Souls and Holes

Value some their souls whole
And wear with pride soles with holes,
Others pierce their souls with holes
And flaunt their fancy soles whole.

Blessed those with souls whole
Wearing with pride soles whole,
Lucky those with holes in souls
Suffering bites of holes in soles.

(Inspired by a photograph of Barack Obama wearing shoes with holes in soles, and the fact that most Indian politicians prefer holes elsewhere)

The Fool

'Be cool!'
How easy it is
for me to say it,
as difficult as it is
for you to stay it;
I'm the fool.

I drool.
How easy it is
for me to show it,
as difficult as it is
for you to know it;
I'm the fool.

You rule.
How difficult it is
for me to rue it,
as easy as it is
for you to do it;
I'm the fool.

'You fool!'
How difficult it is
for you to say it,
as easy as it is
for me to stay it;
I'm the cool!

Wake Up...

Wake up sovereign, stop this plunder

Don't let them tear your land asunder

For netas elected in your name

Vote is free and nation fair game

Not for you, they're chopping it to loot

You will remain right under their boot

Wake up sovereign, stop this plunder

Don't let them tear your land asunder

Once they led inspired by ideals

Today they con driven by deals

Once from yoke they set you free

Today they pillage their own tree

Wake up sovereign, stop this plunder

Don't let them tear your land asunder

Brother from brother they separate

With false promises of a golden fate

Over morsels they make them fight

Such is their hunger for the big bite

Wake up sovereign, stop this plunder

Don't let them tear your land asunder

Nanak, your God is not their ship

Pirates they are on a power trip

Jihad, dharm-yudh, church and temple

Are weapons with which India they trample

Wake up Govind, stop this plunder

Don't let them tear your land asunder

It

And now

You are a body.

It is lying there

On a floor

You never did.

It.

Hands that

Never dared touch

Hit chest

And kiss

To push life in.

Death has already kissed.

Friends weep

As do foes.

Is it for you?

Or their loss?

Even a tear

Of unexpected joy.

You feel nothing

You do not know;

You have

Since long gone home.

It is lying there.

It.

Lunch

As a tasty morsel I munch

at lunch

in a roadside dhaba,

a gentle tap makes me turn.

An empty plate

I see and a child beggar

to her mouth pointing. Anger

swells. Away! I shoo her;

Can’t she wait?

Can't she see?

I'm eating and very hungry?

A pang of regret

hits as the next bite

finds my mouth.

At her helpless plight,

was it, I lost my cool?

What if she is hungry too?

As pensive mouthfuls I chew,

again that soft blow.

Sensing softness, daring rage,

fearlessly she shows

me, again, her empty plate

I ask her to wait

and she does, patiently,

watching me

as I gulp in silent guilt.

Of vicious kidnappers and

poor, poor parents

images I try to squelch;

my own plate I empty find.

A coin and a belch

emerge. I toss the one I can

into the plate in her hand.

A good deed, I pat me,

full of food and vanity.

I shrug and walk; money

was what she was really after.
Tapping another

she must now be,

I say, and look back to see

that cynical picture.

She still is there shaming me,

tear in eye, plate empty,

my coin shining brightly...

Give me all

Give me not just your love,

I want your respect too

Give me not just you silence,

I want your words too

Give me not just your heart,

I want your head too

Give me not just your body,

I want your soul too

Not for me just a bit or two,

I want the whole of you....

Come back; can you dare?

When I see you in my dreams

My heart for you loudly screams

Please come back to me my own

Like this I can't go on for long

When hastily in fear you left me last

I thought as always you'd be back fast

But to see me you declined every time

Just left me alone down and crying

Ever since I've been waiting to hear

Your voice whispering into my ear

I do love you and you are mine

Can you not wait for the right time?

Weeks and months have come and gone

And yet I wait here hoping alone

A gentle breeze will bring you along

Don't you know it's been so long?

Sometimes I fear I am hoping in vain

For when I go down our memory lane

I wonder if you really did care

If you did, come back; can you dare?