Poem Uncertain

As if,

the vendor didn't stall,
a parking unparked,
landmarks unmarked,
milestones crossed over
on the back of a rover.

A fish market quitened
when all the fishes flew away
into the beaks of all the crows
who dropped them into a pot,
so the water just overflowed.

Dead exchanged graves
for a change of epitaph
or a change of visitors.
Dying to hear a laugh
some spirits escaped
to a comedy club
which was shut;
everyone was afraid
to stand-up.

Clean Sweep

people like us - who sweep a floor
like we do - we do it because
we like to. it is not the usual way.
the water is in excess.
specially when the water is in excess,
and the assistant sweeper is making a fuss
about it, but the main sweeper sweeps on,
and on, and away
- the frantic cries and calls,
the practicalities of it all.

climbing upstairs head bowed,
an excess of water appeared,
and around it some drama -
two pairs of moving feet,
buckets, moppers, and mopping
- in soft strokes.

Disruption

"Will it rain?",
they have asked me,
breaking silence,
when all this time
it was the both of us
who watched the clouds
float and change colors.

How do I know?
So I guess yes,
and no.

I have been right
half the time.

Whenever it didn't rain,
we didn't even
realize the clouds
floated by
and we had discussed them
for a while.

The rains however
always added weight
to our dialogue about how
the clouds weren't here
just to pass by
without as much a thunder,
and how we forgot
to carry umbrellas,
where will we hide,
where from the tea,
and what next.

In Kashmir

जब जन्नत थी यहाँ
वो ज़माना कबका गया
आज तो आग है, जलते मकान हैं
लाल चौक पर काला झंडा मेहरबान है
खौफ में जीते इंसान हैं,
डर नहीं खौफ I

Where the mind is with fear
how is the head held high?
And if it is, is it afraid to die?
Or speak?
Khalid and Kanhaiya,
It's not what they say, it's why.
How every other day,
a top militant dies
in Kashmir.

And if Indian army is any better,
it must have killed more, and so
more than the Army and Bhakts
someone should be angry
in Kashmir.

Should Know Before You Go

It seems so meaningless

you know I could just die.

Cut my vein in two and

bid my perfect life goodbye.

But then a petal speaks to me -

in springtime I come to life.

So before you go, you should know,

sweet raindrops keep me alive.

A butterfly sings softly -

what you miss to feel, for me is divine.

So before you go, you should know,

I steal my breaths from the sunshine.

Now of a Face

City life under city lights -

blanket of security 

so we could see,

meet the devil in the eye 

the untrustworthy passerby.

Poor man, he is running too, 

to beat the good at what they do.

Puts up a bad fight

at the good mans' delight,

leaves in a hurry,

this place is a worry

for even a devil

has no time to revel
in this city life under city lights.

A Road Downhill

Places that go nowhere, 
faces that don't care
if love is all gone 
and truth up in thin air.

So brave, so smart, 
so close, yet so far,
so many gods to bless us all 
that every reason fits,
falter I can 
as long as there are benefits.

We win a battle, await the war, 
cattle sold out for drones.
We kill a million enemies 
but we kill a million homes,
I may look perfect now 
but you and I look like clones.

Alone in Pauses

How alone am I
in a dark dingy room
where shadows loom
with euphoria abound
but no thoughts profound
counting the lonely stars
fading horn of distant cars
when the music stops
and the curtain drops
just before my sigh
how alone am I?

How alone are you
in between your coffee sips
watching the moving lips
missing the spoken words
walking with alien herds
amidst the traffic lights
waiting for broken kites
with a different point of view
how alone are you?

Avenger's Song

Shooting arrows wide off the mark, grey skies over the boulevard, angry winds carry no hope to guard, echoing noise is a wild dog's bark, without a flag or a visiting card the avenger walks alone in the dark. The roads worry at the last yard, in whispers the trees disregard, society's very own - the classic retard decides to go to places barred. He says with a smile - to find peace before I resign I will fight with no rules defined, I will leave no dust behind, the rest can rest as they walk the line, but I'm at war, vengeance will be mine.

So Quiet

It is so quiet here, so quiet you forbear.

The noise I want to make chooses to forsake,
silence easier to seize, respecting the sleeping trees.

I walk with the dust on one way roads I trust,
for they show the only way to go.

Enough time to cry, I needed before I sighed,
so time learn't to stop, settled on my tear drop.

Loneliness there to caress, filling me up was nothingness,
no need to play a dirty trick, it's a picture I can not click.

Where the gods reside is for you to decide,
but if there was a place ever 
where the gods celebrated together,
so quiet you forbear, it is so quiet here.

Stay Blue

Stay blue.

While we try to undo

the damage done to you,

blue mountains stay blue.

Blue mountains so high,

the clouds lie with me

we laugh at the sly smile

of the rainbow you can't see.

Blue mountains and I,

tired after a snowball fight

lit a bonfire and then

invited all the stars in sight.

Rested Time

Remember me? 
I taught you to excel, blessed you on the farewell, 
ow guilty as I watch societies' pursuit to quell 
a prodigy who tried to rebel.

The neighbor's broken fence, our casual pretense,
a private joke between good old friends -
humor that lost its sense.

To the blues they played sweet love we made,
we didn't know then soon this music will fade,
and so we swayed.