I am a bystander

I watch mutely the inexorable march of time
I watch wide-eyed the bloody dance of time
I am a bystander
I watch mutely

Fear, disbelief and anger uniting young students
Meted out treatment meant for criminals
I am a bystander
I watch mutely

Women huddle in bitter cold, shocked out of their complacency
Their future and presence a certain uncertainty
I am a bystander
I watch mutely

Venom spewing leaders from the entire spectrum
Laying dead bodies irrespective of religion
I am a bystander
I watch mutely

Tear gas, batons, blazing guns and ineptitude
Atrocities of complicit lawkeepers on innocents
I am a bystander
I watch mutely

Marauding death sweeps in striding purposefully
Mutilating old and young indiscriminately
I am a bystander
I watch mutely

Day in day out a mockery of democracy
I look for a peace pareidolia in the tea leaves
I am a bystander
I watch mutely.

Her life

Hope

Playing with the delicate glass bangles

tinkling on her dainty wrist

a half smile hesitantly appearing and then disappearing

she looks out of her front door

hopefulness sits expectantly on the rims of her dark eyes

myriad thoughts crowd her mind

she hushes the annoying tyrannical ones

determinedly focussing on the pleasant only

tingling at the thought of happy disbelief

that she hopes would be writ on his face

as she muses on the reason that had led to the silly tiff

and her walking out in a huff

her face mirrors the startling emotions running amok

swinging her from despair to elation

but as the evening progresses, she is sure

they would put behind this disagreement and move ahead.

Goldilocks Part 2

Distant evanescent lightning

imparts a faint blush glow to the room

I am faced with the prospect of being alone in the dark

as mom and pop are away

losing track of time, I am plagued

by dangerous thoughts

banishing them away, I stay brave

I don’t want to go anywhere

history repeats itself, they say

I sit on my bed waiting

for the very social Goldilock’s arrival

‘cos I don’t believe the rumours about her.

Eugi's Weekly Prompt – Blush – February 17, 2020

Tuesday Writing Prompt Challenge–February 18, 2020

Wednesday’s Level UP Challenge, 2/19/20 and Tuesday’ Writing Prompt Challenge Round UP

Publication in Spillwords

I would like to share with all of you my happiness that my poem A foolish notion has found home in Spillwords.

You can read it here.

Never-ending

She sat on the stairs

Clutching her teddy

Her eyes on the road

Waiting for dear daddy.

Her eyes wandered around

A sea of faces around her swarmed

Her school bag heavy with books

Bewildered, she waited for her mom.

As she played in the park

Her gaze fixed on the gate

She participated listlessly

All the while, in best friend’s wait.

She paced restlessly in the college campus

Glancing every then and now at her watch

He was late like always to pick her up

She waited for the one who was her perfect match.

It was already time for kids to return

But she could hear no footsteps outside

Her ears strained to hear their voices

As she sat waiting for the apples of her eyes.

It was later than the usual office timing

She sat resignedly on the armchair

It was becoming a habit of late

To wait for her husband, but it was difficult to bear.

She stood in the balcony, as if carved out of stone

He was late yet again in spite of warning

She knew not what she could do

There was no debating, her pampered son was erring.

And so it went on like this for her

Till on her deathbed one day she lay

Everyone prayed for her pain to end

But she knew she would have to wait for another day.

Motherhood

Moods swing her like a yo yo

one moment euphoric and high as a kite

but the very next minute insecure and fearful

one day life feels like an extended vacation

and the very next day even moving out of bed seems impossible

she quickly spirals from realism to superstition

the rollercoaster ride her hormones are taking her on

leaves her breathless and bewildered

running on low esteem and raging emotions

standing in front of the mirror

looking critically at her stretch marks and bulging belly

she smiles at her reflection and blows a kiss

then says aloud,

“You are the most desirable woman right now!”

Regret

The blues did not come from out of the blue

they slowly soaked his skin in sorrow

the restlessness quietly jangled his nerves

his eyes became twin pools of reminiscences

sehnsucht washed over him in wave after wave

regret a dagger stuck in his heart

was twisted with exquisite precision

by every passing second

fool he was to spurn love

true love

for it frightened him

the way it pulsated in his bloodstream

a life of unencumbered living was what he wanted then

now standing alone watching his reflection

remorse turns his bones to liquid

and he wonders how he could have

shredded her dreams in seemingly dignified air of victory!

Eugi's Weekly Challenge – Love – February 10, 2020

What do you see # 16 February 10, 2020

Tuesday Writing Prompt Challenge: Tuesday, February 11, 2020

Level UP Writing Challenge, 2/11, Moves to the Cafe!

My poem in Indian Periodical

I am happy to share that one of my poems found home in the latest issue of Indian Periodical.

You can read my poem Pocket sized sun here.

Pocket sized sun

The forest of my mind is a maze of distraught darkness

the days are dull, discoloured,

devoid of any drama

the nights are chilly, lonely and forlornly moonless

a wilted wallflower waiting

for a pocket sized piece of sun

I wander aimlessly, blindly

being gulped by despair and devoured by silence

silence that leaves bite marks all over me

silence that comes unstuck in the air

mingling with fear and sweat

and keening softly in my ears

rain washes away all the markers I had left

now lost forever

I keep losing myself over and over again

my mind fiddling with reality

a handful of truths slip through the cracks of my fist

as I try to pummel the lies

spinning their web tight around me

my days segue into weeks that segue into years

but the pocket sized piece of sun continues to elude me.

Terrible love

My beloved, I curse the day I said yes to you,
It was my prerogative, no doubt
It could have been sooner my beau
I so fell in love with your pout!

I am sick and tired of your explosive anger
Your wearisome stubbornness and defiance
To your alien ways I am no foreigner
Honey, what would I be without this alliance!

How do you think we will manage with your income meagre
Your stupid scruples you follow inexcusably
My love, to sacrifice for you I am always eager
I love how you still acquit yourself admirably!

You are the inspiration for this third class verse,
My love for you colours my vision for better or worse!

Written for terrible poetry contest.