Dumbstruck !

I looked up at you, enraptured by your soaring beauty.
I will stand taller some day…


I stood by you, dwarfed by your majesty.
I will be bigger some day…


I climbed up with you, inspired by your mighty ascent.
I will fly freely some day…


I tip-toed around you, awed by your immaculate symmetry.
I will be perfect some day…

PS: Inspired by a weekend trip to Wayanad, Kerala, India.

Life is circular

Another year gone,
Another year come,
But life has become
so very circular...

Happy New Year!

I'm hiding in your flower

I will hide within the flower
and bring color to your day.

I will hide within the flower
and watch your eyes smile.

I will hide within the flower
and steal your admiring glance.

I will hide within the flower
and feel your soft caress.

I will hide within the flower
so you'll pin me to your heart.

I will hide within the flower
so you'll miss me when I'm gone.

Peeved!

Be beautiful
- enthrall me

Be mysterious
- excite me

Be rewarding
- please me

Be difficult
- motivate me

Be vengeful
- anger me

Be punishing
- humble me

But why be confusing
- and puzzle me
and depress me
and annoy me?


Most of the time I just love life. But there are times like these when I can't hate it more...

PS: I know this is not great poetry, I was not even attempting one. I guess my mood is evident...

Some moments are forever...

The tickle of a receding wave…

...the salty spray on my face

The first rays of dawn...

...surrendering to sleep

A teardrop waiting to fall…

…the drizzle before a torrent

The flutter his voice evokes…

…breath held, waiting for his “Yes”

Pass it on

She ran her hands over his face, his hair, tears streaming down her face all the while...


Consumerdemon suggested(quite a while ago) that we have a story tag, where one blogger starts a story and others are free to take it on and complete it, or add a few more lines and pass on the tag in their own blogs. So if you are interested, take this tag, write some more in your blog and leave me a comment here. I will update the links in this post.

It will be really nice to see what different imaginations can create...

Magical Elements (in 55 words)

The Air I breathe
brews inside me
into a passionate storm.

The Waters of the ocean
evoke in me
a deep silent longing.

Earth, the eternal charmer,
She beckons me
to her far corners.

Someday I will fly
and become Queen
of the unconquered Sky

The Fire burns-
I live.
I live-
The Fire burns.

Tag: 55 word poem

PS: Thanx to . : A : .

Defeating Fate

He peered down from the top of the cliff. Steeling his nerves, he put one leg into the air. The calm sea below was both inviting and intimidating. The sheer height made his head reel. He was going to make his own destiny, shackle Fate’s hands and defeat her. He gazed into the sky savoring his last few moments, when he saw a faint white light. Sun's rays were creeping in, rapidly turning night to day. Behind him the stars shone brighter than ever while before him the sun was making its grand entry. Fate was beckoning to him with a glint in her eyes. The enormity of the moment made him feel small, alone and insignificant, all at once. There was no choice, there never had been. There was no changing destiny, no challenging Fate, no last laugh. But this journey itself had been inevitable. Smiling to himself, he began his slow descent from the cliff, clutching Life tighter with every step.

55 Words

Their eyes met. He was rooted to the spot, a few feet away. They were locked in a virtual embrace, while parallel worlds moved on. Odes recited, promises exchanged, unsaid words, a tiny flutter…she smiled, he raised a hand to his heart…The light turned green, she turned left, he turned right. A deep calm prevailed...

PS: I would have thought a story in 55 words next to impossible. Kudos to whoever started the tag!

To touch those words...

The scent of fresh ink,
The brilliant blue…

The mild yellow of ageing paper,
The soft crinkle…

The scratching of pen on paper,
The sound of flowing words…

The embossed flower in a corner of the sheet,
The unsaid greeting…

The long fluent hand,
The slight slant…

The feel of the etched words,
The writer’s touch…

Alas! How I miss them all...

....And I got this pleasant surprise from velvetgunther, Special thanks to him :

This makes my post complete

Tryst with nature

The journey had begun…

She gazed out the window, searching for meaning in the shapeless clouds, the chilly wind pricking her face, shafts of moonlight kissing her good night…

Silhouettes of trees rapidly flew by, forgotten faces flashed by, awakening random memories, casting shadows on her thoughts…

She ran into sea’s embrace, the roaring waves welcoming her. They lashed around her feet, threatening to carry her away and drink her up.

The foaming waves, the salty spray, the deep blue sea, soft skies, smoky clouds, melted together like a melody- another one of nature’s symphonies.

She stood atop the mountain, great skies above, deep sea below, savoring the sweet scent of wet grass, resisting the urge to take a plunge, resisting the urge to take flight…

Twilight set in, she bade sad farewell to the day as the sun retired behind the clouds...

...the sky painted orange, purple and pink.

Lo and behold, out came the moon to put the smile back in her eyes.Caressed by a soft breeze, she lolled in the moonlight and fell into a dreamy slumber, smiling shyly as she entered her prince’s arms.

PS: Inspired by a weekend trek in Gokarna, Karnataka, India.

I "Live"

I sing...
I sing to calm
the screaming silence

I laugh...
I laugh to eclipse
the droning tedium

I cry...
I cry to mollify
the hurting ego

I love...
I love to feel
the throb of life

I hate...
I hate to remain
fate's perpetual puppet

I create...
I create to liberate
the trapped passion

As time flies by

When I met you first, I was-

Allured by your mystery
Aroused by your temptation
Enthralled by your capriciousness
Intoxicated with your novelty


Many a year has passed-

You are still shrouded in mystery
But I search for something familiar

You entice me no end
But I look away

You are whimsical as ever
But I choose routine

You are born afresh each morn
But I want eternity

Twilight reminiscence

My mood so mellow
I watch your halo,
As you look down at me
smiling in glee.

I reach out to touch
your smoky face,
As you float around
in your high abode.

I hate to see you
melt away,
As you rush to hide
behind dawn's veil.

.............suspended in time.............

...wallowing in mediocrity
....buried in mundanity
.....chained by sentiments
......encroached by rules
.......fooled by words
........trapped by commitments
.........deserted by luck
..........forced into routine
...........waiting for change
............hoping to smile

.............suspended in time.............

Betrayed

Photo: courtesy Kripa

The sun split open the sky- blazing fire cocooned in a vast, far reaching darkness. She squinted as she tried to look the sun in its eye. The sun rays felt like hot needles on her face, she wished they would magically turn to needles of rain. She wished the clouds would halt their laborious journey and break open.

She wanted rain, harsh rain that would prick when it struck her. She yearned for ice, hard ice that would sear her skin at the slightest touch. She dreamed of snow, silken flakes of fresh snow melting in her hand.

A cool breeze began to blow. The sun hid between the clouds, the rays tried in vain to force through the thick, smoky clouds. Her eyes lit up. Rain! She wet her lips in anticipation. A drop of sweat trickled from her brow along the side of her face. The clouds rumbled and a streak of lightning lit up a corner of the sky. She could not contain her excitement. It had been so long. A mild dampness crept into the air. With bated breath she waited.

The clouds began to move again. They parted like a curtain gently revealing the sun– brightening swiftly. They dissolved slowly, changing from thick rain clouds to translucent fog to misty puffs of cotton to tiny wisps to smoke. Her heart ached as they disappeared. Passing clouds, yet again…

Those waters...

I saw those waters…
The silver blue sparkle
Awakened a sense
of sheer passion.

I touched those waters…
The flowing velvet
Brought gentle ripples
of forgotten memories

I drank from those waters…
It still lingers-
The sweet taste
of purity.

I listened to those waters…
As the waves rolled and lashed-
The rhythm instilled
a deeper calm.

I swam in those waters…
Every stroke- a tiny step
towards the horizon,
towards my dream.

I drowned in those waters…
From the immense deep
I surfaced anew,
clutching life tighter.


I went on a weekend trip to a place called Honnermadu (Karnataka, India).
The photo is that of a reservoir in Honnermadu and these are all the emotions those waters evoked.

Voices

Don’t cry, you moron. Life is so long, there’s so much time. God please, help me on this. I need a smoke. She loves me, she loves me not, she loves me, she loves me not……Stop, breathe, Listen to the music. Who cares? May be I should take a loan. Yes! I did it. I wish I could die. What about the baby? I want those shoes I saw yesterday. Hey wait for me. Prayer? Luck? Bah! Sigh…How I wish.... I have no time, I’m so tired. Let’s catch a movie. Sleep some more, just five more minutes. But why am I running? I’m broke again. How dare he? Where am I going? I’m lost. He died??? But I have not met him in years, I really meant to soon. Maybe I should switch jobs... Life is beautiful. Shut up,will you? Let me read in peace. Wow great day! Can he really be making so much? I will travel, I will write, I will be rich, I’ll do all these things and more...Someday... I am God. I better clear that exam, sleep, sleep, damn it just go to sleep. Some people have all the luck. But I'm hungry. Chill! Have some fun, Party Time! Money? Who needs it? It’s my life, my space, my wish. This is the last straw, I’m out of here. Determination! Keep that spirit up. What is the hurry? Who do you think you are? This time I will do it. But why not me? Stop dreaming, will you? No this can’t happen, not again , not again, noooooooo. SILENCE.

My papa will come for me...

Maya watched the shaft of light streaming in through the high window, dust busily dancing about. She loved these moments of early morning solitude. She remembered the previous night’s dreams and smiled sadly.

“Maya………” someone screamed from the floor below. Even after eight long years she still could not resign herself to her fate. The thought that kept surfacing in her mind was “My papa will come for me...” There was a sharp rap on the door and before she knew it there was a man with her, yet another faceless customer. The faces had begun fading away long ago.

She went through the motions of sex with no pleasure or pain. She was too tired to even hate them. They were all the same; when they were done they just got up and walked away, full of guilty pleasure. Her mind wandered to her past. She wondered how she got here. She drew a blank every time she tried to recall. The last thing she remembered was anxiously waiting for her father to come back with a gift on the eve of her thirteenth birthday. The next morning she had found herself in this cursed place amidst strange men and women. She lived with just one hope –“My papa will come for me” .

The day trudged along slowly. There was a steady stream of men. In a stupor she dreamed of seas and mountains, friends and freedom, books and movies. Finally she was alone again. But she was too tired to do anything. She was praying there won’t be anyone tonight when the door opened. The man crept up to her in the darkness. What she looked like, fair or dark, old or young or who she was never mattered for this carnal desire. She stayed numb till he finally fell asleep.

She moved to a corner of the bed and plunged into a deep, dreamless slumber. It was dawn. She got up and sat by her window admiring the beautiful morning sky, enjoying the sounds of dawn. The man from the previous night was still asleep. Her gaze fell on his face and she was horrified. Her papa had come back for her.

PS: Kripa, consumerdemon, musafir, sorry to make you read it again.

The vice called "Love"...

Kiran held the worn, yellow piece of paper in his hand. He could not believe what he saw. He read it again…

Dear Priya,

It pains me to be the bearer of this knowledge. Being your best friend, I feel morally bound to bring this to your notice. I could not get myself to speak these words to you, hence this letter.

Yesterday I saw Kiran in a compromising pose in the cinema hall with a girl I have never seen before. They were gone before I could confront them.

Stay strong. This will also pass…

Yours,
Anu

All the memories came rushing back. This explained the unanswered phone calls and the sudden disappearance of Priya from his life. She had blindly believed her friend.

He was trying to digest the implications of this letter, when his wife, Anu, entered the room with his morning coffee. When she saw the letter in his hand, she froze, all she thought was, “What a fool I am to have retained that letter as a symbol of my triumph?!”

Riot of Colors

Am I a mere palette-
offering these shades,
waiting to be mixed?

Am I an empty canvas-
waiting for the artist,
longing for a splash of color?

Am I the painter-
master of color and canvas,
painting dreams, painting life?

inspired by the painting by B.S. Desai I saw in 'The Hindu'

My Collections

Hurray!!!!!

I finally possess

entire Tintin collection
entire Asterix collection
entire Calvin&Hobbes collection
every Garfield comic strip printed till date (and I will receive each day's Garfield comic by e-mail to update my collection)

...waiting to write them on to CDs

Disaster struck- Heart in the mouth

5 minutes ago I tried to open http://thoughtsafari.blogspot.com
and this is the message I got...

Not FoundThe requested URL was not found on this server. Please visit the Blogger homepage or the Blogger Knowledge Base for further assistance.

Home About Knowledge Help Developers Gear Privacy Copyright © 1999 - 2005 Google

I very nearly cried. All the effort I put into this blog, every post flashed in front of my eyes in slow motion. Then in a frenzy I started reading the Blogger- Help FAQ. To reproduce the error to send it to the support team, I typed the address for one of the archived pages (instead of the main page) and viola my blog opened.

It was like a friend, whose loss I was just beginning to mourn, walked up and screamed "April Fool!!!!", a couple of months late though. Whew! Can you see me grinning ear to ear?

Soliloquy

I look around with big frightened eyes
I cannot cry out for there’s no one to hear me,
I look back, there’s no one behind me.
I put my foot forward and take it back in a hurry,
I take a few steps and turn back in a flurry.
For miles ahead all I see is a maze of paths,
Each with its own bends,
Teasing me with their mystery,
Beckoning to me, as I stand on the threshold.
I don’t know where each one leads.
All I know is- There’s no turning back once I step in.
Reason deserts me, questions crowd my mind…

Will I step away from the familiar road I have trudged all this while?

Will I have to cut a new path through thick, untouched bushes?

Will I fall off this steep cliff I have laboriously climbed?

Or will I climb even higher before I fall?

Will I get hurt on the way? If I do will I have the strength to rise and continue?

Can I take a peek, a preview, before I decide to make the turn?

Will I be confronted by gods or demons?

Will I find a companion, to cry and laugh with, to share my mirth and misery with?

Will there be a guardian angel to guide me through this deceptive journey?

Will I have the courage to tread a new path if I find myself at a dead end?

Will I turn back every now and then, longing for what I left behind?

Will the rain gently refresh me or lash down to punish me?

Will the sun wake me gently everyday or scorch me in its hot wrath?

Will lady luck make me chance on pleasant discoveries that make my journey easier?

Is there a destination? If there is one, will I reach it? If I do, will I like it?

Will I wander astray before I reach?

On reaching when I look into the mirror, will I still see me?

Melting Glory

A small world
stands revealed-
Naked in the yellow glow
of the shrinking candle.

The flame shivers-
kissed by the wind,
Shapeless shadows
dance in glee.

The soft glow
lights up a corner-
of the room,
of the heart.

Streams of wax begin to flow
but freeze into sticks midway-
The candle melting
in its own blazing glory!