

The uncertainties of life Of the continuance of beats And, the falsity of night and day, Those that we invest with names Even though, it is the sun that Brightens , then darkens The skies So, what is night and what day?

Simply, the passage of time Or, as Time is not corporeal It's us that pass from earth's stage To the Unknown Beyond And, Time just stays, Still.

Without the sun there'd be No day no night, Without Man and Nature No history, Time without a story.

How unreal is reality How misty the clear skies, How small do stars seem To even tinier eyes.

Why then do you, O simple Man Not see the light of day, Not see how haphazard Is life, all the way. 151.

The Ship of Life

The ship of life leaves the shore Never again to return, To sail the waters, rough and smooth And, not look back at the stern.

The song of life is a strange mix Of false notes and melody, Solo sometimes is the aria you sing And, sometimes, a symphony.

Your boat you row, the oar in your hands Cos the journey is yours alone, Some sail with you for part of the way And others, to their own ways are prone.

Your destiny lies somewhere between You and your god above, Let your ship plough through the storms Then, tame them with, unquestioned love.

How long the journey no one knows As you look at the sun, set and rise, Journeys just have to be made With or without a prize. 152.

Is Paradise For Real ?

A step away from Heaven Must be the stairway to hell, You can shun the temptation Or, succumb to Satan's spell.

It's a conjured-up vision, Heaven is Of some place called Paradise, For, no one's ever seen it With their naked eyes

And, if it's belief that we speak of Then that's a ‘wiggly’ thing, Cos faith truly wiggles Even in the mind of a holy king.

This scepticism isn't strange For a Believer like me For, it keeps alive my need For the Divine, constantly.

I must forgive myself For such minor trespasses, If I knew, not believed, in god's existence There'd be chasms in my faith, not little crevices.

Thank god for these doubts They do a purpose serve, Keep vibrant my faith Help me hold my nerve. 153.

Beyond My Solitude

Beyond the yonder valley Lie memories of yesteryears, That come crowding back to mind Wrapped in smiles and tears, The mango groves, the market- place The little voices, the little fears, The moonlit nights, the stars above The seething sun that simply sears, All this and more do I recall Beyond my solitude

And, as I gaze at the years gone by A little tear wells up in the eyes, For therein does the story lie Of smiles and laughter and some sighs, I know that nothing lasts forever All that's mortal someday dies, No consolation in eternity, which Is no more than a pack of lies Or, at best a feeble attempt A mumbo-jumbo of futile tries.

What is writ must happen so I wish I could destiny, re-write, To the blind show the way To myself restore sight, Walk the paths that are not lit With the help of the inner light, So insensate is the world today Terrible is the human plight, All that we now understand Is that might gives you unfettered right To maim, kill and destroy To instill in hearts awful fright, Mortal man plays Immortal God Man is blinded, without sight, How soon, O Lord, will your days end How soon will there just the night? Man is out to do good for Men Ostensibly, slyly, devilishly For, all he does is for himself Opaquely, masked, selfishly.

Beware of all the do- gooders Whose hearts are made of stone, The saints of today are sinners no less And, for nothing do they, atone. Alas! We live in a sordid world For, Man was never more Alone. 154.

My Heart And I

A Lily wafting in the air A feather drifting down somewhere, A piece of me that flits around My heart, that wanders everywhere.

It floats around, comes back to me And, does so almost constantly, Restless, itinerant, gypsy-like It's caged inside and yet so free.

I marvel at its ability To go where it likes any time, you see, Leave me behind without a thought As I breathe in seething, envy.

I am bound, my heart is not That, alas, is my destined lot, I don't know, Reader, where you stand Alone like me, or on the trot

Going wherever it takes you To the sands or the oceans blue, To weeping willows or fields of rye Riding dreams, both false and true.

Wish I could like my heart be Free as the bird on my tree, That looks at me in pity, I think At my ordained destiny.

Keep going, my heart, I shall follow you Around the world, all places true. 155.

The Bud That Never Flowered

It looked so pretty As I imagined The flower that it would be, The colour red Its petals so soft The flower, a mystery.

The bees around The sun caressing A gentle blowing breeze, The swaying stem Of the red rose Its dainty little leaves.

Virginal, its look, Innocence afloat Coyly, adorning my lawn Smell, sweeter than honey Incensed nostrils And, I ready to fawn

For, the bud was a beauty Still unopened The rest a fond wish, I gave it a form I gave it colour 'Twas truly a beautiful dish!

Alas, 'twas not to be All things don't flower Not every dream comes true, Some days there's rain And thunder too And, some days there's vibrant dew.

Uneven was the road of life Full of ups and downs, Tears and laughter along the way Smiles and also frowns.

Happy New Year 156.

Happy New Year

Never did I see the Orange so bright As from the sands, in the distance, I saw The golden Orb, the setting sun Herald the advent of the New Year's Night.

The birds seemed to sense but quietly Unlike the usual wont of chirping 'wings' As they flew across the quiet seas Homeward bound or in chase, a mystery

For, who knows what lies ahead As the Sun takes its time to rise To usher in the dawn, a new day To bid adieu to that which soon, lies dead.

May the rising sun be brighter than ever May tomorrow bring Peace, that sleeps somewhere, May the horrors of war and strife be buried May the glow of a New Year last, forever.

To the dawn of dawns that we all await To the birth of love and the demise of hate, To hopes and desires that dormant lie A fervent plea to the open sky

And, to Him who lives Beyond somewhere. 157.

The Ephemeral Nature Of Reality

The ephemeral nature of reality Is something that we must all feel and see, The end is never in doubt, is it? Where then lies the mystery?

That which is real is indeed fake Else, why do we such haste make And, tread the world so restlessly Why, pray why, for Reality's sake.

Like the magical lamp of Alladin That houris made and senses keen, Carpet- baggers and sorcerer's tales On desert sands, a forest green.

Such is the nature of reality Reality is relativity. 158.

Truth Hides

Why does Truth, sometimes, hide And, lies reveal it all, How do we mountains climb Then, on level ground fall.

Why is Truth garbed so Clad in ambiguity, Why not naked, why not bare For Truth is truth, verily.

Is Truth shy or just too obvious Unlike falsity, brazen, in your face, Lies are prone to spring at you While Truth, follows a gentle pace.

That which is true is hidden, sometimes Behind the facade of lies, The truth you will see only when You use the mind's eyes. 159.

Eternal Sleep

Twenty-five years of deep sleep Give or take a year or two, Rip Van Winkle knew the answer Do I, Do you ?

That's the time our eyes are shut Dead to the world we are, Strange when you put it all together A life-time of sleep, by far

And yet, we find the time to squabble To ruin our lives and of other's too, Think, if you will of the time you sleep And, your actions you might rue.

Dream we do, as we sleep Of lakes, rivers and fountains pretty Then, awaken and spoil it all Maim, kill, bruise and brawl.

Better, perhaps, to sleep a life-time And, in our sleep hum a rhyme.