over*

like a moth to a flame
in the darkness
of a power cut

hovering around
the candle ring
carefully dodging,

but at times
almost dipping
into the yellow, clumsily

i keep coming back
even if i don't want to
i wish i could leave

you
i wish i could leave
but i'm here

because i forgive
so easily
every time

wait! the power's back
the flicker dies
in a whoosh

i'm free.

--------------------------------------------------------------

*this won third plaze in the Illuminati 2011 contest

unravelled

the more you reveal
the more
you puzzle me
redress yourself
in all those layers
and
i'll understand you better.

city rain

thick clouds,
jumbled wires
around a pole

brown leaves dance
across windshields
honking, packed cars

oranges sit brightly
on a cart, almost radiant
with anticipation

banging doors
and windows
a woman rushes

into her balcony
pulling at
clothes on the railing

at the bus stop
people huddled together
knowing they'll be stranded

the crescendo, activity
breaks at its peak
into the first few drops.

nungambakkam

crescent
on sterling road
puttu and kadalacurry

kodak studio
piano sounds
drifting in from
nearby music square

haddows road
an old favourite
with its big trees

and the red warmth
of oxford bookstore
familiar college road,
alliance, the irezumi board

kids hanging out
at ispahani, shopping at
khader nawaz khan road

in the centre
of all the traffic,
the maddening one-ways,
the buildings, big and little

rises,with humbling grace,
the beautiful white
loyola spire, embracing
the chennai sky.

apart

sometimes far
is too far
how far away
is near?

keeping

the sea
raw, brown
of the earth

lit up the sky
in a warm golden
the sun, a glowing red

black ripples
birthed and broke
silently

barefeet sunk
into the softness, gathering
wet sand between toes

which we had
to wash away
clean

so when my feet
sink into fresh earth that
i might learn to welcome

i only want to remember
what was beautiful
what beautiful was.

protection

thank you
for keeping me away
from you.

shrug

I'm startled
by this late revelation
maybe if you had
told me
a few years back
it would have
been different now
but you didn't
and that's that.

escapade

you poked around
on purpose, grinning
tearing the shell

suddenly
there's no cover

have you been
to the fair recently?
they now sell
unbreakable bubbles.

how it works

he died
and his ideals
died with him

you sold his stuff
and made your bucks

the magic

some connections

cut across

cities

and countries

and sometimes

all the pleasure

lies in knowing

that it's there.

lady*

dry rancid laughter
rings through the smoke
heavy, weary
in alley darkness

a voice breaks
in a jagged scrape
as she sings
breaking through

the noise
the pin-prick
vulnerability
shielded by pride

finding her way
with familiar, bitter ease
she laughs at them,
their glass hearts

she sings
the crowd weeps
she smokes
she lives tomorrow. 

------------------------------
*thoughts on listening to Lady by Regina Spektor

familiarity

have we

worn each other

and have we

worn each other out

erazex

he flung it suddenly
across the room
collapsing,
head in hands
sobbing, shaking


what life was this
correction fluid

doorbell

two wires

stick out of a wall
front legs
of a giant spider
almost comical

four legs
buried in the wall
forelegs
stick out
wiggling

two large eyes
follow you
around the room
fixed to the wall
fixed on you

two wires
poke out of a wall
intruding, disturbing
two wires
of a door bell

shiny metal
completes the circuit
and shuts out
the eyes
that constantly watch

box them all up

into the wall, sealed
along with everything else
get used to the ringing
till it no longer alarms.

mother

tired eyes,
everyday, yet
bright face

mother,
what would I do
without your smile
to return to

weakness

you apologise

and I say okay

even if I'm not sure

I want to 

those unforgiving

have it easier.

so forget the world
and play
what's on your mind

let your notes wander 

like cotton seeds, settling

upon those unsuspecting

we'll walk
this night through
fearlessly, because

this is just
our untitled song
from an unknown album

chai wala

little boy,
brown shirt,
khakhi shorts

skipping through
narrow alleys
with your chai carrier

and your constant,
cheeky grin
hanging around

curiously, as
groups of people chat

leaning against the wall

cigarettes lit,
some planning weekends
some talking of previous ones

others taking you
through the day
and office politics

you listen carefully
as you wait for the glasses
to the 4 pm gossip

knowing that the rest
awaits you tomorrow
no story remains unfinished.

after they all sleep

alone,
empty basketball court
silence shifts restlessly
under a clear night sky