Latency

The soft fumes make a white cloud,
An ecstatic sensation...I feel proud,
The burning joint's an intoxicating nectar,
The bloodstream fusion...an arresting spectre...

The burdened eyelids grow heavy,
The retinal images...remarkably wavy,
The flexible cheeks stretch too wide,
Numbed nerves...their senses have died...

My brain's spinning...or is the world?
My mouth's open...but no words unfurl,
My ear hears silence...Am I earless?
My body's weak...but I am fearless...

The distant music rings clearly in my brain,
Illusionary figures..forms...an unfathomable chain,
Rhythmic reverberations lead me into a trance,
I'm stoned...I caper, my wavering stance...

I stare past the calm, dark night,
All the hidden stars in my crystal sight,
The soothing wind blows into my face,
I'm earthly...I'm in outer space...

Time's playing games...a second? an hour?
Adrenaline's flickering...Weakness? Power?
Breathing's passive...sleep? Cancer?
Multitude of questions...No answer...

My eyes close...the night is bright,
My head slumps...the brain is light,
My body's resisting sleep...A fighting agency,
Is this a real illusion or psychotic latency?

Who's Won?

The shivering buildings come crashing down,
The commoners stripped of sheltering gowns,
The fortunate die...the maimed unfortunate cry,
Only a silent questioning ripple remains...Why?

Crimson rivers flow across dilapidated roads,
The fatigued refugees carry departing loads,
The fire brigade's burning...the ambulances- dead,
Only a dampening feeling pervades...eternal dread.

Colourful birds hang in the backdrop of black skies,
The truth of exploding minds screened by silent lies,
The bustling city's ruined...the towering grounds -lost,
Only a chilly fragrance in air prevails...a terminal frost.

Crippled children stare blankly at dusty horizons,
The crowded marketplaces, now, eerie and wizen,
The mutilated soldiers return to their voiceless haven,
Only a paralytic nostalgia abounds...a bygone heaven.

Guarded men in suits rejoice...some stare in gloom,
The war's won and lost, signed formally in closed rooms,
The swan songs sung...the day inked in red...history,
Who's won?...the innocents in that nameless cemetery??

Unreal Silence

The concrete jungles sprawl before him,
The skies are gray, the dusk hues- dim,
The tired birds return to their nests,
The young man decides to sit...he rests..

The finite, enclosing world talks and sings,
The temples' words echo in psychotic rings,
Laughter and pain resounding in closed huts,
He has something to say...his mouth is shut.

The weakening sense of strength disarms him,
Residing in a mythical, self-mighty whim,
His exterior is strong, the inner world weak,
An ubiquitous dilemma...yet, he won't speak..

His thoughts reflect back from sealed lips,
Painful words in a haven of a smiling eclipse,
His lips quiver...a lump in his throat,
Maybe..he's finally sinking his silent boat..

Alas, the hopeful oasis of talk is a dry mirage,
His brain's encountered with an innate, oral barrage,
His muted expressions facing a nervous burial,
The man's real...his silence-- unreal.

The World At Your Feet

The world's in a deep slumber,
Every man's a trivial number,
The sleep is cozy..perhaps, too snug?
Can you peep out through your old rug?

The world's in a frenzy monotony,
Every man's a working zombie,
The job's secure..perhaps, too secure?
Can you be an innovation entrepreneur?

The world's a relational complexity,
Every man's in emotional perplexity,
Your friend's reliable..perhaps, too honest?
Can you stay alone in this Earthly nest?

The world's a rulebook fiend,
Every man's actions are screened,
The rules are ideal..perhaps, too less flaws?
Can you break these omnipotent laws?

The world's a censorious mirror,
Every man's character becomes clearer,
The mirror's true..perhaps, too true?
Can you discard their "reflecting you"?

You are a unique treasure, a shining jewel,
The intentions of the mighty oppressors are cruel,
The world's a monstrous racket, a smiling cheat,
Stand up to it..Oh! capture your rightful seat.

Learn To Smile

The dusk is heavy, a dwindling twilight,
The road is tough, a deserted sight,
No angelic souls here, No hope in a mile,
An infinite abyss...Can you still smile?

The mind's a roadblock, a senseless wall,
The heart's a zombie, a sanguinary stall,
No missionaries here, No introspective trials,
A numbing pain...Can you still smile?

The world's a vanity fair, a squandering hell,
The common man's a green pig, a self-obsessed rebel,
No humanitarians here, no heroic gods to dial,
A callous graveyard...Can you still smile?

Troubled waters neck-high, waves of burning steel,
No sorrow to discard, No joy to feel,
Doped happiness in nerves, a poisoned aisle,
No answered prayers...Can you still smile?

Facing a monotonous blasphemy, a suppressed ache,
Residing in a traitorous nature, Ubiquitous fakes,
Meeting smiling foes, the League of friends...hostile,
A lonely troubadour...Can you still smile?

An age-old cliché, "Laughter's the best medicine",
Timeless wisdom...Frowned brows are insensible sins,
The battle will be yours...the wait's worthwhile,
A humble request...just master a simple smile.

About A Girl

The darkness is blinding, she gives me light,
The shoulders are drooped, she gives me might,
The roads are lonely, she's my only friend,
She's my beginning, she's my end.

She whispers pleasantries in my dreams,
Her minute glimpse makes my pallid eyes gleam,
Her opera's music dances in my ears,
Her smile drives away all my fears.

She's my wondrous inner voice,
A will to live, a moment to rejoice,
She's the genie of my humble lamp,
A time to treasure, a joy to stamp.

When the autumn sky spreads and dark clouds loom,
When the evil spirits rise and witches trigger doom,
When the day becomes night and night..the darkness,
I know i've a friend...a divine goddess.

When dreams turn to sorrow and sorrow to pain,
When gloom's a comfort and joy a torrid bane,
I pause...I look over my back,
I know...an ally I do not lack.

When the world's falling..a human holocaust,
When the summer's fading..a chilly frost,
When the life's squeezing..a knotted rope,
She'll be there...she's my HOPE...

A Fool's Paradise

The mendicant's thirsty eyes beg for alms,
But ignored by the hitherto prodigal palms,
The blind man's stooping shoulders beg for support,
But cold-shouldered by hands embracing girls like forts.

Amiable and benign to the neighbour's child,
On his own..Callousness, indifference applied,
Debating hard over the current political scene,
Hardly noticing his mom's perennially growing lean.

Generous to his boss for anticipated pseudo gifts,
On homely bare necessities, his focus never shifts,
Grateful to the cold stranger for a small favour,
Oblivious to his friend's services done with fervor.

Pretending calm with decisions taken in prime haste,
Wasting the farms, Farming the wastes.
Illegality before him, walking with a blind sight,
Knighting the fools, Fooling the knights.

Heaven before him, for hell in wild forage,
Marrying the lies, Lying the marriage,
Safety before him, ushering danger with a clap,
Slapping the blame, Blaming the slap.

This world is like a consuming blackhole,
Squeezing the truth of a person's role,
Conspicuous is the human fragile caprice,
Ah! my friend, This is a fool's paradise.

Lost-IV

Staring at the impassive walls surrounding me,
Through the darkness envelope, a glimmer I see,
Two tiny holes, my key to the world outside,
In this abode of Satanic heaven...I reside.

The threatening worms crawl into my cell,
Paralytic nerves crippling my muffled yell,
Slowly, but surely, rupturing the puny walls,
I wish you could hear my silent calls.

The walls inch closer, the darkness narrows,
The faint glimmer flickers, the rivers flow,
The devil's soul glares with sadistic pleasure,
The God's body succumbs under its empty pressure.

Lying in the shadows, lying in wait,
I breathe..choke..trying to think straight,
Breathing in hope...Breathing in vain,
Reflecting on the dissolving memory lane.

The holes close, the glimmer fades,
The contiguous pain...the distant accolades,
The wasted efforts...the myriad trophies,
The zillion foes...My love...Sophie.

The walls collapse in a thunderous burst,
Befriending the devil, defying divine trust,
The heart stops, burns in fiery gloom,
A lost martyr to the suffocating vacuum...

Lost-III

Reflecting back on my stormy past
On a life considering me an outcast,
A lone tear splashes on the floor below,
Paving the way for a subsequent turbid flow.

Living on a platter for hungry wolves,
Scavenging on my sacrificial groove,
Squashing my depleted, withering self-esteem,
Devouring incessantly my heartfelt dreams.

Living in a forest of myriad oppressors,
Leaving me in dire straits, a stress possessor,
Becoming a victim of my own rectitude,
But..too incapacitated to change my attitude.

Living on a base of umpteen false assertions,
Accepting lies in truths with perfection,
Comforting myself with a mirage of infinite bliss,
Innately pushing myself into a depressive abyss.

Living in a sea of endless hope,
Floating afloat by the assuring dope,
Wishing desperately for an altruistic Casper,
But..Hope's a good breakfast, a bad supper..

Living in a labyrinth of eternal confusion,
Zombie by nature, numbed in profusion,
My soul's a blackened mirror as I see,
Reflecting a faceless stranger back to me.

Lost-II

Trudging through those crowded streets,
I stand oblivious to that stifled greet,
Surrendering to my jinxed fate,
I decide to return to my residential gate.

Lying alone on the tattered couch,
With my drooped shoulders and pronounced slouch,
I close my eyes and silently cry,
I wail...till my mouth becomes dry.

A greet...a barely audible voice,
A silhouette..It couldn't be a boy's,
A touch...Was this a heavenly dream,
A lady...Eyes with a lovely gleam.

She introduced herself as a friend,
My miseries, she wanted to end,
Her aim was to give me solace,
My pain, she wanted to embrace.

My life transformed since that day,
Life, after that, never seemed gray,
Pain..it seemed was a forgotten nightmare,
Agony..it seemed was a momentary glare.

Alas! They say happiness is transient,
Almost as if it came by accident,
Two months later, She died in a bomb blast,
And that's as long as our relationship could last.

They say life comes a full circle,
And in this journey, I've been a huge debacle,
The sunshine in my life turns to beastly frost,
And I return to my normal state - LOST....

Lost-I

Roaming aimlessly on crowded streets,
With a tired body on aching feet,
A painful soul rendering my senses numb,
To the drudgery of life, I'll soon succumb.

These high-rise towers, the speeding cars,
These crowded shops, the dim-lit bars,
These incessant pedestrians, the distant sea,
Do they hold any meaning for me?

No friends to die for, No family to live for,
No threads of happiness, Miseries galore,
No desires I have, No ambition in life,
No place to rest in this world of strife.

No laughter to lose, No tears to befriend,
No success to embrace, No failures to end,
No cynics to impress, No well-wishers to pay,
No silence to keep, No words to say.

Lost to the material pleasures found,
Lost to the cacophony of voices around,
Lost to the ephemeral human sea,
Lost for life, Lost for eternity.

The Wandering Unknown

Over the mountains, across the valleys,
The crowded roads, the dark alleys,
The tranquil rivers, the gushing streams,
He walks them all..with no theme.

No bags on shoulders, No load on head,
No place to start, no target ahead,
No clothes to carry, No material wealth,
Walking freely..walking without stealth.

No family he has, No friends he'll make,
No secrets to keep, no vows to break,
No profession to sustain, no money to hide,
Life, for him, is an aimless ride.

He knows no happiness, knows no sorrow,
Pain's an alien entity, emotions hollow,
His brain's free, heart's a rock,
He walks to live...Lives to walk.

His eyes see, but it's a blank sight,
His ears listen, but the hearing's light,
His nose smell, but the aroma's bland,
His body feels, but he can't understand.

His life is simple, no complexity,
His life is mundane, no ecstasy,
His life is eternal, no death beyond,
His only identity- A nomadic vagabond.

The Thin Line

A man stares...the man on the cliff,
At the edge...he stands scared stiff,
A step forward...a ride to hell,
A step backward...an eternal knell.

He opens his mouth...he's confused..sly,
The words come out...a truth or a lie?
He's not tactful...No shades of gray,
Perspective matters...It's what they say.

He closes his eyes...He has a blurry sight,
The world's dark...the images- bright,
Lost in translation...which is which?
See carefully...There's a periodic switch.

His character's good...persona- a evil hue,
He has nursed a few...trampled a picky few,
He contemplates...who is who?
The answer...he wish he knew..

Success for the world...failure at heart,
A twisted balance...look at his life chart,
The planet's vote...Does it count?
His introspection...His personal account..

He thinks...leans...eyes are crimson red,
His breath's numbed...Alive? Dead?
A narrow passage...an absence of air,
The line's crossed...a final prayer...

Taken For Granted

For his mom, in emotion, he'd grow insane,
From his dad, he suffered incessant pains,
For his relatives, he was the problem manager,
Yet, for his family, he was the perfect stranger.

Lean by appearance, strong by nature,
For others, any risks he'd gladly venture,
Omnipresent in times of others' needs,
Yet, for himself, never did any noble deed.

Monster for himself, Saint for people,
His philanthrophy had created quite a ripple,
Hopelessly lost inside, perennially happy outside,
Encouraging others - for his own hopes had died.

He had comforted himself with a sea of lies,
To comfort others, he'd made many a sacrifice,
Happiness, for him, was just an elusive illusion,
Yet, he always smiled - giving others a happy delusion.

Then, on one fine autumn day,
His problems he decided to say,
People scorned, people laughed,people taunted,
None of them made him feel wanted.

At first, this reaction left him without a clue,
He'd lost his identity, lost his value,
Then, when within himself, he did finally dig,
He realized...All along he'd just been a public guinea pig.

Remember The Dead

The gravel path leads to the serene land,
The distant road covered with ancient sand,
The old boulders transformed into weathering rocks,
Amidst this scenery, they sleep and mock..

The musician in the corner sings his tunes,
His only audience--the silently eroding dunes,
Famous in his country in the remote past,
But his music did, as long as his life, last.

The poet at the right echoes his verses,
With the shadowy, nameless he wryly converses,
Criticized in his life, Forgotten on his death,
If only..you could hear his tranquil breath.

The grave soldier lies among the decaying flowers,
Contemplating quietly on his forgotten powers,
Lived in pain, Fought in vain,
Now, Staring at the chaotic world with disdain.

The somber doctor peers through dusty glasses,
Once a benevolent God for the ailing masses,
His patients lost in world, work lost in time,
Now, Reflecting softly on his selfless crimes.

The dead lie here, professions no bar,
Sand fills up in their wounded scars,
Uphold their humble messages, the silence they said,
Oh foolish world…revive the bygone dead...

A Parody Called Love

Sleepless nights, Incessant dreams,
Sober face, Twinkling eyes,
Emphatic laughter, Overflowing streams,
Feeling stupid, Feeling wise.

Lifeless brain, Overburdened heart,
Engaged conversations, Eyes elsewhere,
Idiocy personified, Pretending smart,
Wealthy gifts, Means bare.

Candid hitherto, Endorsing privacy,
Tottering emotions, Standing strong,
Stable exterior, Internally crazy,
Feeling right, Feeling wrong.

Unbending rock, Turning sacrificial,
Mortal human, Promises immortal,
Unique earlier, Now artificial,
Satan's incarnation, Cupid's call!

The Final Cut

The last of the bitter liquid drips down my throat,
My body sinks, my mind begins to float,
Blurry images fill up my brain,
As my soul begins to feel insane.

My pupils shrink, my vision becomes dim,
My ears become full, expressions grim,
My neck turns hard, nerves taut,
Lost for words, lost in thought.

My past floods my mind in a trice,
Wetting my already red eyes,
My heart beats faster in troubled emotion,
While the liquid acts, stagnating my motion.

Slowly but surely, I sink deeper and deeper,
In trance, I clutch my chair like a creeper,
My eyes close, my mind in fleeting elation,
As I die of subtle suicidal intoxication.

Pyrogenic Seduction

Standing amidst the raging fire,
My parched mouth becomes drier,
Anticipating the poisonous dart,
I silently lock up my heart.

Engulfed by smoky fumes,
A Frankenstein above me looms,
As my soul melts away,
"Amen, Amen", I quietly pray.

My weak breath grows thin,
When a voice calls from within,
"You'll survive, You'll survive,
You'll surely triumph alive".

My innate Conscience to the rescue,
Endearing to save me from the blues,
Stuck in the Mind-Heart crossfire,
Puzzled, I ponder- Who's the liar?

Heart tempts me to the pyre,
Sending me deeper into the mire,
Should I fall into temptation?
Or, is courage my salvation?

In a sudden spur of heavenly thunder,
From my heart, I lamely sunder.
Paying heed to the righteous Mind,
To its word, I solemnly bind.

I shall fight this flaming lust,
I shall overcome this ashy dust,
I shall extinguish this raging fire,
I shall quench my burning desire.

Beyond Appearances

Stifling his curse, he gives a wry smile,
Internally though, he becomes more senile,
Suppressing his yawn, he blankly nods his head,
But, in reality, he's just a perishing thread.

Concealing his pain, he gives a picture of joy,
Actually though, he's just an ephemeral toy,
A conservative guy, yet parties with friends,
And social criticism, he successfully defends.

Looking to the future, burying his past,
He hides truths with lies made up fast,
All his life he's been a red herring,
If only people can find his true being.

Over the cliff, he goes today,
And silently takes his life away,
To people around, it makes no sense,
'Coz he's just ended a life of pretense.

Hold Your Own

The world revolves in my head,
Disparate thoughts leaving my brain- dead,
Stuck between the devil and the deep blue sea,
I wonder silently, who do I want to be?

Saint for some, Satan for others,
Being diplomatic like a pacifying mother,
Seeking desperately for a middle path
Like a struggling frog in a mud path.

My head numbs, my thoughts sleep,
My heart gives a loud beep,
Oblivious to the cynics around,
I quietly listen to my heart's sound.

The world is brash, the world is loud,
Over your thoughts, it puts a cloud,
And soon you realize you're all alone,
That, my friend, is when you hold your own.

Here Without You

The faint moonlight strikes the sparkling sand,
The gentle waves wash the misty land,
The soothing breeze mocks the tranquil sea,
Lost in thought, I wish you were here with me.

The distant streetlights glaze like a gold treasure,
The happy thoughts of chirping pigeons, I can't measure,
Mirthful, excited couples I all around see,
Heavenly paradise- if only you were here with me.

The long palm trees sway in ecstasy,
The sparse human forms seem lost in fantasy,
I would let my spirits go free,
If only, you were here with me.

I want to hold your hands, smooth and bare,
I want to see the wind playing with your hair,
Being with you would make Time freeze,
If only...you were here with me.

I will love you till my final beat,
And though, we'll physically never meet,
Our souls shall forever live in harmony,
You'll always be here with me.