Revisiting the chords of the heart through words that flow incessently
At times, when the Sun meanders
into my threshold,
unannounced,
I wonder if it is time
to let go….of the shroud
to convince the leaves,
to step aside a little
to let the rays
touch my heart a trifle
sometimes, just once in a while
I leave the doors open
because I know
unannounced…
the Sun will meander,
into my threshold…..
maybe…… forever.
Have you ever been there
To that clearing beyond wonder…
Where dreams flutter
And desires float asunder?
Where sometimes you crush
Dry leaves in a bunch
And love how they crumple.
Where, in a stupor,
You glance timelessly
At the speck you are
And wonder…
How stars beckon
and how winds answer
How leaves dance
To music that does linger…
Where enchanted worlds
Put you to sleep
With soft caresses…
Have you ever been yonder,
And came back to wonder
Which is real?
This darkness…
Or that Thunder.
The corridors are empty, and carry traces of ebullient chatter, we take so much for granted, this for sure is clear…
The class boards ache for words, scribbled in maniacal hurry, we thought it was forever, this for sure was an error…
The fields and the stage, they have this crazy outage, they say they miss you, this is rather unclear…
The Art Rooms and the labs, sometimes behave frenzied, hoping you’d come along, they think you’re just turning around the corner….
Then there is the library, that plops up books randomly, hoping you’re around, wondering if you have kept intact, your reading fervour…
Then it is me, outside my class, with folded hands, smiling within, waiting for latecomers, to catch you by the ears…
A pandemic would last so long, we had never envisaged, now that we’ve healed, please do come back…☺️
I lost my voice
When I was nine…
I can speak well
But words are not mine.
My heart stopped beating
When I was Ten…
It still beats
But the rhythm is broken.
I haven’t seen
Since I was five…
I decipher images
But the vision is not alive.
I haven’t talked
Since I was eleven…
I speak to people
But lies are a given.
(Chuckle, inspired by what my teen made me see… BTS addressing the UNICEF, this one statement….’My heart stopped beating when I was nine’…set the tone for tonight)
It’s just today
That she has given inIt’s just today
That she has refrainedIt’s just today
That the rain falls…Till then
We shall wait.
Everytime she wanders
Into flower beds and spring
She sleepwalks towards
Incepted realities….
Everytime she oversteps
Lines and confines
She discerns deeper…
Deeper, wider boundaries
Everytime she feels
The clang of bells
Is the destination;
She is stuck at the start
The only time the tides
Wait…
Is when she takes wings…
Beyond dreams and confines
And the moon stays
With carnations and rings…
– Shalini
Take what you will
This is all
The world has for you…
Take what you measure
is yours perchance
While the world still
Allows you to explore it’s treasure
Take what you deem
you deserved while you sulked
that life wasn’t fair
That things are not what they seem
Take what you eyed upon
But found beyond avail
Now all is on platter
For you to grab and fawn
Take what you will
Even if crumbs are yours…
Will we ever know what it takes
To maintain our sanctum
Will we ever know how far the horizon is
And from whence this hum
When we had it all,
We had no clue
Whilst we gave it away
We realised what was due
Were we normal then
Or is this the reality
We longed to be home
Amidst some sanity
Now that the world has shrunk
And shields itself in masks
We suddenly want to ride all waves
Claiming to achieve impossible tasks
Oh! Is the the end
Or the heralding of a new world
Is this what we fathomed
Of how fate swirled
All of a sudden
Flashes of days begone
Of mirthful glee return
In waves and flashes
The sojourn within has just begun.
Its huge, this mountain of a block I’m facing, the infamous writer’s block. I haven’t really tried I know, but when did I ever…when did I ever actually try to write. It happened, like the cascade of a waterfall. Even now as I write I’m being pulled away, to retire, to let all this be. Such has been the struggle, if you know what I mean. So much has transpired around and whilst we are in the midst of this gigantic upheaval, I have no words. The earlier me would have written volumes on each and every passing day, second, thought, implications and God knows what. But here I am, struck by a severe pandemic within, and it isn’t recent. If it happens to you, this writer’s block, God forbid, no amount of pandemic can restore you. It cannot.
So, how are the days????
And nights????
How far have you come
How did you fare
How far is success still
How do you plan to reach the top
How good are you
How much do you know
How good can you look
How much time do you have
How strategic can you be
How well can you see
How well do you understand
How clear is it now
Do you see our point
Do you fathom our concern
Don’t you want to defeat them all
Don’t you want to fetch it all?
?????????
These are questions on your plate.
Deny their existence.
Learn to stolidly look away
At the stars
At the Sun
At the dancing leaves
At the waves lashing
At the mountains
Look look and look
Leave the questions unanswered
Let them float in the air
Till they themselves find a lair
Astound the world
With your denial
And acceptance
With your abashed steel
And softness
With your competence
And your complacency
Will you still feel smothered
If I ask you again…
How are your days
How are your nights..
