Saturday, November 5, 2011

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)

Thursday, April 29, 2010

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!

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Wake Up...


Wake up sovereign, stop this plunder,
Don't let them tear your land asunder.

For leaders elected in your name,
Vote is free, the 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, 
False promises of a golden fate;
Over morsels they make them fight,
Such 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,
Weapons with which they India 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.

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

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...

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

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....

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

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?