With Myself

Did you notice, it smells winter already.
The sky still dark, the birds beginning to sing...
Oh it’s so beautiful, this morning – a forgotten reverie.
Can you hear the softly rustling leaves?
The rhythm of droplets from the leaking water pipe?
The music just beginning to be born.

Do you have some time to walk with me?
Across that canopied road?
I wish to bathe in the innocence again.
And we walked, in silence of our thoughts
Tramping the dew wet leaves
Passing through our frozen breaths
She broke the silence

Do you know you bound me so much?
I have a bad knee and a bad shoulder,
Had to see the doctor,
Had promised to meet my best friend,
And to spend the weekend with Maa.
I waited so long for you to find time.
I heard, her voice - now breaking
And carefully wrapped her in the warmth of my arms.
Today, my dear, we shall go, and shall be together
I spoke out loud
And that was a Saturday, well spent, with myself….

The birth

Now the birth of wisdom and dawn,

Now the garb of false images is gone,

Rise and touch your truth - your soul

and leave behind that spurious role.

World is your home, walk in pride

I-your testimony in this gallant ride...

Once again some crazy aimless chatter with myself

Wonder what they have to say
Those sparkling dust molecules,
Struggling to find their place,
Lost in frantic collisions,
Streaming through the florescent glow.

With zillion water droplets,
Striking my face and dropping dead,
I ponder what this night has in store.

Alone in this swanky city,
in a hotel room, neat and empty
I prepare myself to feel comforted
And alas! Fail each night.

Its 8:00 PM and bright as dawn,
Light fills my room with a stifling gloom,
Its unnatural I tell myself,
Life as such makes no sense.

Now in my bed, white as foam
And soft as feather,
I fight to find a comfortable corner,
Its difficult to read, since my mind is full,
And its difficult to sleep since my eyes are full.

And as usual I expect a miracle
To pull me away from these thorny nights,
To help me make sense of this life,
To help me walk this dark side.

And I am still staring at those dust particles
As restless as me, my friends in disguise,
Sharing something common,
No identity, no meaning,
Or perhaps something,
Still struggling to find….

All You who Sleep Tonight

On the occasion of Valentine's day..... A poem by Vikram Seth


All you who sleep tonight
Far from the ones you love,
No hand to left or right
And emptiness above -
Know that you aren't alone
The whole world shares your tears,
Some for two nights or one,
And some for all their years.

Dream

...and he was soon diffusing
into the morning aisle,
I pulled the sheet above my face,
to hold him for a while.

I wished so much for a minute or two,
to dream again the charming you.
Alas! the moments were fading fast,
Not even for a while to last.

Stranger you must come back again,
for a longer time you must remain,
And let me into this mystical air,
tonight and tomorrow in one more prayer.