The Purple Pebble

Vic-toe-reee

2012-02-07T17:47:00.003+05:30

The open sky is alive,
with winds and gales,
to tease the waters into a fight.
Tries and tries, but fails.
Sheets of grey ruffled
into rifts of white and blue
Yet still and calm, beneath,
as if they never knew
what the wind was up to.
He huffs and puffs, that wind,
trees swaying in dismay,
"whiss whiss whiss," they wonder,
"what shall come of this day?"
Sands of the bank in a flurry,
flitter, fwoosh and fall
beseeching the water to give way
to the wind's mighty squall.
A steady wave of refusal
arises from the deep,
washes over the shivering banks,
puts flittering fear to sleep.
And yet the wind is raging
and restless mountains dream
of vanishing to pebble and dust
in the racing swooping scream.
The world all a-tremble,
yet the wind will not concede.
Pleas for mercy in the air
and water pays no heed
Until.......
Suddenly things are quiet
wind gone, water serene
the battle seeming done
but whose is vic-toe-reee?

Pain will out

2011-09-06T11:56:00.003+05:30

Smiling for the world
is hurt I can stand
no more.
Sick of the hidden truth,
the rivers of guilt that flow.
Always a deep undercurrent
of resentment.
No more.
Snarling darkness held still
by bonds of inadequacy.
Always the inferiority,
words like darts, piercing,
no more.
Call it evil, if you will,
I care not for names.
Rising above the clacking
of tongues magnified a thousandfold,
I hold myself in
no more.

Writing at 2 am

2011-09-01T10:03:00.000+05:30

Consequences are a must. Without consequences we would never know why we do what we do, or do what we don't or don't do what we should. The most important thing (or is it a phenomenon?) that keeps you and me and that fella over there from roaming around aimlessly with blank faces is...consequence. So that's settled then.

Some things have hidden consequences, they jump out at you at unexpected moments and give you one heck of a crick in the neck from trying to turn it so fast. If they came slower then they'd sneak up on you anyway but you could probably avoid the crick. One category of consequences that does almost always give you a crick in the neck is the consequences of allowing some person the privilege of being a part of your life. Of course, they may not see it as a privilege, neither may you for that matter, but that really isn't something to be quibbling over at this time and I would thank you not to waste valuable time (yours and, much more important perhaps, mine) by bringing it up at all. Yes, I brought it up, but only to make sure you wouldn't. Moving on.

When you let a person into your life in any category, or classification or whatever way of segregation you may lean towards making, the immediate consequence of this action is the building up (like rot in the woodwork) of expectation. Expectations of various degrees and levels come up as time passes and finally, given the relationship lasts that long, they all stand together like a gigantic edifice in which the souls involved in building it themselves fear to tread. Further consequence, the expector (being a a word invented to encompass the one who expects) is then constantly critically evaluating the expectee (being a word invented to encompass the one of whom it is expected) in all his/her actions. Both the people in any kind of relationship are, of course, both expector and expectee, save those rare gifted individuals who are neither.

All goes well if the circle of cause and consequence stops here. At this point it is interesting to comment that each cause truly being the consequence of another cause which in itself was a consequence in the first place, what we really have is a little Rattus norvegicus of consequences chasing its own consequency tail.

If the circle of consequence and consequence (this having been firmly established in the previous sentence, read it again if you must) does not stop there, the rapport between the two persons involved is likely to degenerate into a sort of lurking injured demeanor which is to the disadvantage of both. In other words, the Rattus norvegicus is now prone to aggressively biting its tail (harder each time). This sounds pretty bad but it can get worse if one, or both, members of the bond insist on piling on more expectations, requests, pleas and dependencies. At this stage one could say that our R.norvegicus is now being diagnosed as rabid and is soon to suffer a painful slow death or, alternatively, be quickly relieved of life by dint of a broken neck. Sad indeed.

If you're thinking that expectations mean only what you expect the party of the second part to do for you then you are sadly mistaken. They also include (but are not limited to) what you expect your place to be in the part of the second part's life and what you expect to have expected of you. As meaningless as that last part seems, think about it, it's really the part which most often causes trouble. Oh yes.

Now we come to the nub, as it were, of the matter, where we give solutions to the existential problems so far discussed. Pearls of wisdom, children, so listen carefully.

Firstly, the key to healthy personal relationships is to have both sides furnishing that towering castle of expectations at regular intervals, with fixed amounts, and with neither party ever exceeding the amount being furnished by the other. How this is to be managed, as many of you are no doubt clamouring to know, is not within the purview of this particular pearl of wisdom. Figure it out yourself.

Secondly, the key to keeping your Rattus norvegicus healthy and rabies-free is to give it regular immunization shots and keep it away from those vicious sewer rats. I'm not saying they all have rabies, but it's better to be on the safe side.

Lastly, the key to an consequence-free existence is, clearly, to not exist in the first place.

There was a man

2011-03-07T20:24:00.001+05:30

I once met a man,

he was flamboyance defined.

He had a tiger in his heart

and the jungle on his mind.

With quick word and wit

he'd have you laughing when he pleased.

Yet at his growling roar

men would go shaking at the knees.

Bubbling and yet deep

like the forest stream that flows.

Few people shine in this world,

and he was one of those.

This man, he is no more

and we'll all miss him so.

O Tiger-man, another one

like you, we'll never know.

Darker than dark

2011-01-23T19:14:00.003+05:30

How many types of darkness
can one truly know?

(The dark of the storm
by piercing bolts rent
The dark of the sea
in a quiet night spent.
The dark of the earth
below mountains sublime
untouched by the sun
since time beyond time.
Cloying dark rising from
the depths of tragedy
of human nature wresting
with endless agony.
Or the warm safe darkness
of comforting obscurity
of hiding in the folds
of the cloak of privacy.
So many different faces
of the ruler of night.
So many things to see in
the mere absence of light)

I see the darkness
everywhere I go.

Satellite

2010-05-21T16:43:00.002+05:30

A fascination there is, from far back in time,
an enchantment of the strongest kind.
Cast by that nightly passer-by,
that glowing shape up in the sky.
Behold this line - "The maiden swoons
into his arms 'neath the crescent moon"
Or this - "Like the full moon in the sky,
thy beauty bewitching to the eye."
And hoarse whispers - "Horrors cold and stark
thus plague this land in the moonless dark!"
So, what gives this all-encompassing might
to a mere rock with borrowed light
that, to those who it's praises sing,
even it's absence is a remarkable thing?
Yet it stands in place of prime
in poetry, science and all, through time!
Ardent swains trill more than enough
of what the moonlight means to Love.
Men of science go to great lengths
to link it to our existence.
The moon even gets a kindly face
and in fairy stories makes it's place.
Witches, goblins and wolfish things
too fly in on these moonbeam wings.
Yet, the same moon in the day
is just a satellite on it's way,
unnoticed by the earthly swarm
robbed of all it's night-time charm!

Images

2010-05-11T10:07:00.000+05:30

Behold the snowy manes
of a hundred galloping equines
flourishing in the advance
and BOOM!
break against the cliffs
and retreat fluttering
like a thousand butterfly wings.

Cast an eye on the glittering hordes
That many-hued swarm
dancing, whirling with joy,
the passivity of surrender....
A swooping descent! and
a crackling impatience to be borne
upon the fickle, chancy wind, again.

Look deep at that fiery glow
surmounted by towering pillars
of changeful mists and vapours...
Now drifting...now still..
Wave upon wave of majestic plumes
shot through with light piercing,
a glow all-consuming, as of an
inferno at World's end, far away.

Never was the World stilled,
nor indeed the Universe
unchanging....eternal...
'Tis but a flicker in the light of fancy
Seldom to seem what it is,
rarely to be what it seems.

Decision

2010-02-03T20:19:00.002+05:30

Now is the time when
the path is divided,
an answer provided,
my fate is decided.

Now is when courage must prevail,
visions to uncover, thoughts to unveil.

This is the hour when
I must raise my voice
to block out the noise.
I must make my choice.

Whatever may come, be ready to face,
to fight every fight in this parting of ways.

There's always a chance,
a chance however slight,
that everything might
not end up quite right.

At the end of it all, you may just find
yourself left wishing, somewhere far behind.

Of a stranger in a strange land

2009-10-02T23:09:00.004+05:30

No one is here, no one you know
No one is here with nowhere to go
No one is here to sing or to call

No one is here, no one at all

No one is here to ask you to stay

No one who hasn't yet gone away
No one is here to tell or to ask
No one to take a look beneath your mask
No one is here to pass you by
No one to smile and catch your eye
No one to see, no one to hear
No one to take the edge off of fear
No one at all on this cold, hard stone
No one to make you feel less alone
No one is here, no one you know
No one but you, with nowhere to go.

The Challenge of Learning

2009-09-08T13:57:00.003+05:30

What a pity it is,
there's something amiss.
In the class where I learn,
all I do is yearn
to put down my head.
Better yet, go to bed.
To shut out the noise
and the teacher's voice,
with eyes tightly shut
dream peacefully, but (!)
for decency's sake
I must stay awake.
I must try to find
and reel in my mind
and put it to use
and staunchly refuse
a snooze to allow.
Though being sleepy, and how!
So, with eyes open wide,
a nap is denied,
and the battle is on
to stifle the yawn.

Loss

2009-09-02T19:46:00.001+05:30

Sometimes, it's dark,
pitch-black, empty, deep.
A lightlessness painfully stark
.....frozen....
Step after step taken,
all there is, is the dark.
Sleeping shadows awaken
.....invisible....
Sounds unheard, sights unseen,
I feel them pressing in.
They are no more, but they have been.
.....lost....
Realities imagined, waking dreams,
subdued under the glare
of a thousand dark beams
.....intangible....
Desperately disappear, too terrified to stay.
Cloying fear, suffocating, and...
a spark winks into existence, far away
.....mockingly unreachable....
and fades.

WARNING!! to future idiots

2009-06-24T19:54:00.001+05:30

Note: There's some things you should know before you read this. This poem is -
1. written in an unbelievably exhausted, and therefore delirious, state.
2. NOT meant to offend anyone!!! (especially not our dear reporters!!)
3. It really wasn't so bad working on this magazine :) great fun actually!

Envision, O Envision,
magazine so beloved!
I wish you'd get done with,
and stop messing with my head.
It's so hard to believe,
after all I've done and seen,
what drove me insane
was working for a magazine.
It taught me a lot of things -
No-one cares about skill,
it's all about STORY.
Also, editors can kill.
Copy-editing ain't so easy.
It definitely isn't fun.
Most reporters (here), with pens, are
like a monkey loose with a gun.
Be warned, future copy-desks,
to this job should you aspire,
make your will before you start.
There's a good chance you may expire.

Rural Arrival

2009-01-07T16:48:00.002+05:30

We walk along the hillocks,
amongst the scrubby trees.
Watched by the birds and
caressed by the breeze.
Traveled long and hard we have,
our feet are sore and weary.
The undulating landscape,
by even light, is dreary.
Step by step advancing
along the dusty road.
Night is falling thick and fast
and rest is still remote.
Looking up above the sand,
I quote a thankful prayer.
For I have seen a tiny light,
so faint, somewhere up there.
Destination close at hand,
the pace picks up fast.
Visions dance before my eyes
of comfort come at last.
Soon, the first of the fields
comes sweeping into view.
Greens and yellows stretching out
light up our eyes anew.
A tiny twinkling eye
peeps out a nearby house,
vanishes to spread the news.
The neighbours are roused!
One eye is soon replaced
by two, ten and more.
Until, excitement bursting,
they come rushing out the door.
Swarmed by gaping faces,
overwhelmed by smiles.
Curious, wondering stares
serenade us for miles.
In the warmth of welcome,
of no comfort deprived,
comes the happy realisation,
we've finally arrived!

My very own...

2008-09-26T23:03:00.002+05:30

I have a gem amongst my friends,
by all means the rarest boon.
I am so lucky to be blessed
with my very own Helium Balloon!
He buoys me up no matter what
he's got his own quirky style
An ever present cheer in every move,
he always brings a smile!
I thank him for the part he plays,
he's better than any cartoon!
With smile, charm and abandon
my very own Helium Balloon!

I have a gem amongst my friends
Soothing like the morning breeze.
The calm to my angry storms
My very own Angel of Peace.
When fury conquers in my heart
and mind by anger clouded
She only has to say a word or two
and I am by serenity surrounded.
It is impossible for me to remain
agitated in the least.
How can I possibly be irate around
my very own Angel of Peace?!

I have a gem amongst my friends
with a quality to be adored.
A listener he is beyond compare
my very own Sounding Board!
Whatever nonsense I may spout
he never turns away.
Interested or not, it doesn't matter,
he could listen on all day.
I turn to him in sure faith that
I will never feel ignored.
He is always there, ears wide open
my very own Sounding Board!

I have a gem amongst my friends
A wonder who always talks!
A constant source of entertainment
my very own Chatterbox!
She's more important than you'd think,
she's always animated.
The conversation just keeps flowing
a lull never created!
Its wonderful to have someone
who never fails to talk
when I just want to quietly listen.
My very own Chatterbox!

I have a gem amongst my friends
who's always here to care.
To cuddle and soothe with word and deed
my very own Teddy Bear!
He's there whenever I need him
to say that it's all right
To say that I can turn to him
for troubles,however slight.
If ever I call or search in need
I know he will be there.
To make me feel safe and warm
my very own Teddy Bear!

I have a gem amongst my friends
He isn't around all the time.
But if I ask, I'll get an answer..
He's my very own Helpline!
Anything and everything, all doubt,
I can refer to him.
Of answers, thought, philosophy
he's full up to the brim.
Sometimes, he doesn't even need to say
just give me a little sign.
I always find the right answer
from my very own Helpline!

I have gems amongst my friends
and I cherish them all.
My life it is a happier place,
thanks to one and all!

Feels like Alone

2008-09-26T00:17:00.003+05:30

You must know what you are to me
I never kept it hidden.
I never made you guess, and it
wasn't something sudden.
We became friends, just like
most people do.
We talked, and as these things go,
our friendship grew.
Friends in this world are many,
the real ones are few.
Time passed and I realised that
one of mine is you.
Thats how it stood, not so long ago,
I hoped it was to last.
It did seem that way then, but now,
all that seems to be past.
It took so little for us to converge,
even less to drift apart.
Tangents in the arc of time, just a
passing touch to the heart.
That friendship so rare, and yet
so soon lost to me.
Was there time then to feel with
this vivid intensity?
So why, now when you have gone your way
with not a backward glance,
do I feel so faraway, so abandoned
so bereft of chance?
I miss you, there's not a doubt about it.
I am afraid to find
I know that I no longer merit even the
slightest place in your mind.
No, I cannot, WILL not risk my doubt
by asking you now.
To live in uncertainty as long as needed,
that, I can allow.
Friend, you are not here, and though
I need you not
When I do I will still hope that
I am not forgot.
I spare myself the time to see how
the distance has grown,
And for the first time, since I met you,
it feels like Alone.

I glint my Glint

2008-08-22T23:44:00.003+05:30

Everytime i meet someone new
there's one thing i never fail to do.
It may not be the first
but it's done, no matter who.
You see, I think of it like this,
friendship is not about hit and miss.
And so its important really,
to ensure the continuance of bliss,
to carefully look them up and down.
In fact, I look them all around.
I try to find the good things,
and they're not too often found.
Some people call it stupid to
judge by just a 'View Halloo!'
Who cares says me,
as long it turns out to be true?
So watch me when u see me meet
a new person, its pretty neat.
to watch the master
at work at this so-wondrous feat!
The thing to watch is in the eyes
First, curiosity well in disguise.
Then slowly the answer
therein begins to arise.
It is a light of characteristic tint,
though I call it quite simply a 'Glint'.
It means that I'm done,
the Glint gives you a hint!
Of whether the answer is pleasing,
and to my likings appeasing
or ugly and unsightly
or funny or strange or teasing.
There are times when I am wrong.
At least, at first but not for long!
the Glint revises, the Glint
reappears in the way that it belongs!
Oh yes, all this is tried and true.
Really ,would I lie to you?!
After all, as you can see,
right now i'm Glinting at you too!

Fury

2008-06-03T19:41:00.004+05:30

First, the warning is
swirling tentacles
of mist and vapour,
creeping 'cross the azure bliss.
Innocent they appear
wanderers in the sky
desiring nothing.
Inching, wisping, crawling near.
Gathering together
into a rolling mass
their approach belied..
as sentinels of the nether.
Growling, they rumble on,
cast a darkling shroud
upon the earth below
until all luminance is gone.
Then, from stillness true,
the first bolt strikes,
an unbidden revelation
rending the world apart in two.
Follows soon, inspiring awe
a deafening, crackling
resounding peal
from the roiling monster's maw.
The war of the ancients
begins with these cannons
The ultimate savage fury,
the clash of the elements.
Chilling sweeps of rain
curtain the violence..
whipping, ripping
with a rhythm profoundly arcane.
Endlessly they drone
these furies primeval
with Titan strength
to sever limb and shatter bone.
Seeming though endless,
the pace slows down
the forces wearing out
and now appear suppressed.
No victory, nor defeat
yet, the violence wanes.
The expanse lightens
as the mighty warriors retreat.
A shy ray of light
delicately tiptoes
in, caressing.
Then more and more wash into sight.
The heavens above clear
as the darkness
rolls silently away,
still broodingly austere.
Leaving a vista bleak,
a world changed,
yet rejuvenated.
Bearing memories of the havoc that be wreaked.

Roots

2008-06-02T20:53:00.006+05:30

I have been gone a long long time
from this land, this air, this life.
Gone from these meadows,
forgotten by the shadows,
hollow heart resounding with strife.

I had all but forgotten this,
this which once I called my own.
Since I did depart
misled by my heart
to wander in yon world alone.

Memories did haunt me yet,
never quite letting me free.
The music of boughs,
a hint would arouse
a strange longing in me.

A whiff of wooded, earthy scent
carried on the mocking breeze,
my blood it burned
my whole being yearned
to return to the comfort of the trees.

So here I am now, returned
from the aimless paths i did roam.
Returned to the meadows
to lurking forest shadows,
where each leaf whispers "home."

Rainbows and Reason

2008-04-10T21:26:00.004+05:30

There is a world seldom seen,
veiled by the everyday.
A sudden glimpse of iridescence
in the humdrum shades of grey.

It is a world of airy castles,
of shimmer, and of light.
The Kingdom of Dreams and Shadows,
ever elusive to sight.

I can't see, nor touch it,
and yet it's always there,
on the fringes of reality,
blending in somewhere...

Shadows, and yet a hundredfold
the strength of reason stern.
When the real crumbles underfoot,
where else do I turn?

It is my world of comfort.
A truth, when all else fails.
And yet, it only finds place
when harsh veracity pales.

So I ask myself now,
as the pursuit of reality is run,
need my rainbows so often be
shadowed by my reason?

TRUTH

2007-12-15T22:50:00.000+05:30

I was born alone in this world
and alone forever must i stay.
People come close to my heart,
but in the end, must go away.
No-one can read into the
thoughts and feelings of another.
Only hearts, not the mind,
are bound by the silken tether.
It is but rank foolishness
to expect them to feel your pain,
to find the same laugh as you,
for eternity together remain.
Yes, I say, I exist alone.
Though many be to lend a hand,
to live, honour and end a life
no-one but me can understand.

Fade

2007-11-04T22:42:00.000+05:30

I look, look
hoping to see
Staring out so far, something must be.
But it isn't
not here
No joy, no thought, no pain no fear
Emotions blank
mind aground
as much as I may look around
Deserted all
featureless plains
a single mind, all that remains.
Struggling,
searching endlessly
while unchange presses relentlessly
against it's
every thought
As it searches, for what is not.
You see
things change
vary, mutate, evolve, derange.
Inspiration is
momentary, then done -
a wisp of cloud, fading in the sun.

Extinction

2007-06-17T17:25:00.000+05:30

"Hear me NOW!" the voice cried,
across the mountains, valleys wide.
"Listen, it is of pain I sing,"
so said the voice of Suffering.
"A million souls cry out in fear.
Birds and beasts, both far and near,
as Human will, immovable dense
drops curtains on their existence.
Do you not see their pain, O Man?
If save them you do not, who can?
Think! before you cut and burn.
Before it is too late to learn
a lesson you can't live without,
or survival is indeed in doubt.
Unconcerned, you may sit and stare,
You will follow soon, beware!"
The voice echoed on in vain,
Human ears heard not the pain.
And soon, those deaf ears and blind eyes
faced destruction of their own devise.
And then, wondered where they'd been,
and how they could have not seen
smoldering seas and barren lands....
The Earth, murdered at their hands.

Suicidal?

2007-06-14T10:44:00.001+05:30

Life never was fair,
and it won't ever be.
Drowned in its murky mists,
it's often hard to see.
Bound to crude reality,
while straining to be free.

Cruel monotony rules,
in a world so mundane.
Failure ever following,
it drives you insane.
Small are the pleasures.....
never quite worth the pain.

Though you feel imprisoned,
your soul begs to fly,
And all that is living
may seem but a lie.
You must turn for help,
when Death seems worth a try.

CRY

2007-06-04T09:39:00.000+05:30

When all seems lost,
nothing goes right.
When the hand of fate
seems to douse all light.
When darkening clouds
consume your sky.
When all that is good
seems to pass you by.
When you're tired of life
and you need some
respite, some relief.
Then, let the tears come
When friends turn,
and there's no comfort.
When hope seems lost,
and your heart seems to hurt.
When the world seems
to be eternally dark.
When the poisoned arrow
seems to find its mark.
When it hurts so bad,
you just want to be numb,
to be lost, faraway.
Then, let the tears come.

Shutdown

2007-06-03T10:16:00.000+05:30

When the going gets tough, the tough get going.
Not so for me, 'cause my mind starts slowing.
When the way becomes hard, and I don't know what to do,
the thinker that is in me, gets thrown all askew.
The ideas stop coming, as panic sets in,
eyes become unseeing, as the world begins to spin.
Then, everything blackens, everyone fades away
The walls shoot up, and reality goes astray.
Completely unaware, and utterly alone.
The shutdown is complete, till the crisis is gone.
I am but a weakling.......not an oak, just a reed.
If ever you're in trouble, I'm the last person you need.

Plastic Emotions

2007-06-01T19:03:00.001+05:30

It's hard to deceive the world,
never show how you feel.
To exhibit a heart of melting butter,
though it lies in a case of steel.
To be nothing you believe in,
be soft, though you be hard.
To sheath the blades of your soul
and put on a smiling facade.
You make them all believe,
with them is where you belong.
You cover up your thorns,
and try to play along.
Plastic emotions, never real.
Cruelty, fury concealed.
Painted over, deep and dense,
to never be revealed.
Underneath beats a stony heart,
waiting, to be set free.
Stone...not just in hardness,
but in it's unchanging eternity.

Clumsy

2007-05-25T09:39:00.000+05:30

Also written quite long back.

Flying, flying
looking around.
Ah! there it is!
The perfect place.
Down I go,
Dive! DIVE!
Tree! Too Close!
Trim wings, SWERVE!!
I'm through, I'm safe!
Must remember this next time.....
Down again,
to land now.
Circle, spiral
tighter now.
Wings flare,
air brake!
Skimming the sand
slowing down.
Feet out,
all ready.........oooh!
BUMP! CRASH! RATTLE!
gravel, stones, ROCKS!!
................................
I think I broke my tail.

Common sense

2007-05-25T09:32:00.000+05:30

this is one of my older works. forgive the rambling structure, but i think it makes a fairly humorous read.

It was while traveling in the train
I got a chance to use my brain
Small it is, that I concede
even so, I say, take heed
of what I say shall happen whence
you think too much of common sense.
Where has common sense got us?
Why do we make such a fuss
of sticking to reality
and senseless practicality?
Think sometimes with the heart, I say.
Let it take you far away
from concrete jungles thick and dense.
The cages wrought by common sense.
Using it just makes us see,
with less of it how free are we.
For once, just do what u feel is best
and give that common sense a rest.

The Song of Day

2007-04-24T22:43:00.000+05:30

Creeping over the faded blue
spreads a blush so shy and new.
Slowly, quietly clears the way
for the coming glorious day.
Now appears a fledgeling ray,
the golden first of a golden day,
fondling awake a million heads
of creatures asleep in their beds.
Hark! the wings stir in the trees
and voices rise on the morning breeze.
Some step boldly, some are shy.
Alone or in herds, they run, jump, fly.
Under the eye of the overhead Sun,
the life that belongs to Day is begun.
On and on, at leisure and in haste,
until the sunlight dims in the west.
Chattering and chirping, they head their way.
Time's come to rest, its the end of the day.
Now they slumber, alike bird and beast,
and wait for the Sun to smile in the east.

Night

2007-04-21T15:32:00.000+05:30

A lone star shines in the velvety expanse,
and the fireflies begin their glittering dance.
As pinpricks appear in the darkling sky,
the creatures of Night come, cautious and shy.
Quiet now, hear the millions prowl.
A soft rush of wings from the swooping owl.
They fly, they run, they leap and crawl.
They come in answer to Midnight's call.
Unheard by your ears, by your eyes unseen,
the song of the dark is set to begin.
Dancing and singing in the purple night,
they hum and they thrum, a merry sight.
Oh! The East lightens, Dawn has come.
As one they all scatter from the glaring sun.
And now they wait, silent, yet alive,
for the skies to darken, for Night to arrive.

Scrap

2007-04-04T08:08:00.001+05:30

never will I relent
or be ever unbent
fly leap and jump
over, land and..*BUMP!*
be unbent with my dent.

For Every Curse....

2007-03-14T16:00:00.000+05:30

In all your anger, past times
did you ever wonder
what would come of it, later?
What lives torn asunder?

You called out to the Heavens
for deliverance from fate.
When the heavens failed to answer
You let faith become hate.

Didn't you ever realize, then,
how that hate would grow?
How it would poison your life
and make you hurt, more.

The darkness that was within you
rose up to take command.
You were then lost forever in
that unforgiving land.

Appealed to the dark, you did,
and your bidding was done.
Cast an eye on the destruction,
and you thought you had won.

But, everything has a price
were you prepared to pay?
For fleeting triumph in this life,
to give your soul away?

I know you didn't realize, then
how much it could cost
How much pain awaits those
who are willingly lost.

Now, no matter what you try,
no matter what you say,
the deeds have been done, unrepented
And now its time to pay.

Something funny

2007-03-11T09:31:00.000+05:30

I'm part of a writers forum where stories are written collectively. One justs starts off the story and people add to it as they see fit. Here I'm putting up the ONLY thread that i started(!). Have a laugh!
(The contributors in this story are Anupriya, Arunabh and J)

And he said......

Jan 26 And he said...... Travka put down his pack and stretched, yawning heavily. Pulling out a battered old waterskin from his belt, he took a long sip. Fourteen days now. Fourteen days Travka had walked, over the Sooty Mountains, down beside the Anora river and now into the Great Plains. All day he would walk, a measured tread, never stopping - not even to eat or drink. Come dusk, he would unshoulder his pack, drink water, eat what he could hunt, lie down on the hard ground and wait for that elusive being called sleep. Today, however, would be different. He could sense it, he had reached. Travka looked towards the far desert horizon, and settled down to wait in the deepening twilight. There would be no hunting today, hunger repressed by anticipation. And apprehension, for even the great Travka did not know what he waited for today. On the thin faraway line of sky, between the desert and the clouds, there appeared a figure. It appeared quite suddenly, so that Travka was startled. It then moved with astonishing speed towards the man sitting on the ground. Travka stiffened, but made no move. He had, after all, walked 800 miles, let them walk the rest. Coming closer, the figure proved to be that of a man, a young and handsome man. As he came closer, he gestured to Travka. Slowly Travka rose to his feet, eyes narrowed in his leathery face. 'I came all this way,' he thought, 'and they send a boy!' The man smiled, as if he knew what Travka was thinking. He made a low bow, and kneeled, looking up at the old man. And he said........
Jan 27 " What the eyes see is not always what is real. You must learn to see with your heart. For what you know in your heart is what is real. Follow your heart and listen to it. And then you will see what you feel already in your heart."
Jan 27 Suddenly travka could feel a chill down his spine. His body stiffened.. his limbs ached.He was in the grip of an unbearable agony. Now his hands started to deform. His limbs started melting.The smart handsome young man was also transforming. He no longer was the handsome young man.. suddenly he started to develop fangs. Long pointed nails grew out his finger tips..his eyes had become bloodshot. The man made his first move. Travka tried to move back in fear but his legs wouldn't move. It seemed as if some irresistible force had glued his legs to the sands...
Jan 28 and he knew! This was not one of them at all. Oh no! This was Genka, the son of Trothmis, leader of the Evil that plagued the land. How had the Evil come to know of Travka's journey? How did they know of his meeting place with the Numers? The only answer was that the Numers were being betrayed from within. He HAD to warn them! The realisation snapped him from his trance. Wrenching himself away from the fetid breath of Genka, Travka unsheathed his dagger, pitifully small as it was. Snarling with fury, the monster advanced. And he said.......
Jan 28 "By the powers of the seven skies vested in me.. i call upon you, the creator of this infinite universe, Brahma". Saying this he closed hi eyes and folded his hands and muttered a short prayer. Lo and behold! the very next moment he was standing there with the weapon that was million times more destructive than the Hirsohima and Nagasaki atomic bomb- the one and the only-omnipotent and all consuming -THE BRAHMASATRA !! Genka knew the end was inevitable. But he was not going to give in without a fight. He immediately summoned all his tantrik powers and the next moment he was transformed into Thumbelina- just the size of a thumb finger.This was like a bolt from the blue for Travka. His task had all of a sudden become infinitely difficult. He had to locate Thumbelina first..
Jan 29 Closing his eyes, Travka sent out feelers from his mind to the world around him. He could sense the birds, the insects in the ground, even the microscopic life all around. And......yes!! there he was, GENKA! Showing nothing on his face, Travka rose, slowly. Using uncertainty as a cover for his intentions, he shuffled forward. As expected, Genka, unaware of his powers, stayed unmoving. Suddenly, Travka whirled around. Flinging aside his great weapon, he unsheathed his dagger and THUD! There was Genka, son of Trothmis, lying dead on the floor with a dagger through his heart. Travka looked toward the horizon. "Come now, O Numers, or risk losing your kingdom forever," he roared. Silence. Then, a light wind began caressing his cheek. On the horizon A light rosy mist appearead. As it drew closer to him, Travka realised that the NUmers had come. He closed his eyes, and he said.....
Jan 29 "Mission impossible accomplished! Now its time to ensure that the deal goes through smoothly. The daughter of the king of Numers,Apocalypta in lieu of the Kingdom. Muahahaha.. first the daughter and then the kingdom". But Travka had underestimated the power of the Numers. The king of Numers was the most cunning person ever born on this earth- he was even more cunning than Machiaveli and Chanakya put together. HE very well knew that since Travka had already exhausted his Brahmastra, he would be totally sapped of his powers and energy. He had the perfect plan in mind. Soon Travka realised that there were numers closing on him from all sides. Even before he could make up his mind, he knew he was as good as dead. He was in the midst of a goddamn - CHAKRAVYAHU!!
Feb 1 u got it!
Feb 1 thts the first thing that came to travka's mind ....' u got it' ! it was his blind belief in Numers that had condemned him to the situation that he found himself in now.... d
Feb 1 as this occured to him, a blind rage rose inside him. He struggled against the roar rising in his chest. Finally, the ever-closing chakravyuhu stopped its strangling motion. A figure clothed in flowing white robes descendes from his Numerian vaahan. Walking up to Travka, he held out his hand to the man, who was tremlig with rage. "Travka," he said," we do not wish to harm you, for you are the only one who can give us back our godly kingdom. We only ask that you do not harm us." Travka looked at the Numer suspiciously, yet his mind accepted the words of the Eldar. And he said....

Feb 1 "Ok!! gimme half the kingdom and the kingdom shall be yours". The entire Numer army was left shell shocked.Even Eldar was stunned into silence. Then he pondered over the demand for sometime and finally replied 'Ok as you wish'. But then Travka thundered 'And if you are playing any games with me, then i promise you wont get even an inch of the kingdom over my dead body' Eldar was seething " You bloody mortal.. born of the most ordinary parents! You dare threaten the Numers.Arrest this scoundrel at this very moment and throw him to the lions.He does not deserve to live" Saying this he turned to board his chariot. But..
Feb 3 ...Travka threw out an arm to stop him. "Hold it. O Numerian Eldar, I apologise for my conduct. I was only assuring myself of your true nature. Surely you can understand my hesitation in believing you after my encounter with the Evil. For give me, for I know now that you are truly Numers. I come in peace and with help." With that, he knelt before the Eldar. Thw Eldar smiled down at Travka. "Rise, noble human. You are forgiven. Come now, let us...."
Feb 3 Even before the Eldar could complete his sentence, it was pitch dark.This was followed by a brief flash of blinding lightening and when normalcy was restored-Eldar was lying on the ground, dead as a log. A deathly silence engulfed the crowd of Numers. Suddenly Travka rose and started laughing incessantly ... his laugh was enough to send chills down the spines of the Numers. Then he spoke "I am Dr Death- the alter ego of Travka.An alter ego that was too strong for Travka to handle and now Travka is also under my control. You Numers possess the most ordinary weapons while the kind of weapons that i possess have been acquired from a futuristic era through time travel. Bow before me, become my servants and lives shall be spared". The Numers immediately gave up their arms and aligned themselves in queues to pay obeisance to Dr Death. The victory of evil over good had finally seen the light of the day and history was changed forever

Critical Velocity

2007-02-10T12:35:00.000+05:30

Slow passing, slow moving,
It takes far too long.
Sometimes it feels like being stuck,
and all I want is to be gone.
Fast, but not too fast,
slow, but not too slow,
The pace of perfection, of life?
So hard to achieve, and so easy
to lose sight of.
So, I speed up, fast, faster,
Things to blurs, blurs to streaks.
A dizzying high of careless abandon.
But, the wall draws up, dead ahead.........
.......and I know I'm going too fast.

Time

2007-01-30T19:34:00.000+05:30

Once again I sit here,
holding on to things bygone.
In the darkness, I wonder,
will there be another dawn?
I look at bitter memories,
promises broken, problems unsolved,
at all the hurt and anger.
And the tears brim over, uncalled.
I look at happier times,
with dancing laughter, and
search for joys now buried
'neath Time's falling sand.
The past slips through my fingers,
for all that I hold on.
It's wise to let go, I know,
and what has passed is gone.
So closes another chapter,
the end of another song.
Eyes raised to the future,
it's time to move along.

Animal

2007-01-17T07:57:00.000+05:30

Other people, when they pass
look around and see
A glittering cage of clear glass
and inside it, me.
They see me looking out,
they don't seem to care.
They look away and pretend
they didn't put me there.
My life has changed,
I don't even know why.
But, the tears won't come,
who cares if I cry?
I have forgotten now
what its like to be free.
Glass walls, staring faces,
are now the world for me.
I hope for the touch of death,
and soon enough I'll be
stretched out, lifeless, on a glass floor
for everyone to see.

Test

2007-01-10T21:20:00.000+05:30

All day all I did was work,
until i felt I'd go berserk.
Being tested to my limits,
I knew this work i could not shirk.
So now I'll go and do my best,
then put my aching bones to rest.
But I've lost the will to live
and face the rest, and what comes next!

Up and Down

2006-12-28T07:28:00.002+05:30

I'm down, I'm out,
I'm wasting away.
Yesterday was bad.
What's worse? Today.

Come on, buddy!
It can't be that bad.
In this amazing life,
you can't possibly be sad.

What do you know?
It's all right for you.
Nothing's going right for me,
I don't know what to do.

Sure, that happens,
but keep all that away.
Focus on the bigger picture,
pray for a sunny day!!

Oh please! What're you, stupid?
Wake up and smell the garbage!
Life is a bloody battlefield
and mine, is strewn with carnage.

You're so wrong, you know.
Open your eyes!
Find laughter, sweetness,
innocence behind the lies.

I guess you're right,
better to laugh than cry.
You're not giving up on me,
so I might as well try.

Now you're talking!
Just try it my way.
Yesterday was good.
Whats better? Today!

Movie Dreams

2006-12-27T21:57:00.000+05:30

I go to sleep early
Its not just for my health.
Oh no, i snooze for a
different kind of wealth

The thing is, everytime
I happen to fall asleep,
my imagination takes
some pretty huge leaps

I have never been asleep
without dreaming a lot.
I know, dreamless is said to be better
but for me its really NOT.

I love having dreams!
And mine are pretty good.
I always see them from end to end.
So, they're easily understood!

Usually it's like a movie.
(Really good movie too!)
And the best thing is,
everytime it's something new!

Excitement, adventure,
drama, romance, fright!
Every concievable emotion,
embroiled in fancy's flight.

So, the best time of the day
is bedtime, for me!
Movie dreams are why
I love my sleep, you see?

I'm going to die

2006-12-27T08:20:00.000+05:30

The sky is as blue as yesterday
The wind blows without haste or delay
The leaves rustle, do you know why?
Because today's the day I'm going to die

The birds, chirping like they always do,
fly to their nests with a grain or two.
Busy as usual, do you know why?
Because today's the day I'm going to die

People are walking on the street.
Nodding at other people they meet.
Their day begins, do you know why?
Because today's the day I'm going to die.

Children busy at work and play
Laughter and joy fills their day
Time flies past, do you know why?
Because today's the day I'm going to die.

Everything's fine, even without me
Nobody lives who can possibly miss me
Things go on, do you know why?
Because today's the day I'm going to die.

Don't worry, without me, they'll all get through
The world will go round without me too
It'll all stay the same, do you know why?
Because it doesn't really matter that I'm going to die

Aikel

2006-12-24T22:36:00.000+05:30

Aikel is the little imp
that lives under my toe
Whatever I may be doing
he always likes to know

His favourite passtime
is to poke his little nose
into something, anything,
EVERYTHING that goes.

He listens to conversations,
notes everything that's said
Later, when he gets a chance
plants ideas in my head!!

He makes me say things
that I don't want to say.
I struggle, believe me,
but say them anyway!

Aikel is quite clever
he'd never reveal its him
and that he has me dancing
to his every little whim.

He makes you think I'm crazy
by my own consent
That the silly things I may do
are not what he invents!!

But don't you believe him now
I promise you its true.
This is the sort of thing
that Aikel loves to do.

So, now you know Aikel
who lives under my toe.
And realize that my foolishness,
comes up from down below!!

Colours in the Dark

2006-12-23T23:42:00.000+05:30

Shut ur eyes to the light
let the darkness seep in
Put your fingers in your ears
obliterate the din

You're tired of this world,
leave it all behind
In darkness find comfort,
find the colours in your mind

Wait for the darkness
to course through your veins
Surrender the chaos,
let the darkness remain

Wait for a little while
then watch black turn to blue
watch as the colours
start to leap out at you.

Red, green, earth, sky
Unimagined hues
flicker, flow, swish, swirl
of sunset and morning dew

Eyes open now, you're back
to the world you belong to
Remember the colours in the dark?
Now, find them around you.

Fear of

2006-12-22T22:53:00.000+05:30

Shallow breaths, laboured breaths,
Sanity falls apart.
Paleness and palpitation,
Fear grips my heart.

Fear of the lonely darkness,
unknown to the core
Wailing winds whooshing,
scaring me some more.

Fear of the ghostly figures,
hovering around.
White robes, cold fingers,
and tragic weeping sounds.

Fear of the red-eyed monster
there below my bed
Fetid breath, cruel teeth
to bite off my head!

Fear of the imps stealing out,
creeping up close
Making mischief in my dreams,
tweaking my nose!

Fear clouding my senses
I dare not step out of bed
the THINGS are everywhere!
OH! I wish I were dead!

My purple pebble

2006-12-22T09:15:00.000+05:30

A poking, a pricking
an aching in my feet
somehow it got into my shoe
a pebble from the street
Small, round, purple,
a pebble it seemed to be
except for one little thing:
It sort of spoke to me.
'Dont stop coz i'm here
Just keep walking on
If a tiny pebble stops u
what happens in the storm?'
I dont remember the rest
But the pebble was pretty wise
Futher proof that great things
can often be small in size
So now, in the eye of the storm
I smile and march ahead
If anyone asks, i just reply:
So the purple pebble said.