Thursday, September 26, 2013

why worry now

my feet soak
in a bucket of
white foam 

water
warms to my feet
warms my aching soles

dire straits
blasts through
the speakers

an assortment of novels
lie around me
on the bed 

i holler above
knopfler's low voice
lyrics i have known
since school 


and i see 
you're going to say 
something
but no, stop

you can't touch
this moment
save it for later


because right now
lady writer's
on the tv

​​

Saturday, August 24, 2013

wheelie

boy
​on a bicycle
sails past me 

quietly, and 
in the light
of the lamp-post

near the grocery store
​​i see him
do a wheelie 

simply, freely 
and almost 
unceremoniously 

on the empty street
nothing that anyone else
might have seen

except the evening stars
his front wheel 
was silhouetted against. 

tie-breaker

i watch
this relationship
gasp for air


limbs flailing
it struggles
to survive

i am baffled
at how love
can be warped

twisted, skewed
and distorted
like a photoshop image


i am shocked at how
it can transform itself
into this

and i weep
till i feel
i might 

cough up
my intestines.
i go through

anger, bitterness
self-doubt
and disappointment

i try to save
bits and pieces frantically
but i realise that

at some point
the relationship
can't take its own weight

and in the end
i only want
to save myself. 

Friday, July 26, 2013

"I love this song!"

it's the moment
you play something
and I recognize it

it's your voice
in harmony
with mine

it's the look
in your eyes
that shine into mine

in anticipation
and knowingness
it's the pause

before we sing
the chorus
it's the acknowledgement

of shared histories
in an old song
we both know the lyrics of

it's upliftment
it's losing ourselves
to a common power

music is your friend
as it is mine
but the companionship

between you and me
is exclusive, it is
a magical connect

however brief,
momentary
or fleeting

in that split second
as you catch my eye
while on stage

or in the hours
that we sing softly
to acoustic guitars

all loneliness
explodes and dissolves
into a fuel

that will keep
my feet moving
i'm grateful for you.

Friday, May 10, 2013

solution

a great many 
problems are solved
by keeping your mouth shut. 

Tuesday, May 07, 2013

stray

little white dog
by the atm 
you've got
such shiny brown eyes


you look up at me
as i wait for my turn
your tail
slowly wags

you stand up
stretch, and come
closer
sniffing at my kurta

it's impossible
to look away now
i give in
and bend down

before i can even
pat your head
you roll on your back 
in anticipation

and i scratch
your tummy
as you giggle
and wring your limbs

i stop
for a moment
and you paw at me
frantically

and i become
servile again
both my knees
on the street now

you follow me
as i walk towards
my office
nose close to my heel

i enjoy
the attention
yours, and that of passersby
equally 

we crossthe chinese restaurant
and you run off
in the direction 

of exciting smells
frenzied wagging
and sniffing follows
with your back towards me

i pause
and wait
for you 
patiently 
 
but you
are intent
in poking your nose
in the gutter


i suddenly feel
very betrayed.

Sunday, March 17, 2013

snap

here comes 
breaking point
it comes closer
and closer
 
testing
your patience
testing 
your strength
 
you are 
prepared 
and determined
not to give in
 
you dig your feet
into the sand
firmly 
 
but when 
the wave hits you
your legs 
give way
 
they're no longer
under your control. 

when the waters recede
you find yourself

drenched, 
exhausted 
with salt and sand 
in your mouth 

you breathe
in relief 
it's over 
 
you don't see
the next wave 
coming

because who knew
that when you thought
you've recovered
 
you would break 
again
and again.

Thursday, February 28, 2013

courage

one day
you have to stop
being afraid
and be you

i think it's today
it's a new release
first day, first show. 

Saturday, February 16, 2013

farmer

orange saree
softly shines 

in the mild winter sun 
against blinding green
 

you drape your pallu
around your head

i watch
from behind the window 

of an air-conditioned 
train compartment 

the screen that
separates us


you, picking paddy
in mud-covered feet
me, sitting on my berth
with notepad and pen

using you
as my muse 

both of us

born of the same soil
in the same country 
but suddenly, I wonder

if being there
makes you
more Indian
than I am. 

Saturday, January 05, 2013

back to the angst

working like a dog
to get what you want
can be a bitch.