POETRY

Should I bow in gratitude
Or grieve in solitude
As I receive the gift of life?

Should I overlook the misery,
Empty bowels of the treasury;
Turn deaf ears to the screams of strife?

Should I disregard a child’s glee,
Get outside the shade of the tree,
And dig up a grave of sorrow?

Should I forget all of my sins,
Flush away dead skins,
And start anew tomorrow?

Should I abandon memories of a smiling brother,
Bury a loving wife and mother
To walk through the door of closure?

Should I give up all wish and hope, Endure life…

POETRY

My feet traverse the familiar path
Of grills, rails and greenery
That lead to a place warm as home
Etched vividly in many a memory.

The clack-clacking of my pointed heels
Against the glossy smooth floor
Catches me by surprise —
I’ve never worn those here before.

The walls remain unchanged,
Housing the same clock that signaled freedom
At the end of a long day;
Only the full-grown trees remind me of passed time.

I walk on, with a blissfully warm feeling Coursing through my entire body Am I imagining it, or do the halls even Smell the same as…

SLICE OF LIFE

We were intruders. Outsiders; unwanted, unneeded, irrelevant. But we were passing through; temporary witness to a little slice of existence. It was not the typical reason for someone to come here, and not the typical day, or even time, for that matter — hence the near-zero attention we seemed to garner from the inhabitants.

The various happenings at the place from the previous weeks have left their mark as used plastic covers, water bottles, the odd wiping cloth, unfinished breakfast parcels, and the hastily dumped food particles on the pavements. An old building towers over these ephemeral entities on the…

Good things take time
As they sometimes do,
Days may turn grey,
Your toast may burn, too,
As you get lost in the maze
Of your mind — 
The one that pulls at you
When you slightly unwind
From your makeshift calm,
A constructed wall
To help you forget
That long, painful fall.
Like a determined ant
Pecking at its food,
Your head gnaws at you
Sucking out all good.
You force a smile
To fool the others — 
It takes a while,
But some see your colors.
The day shall arrive
When it wants to;
Just wait by the door
So it can’t walk past you.

POETRY

One fine day, now a lost Monday,
A thought struck like lightning
Brilliant as day.
Sending thoughts sailing…

Fast as the furious fire,
Fiery as the ferocious fog,
Feisty as the depraved vixen,
To attend to things that needed fixing.

There lay a lone little house
Far cry from glorious warmth, in icy hold,
With vile infestations of roach and mice
Sobbing soundless tears in the hearthless cold.

A lump did rise in the throat
That walked into the gloom that was room
To a thousand memories that were afloat —
Spiraling with echoes of charisma and lovely charm.

POETRY

With your sunny smile,
And your sweaty arms,
You waved from over a mile
With your ever rocky palms.

A despondent I went closer,
Lost in melancholic thought.
You beckoned me to come faster;
I plastered a smile and prayed to God.

Your sandy scent reached my nose;
Your throaty greet entered my eardrums;
Your eyes, rivers of serene consciousness
Lit up your face into the May blossoms.

I felt the air grow hot
As your visage became clear —
Prepared, I was not
I realized as I drew near.

POETRY

I’m by her side As she surfs new turf; I am her guide Leading her to scenic locales. I am her friend Through moments tense and carefree; I overextend To cover her splurges across the sea. I am a domestic dog Wagging my tail at her lovingly, Needing an occasional tug When I decide to throw a fit. I walk by her Day and night, I’m there for her When no one’s in sight. She can find in me The things she thought she lost — She can discover in me Delightful surprises from her past. I am a journal…

MOVIES

What if you are in a dark room, and there’s no way out? What if every door you’re struggling to open is met with a sharp blow to your fingers? What if it’s done by someone who is supposed to help you get out of the room in the first place?

At the fag end of this eventful year, there isn’t much left to say or do. We have experienced fear, anxiety, concern, subsided anxiety (not calm), then a little peace amidst family, some quiet moments of solitude (although rare), and the occasional rhythms of the humdrum of life on…