Though daggers
and stilettoes
be all that you
possess in your
armory of words-
I shall stand
and receive them
with open arms.
There is a
distinct possibility-
One that I'm
banking on-
That one will
strike right there-
At the centre
of my heart!
Usha, 1 July, '07
The rain is
me, now.
Grey, grey clouds
that hold my heart
and soul, captive;
heavy with leaden
sorrow.
Huge pearly
drops falling;
from my eyes??
My thoughts
my dreams, hopes
aspirations and expectations,
peopled in my mind-
Inundated
by the pain
that never seems to stop.
That will never let
me be.
The downpour
of agony
sweeps all away.
A sun rises anew,
in the cycle of life again;
flood waters recede-
as they must.
To garner myself
my thoughts and
my precious self...
How tough it is-
to learn to live again.
Usha, 1 July, '07
In overcast skies
In grey damp mist
In sheets of rain
that never seem to stop,
Is lost my heart.
In arid deserts of the mind
In dry river beds of my eyes
In unforgiving glare
of the noonday sun,
Lies, bare, my soul.
In the fruit of suspicion
From the germ of mistrust
In spreading creepers
of slow pain,
I exist.
Usha, 1 July, '07
An eon slipped by-
In that moment
of realization!
The manic laughter
stilled on his lips,
as her gazed upon her.
Her, whom he thought
the unkindest hands of fate
had snatched, just to spite him.
And there she stood - so pure, innocent,
A young lass - the same eyes
The self same flush, deepening her cheeks.
The wildness of his eyes didn't scare her
Neither the hunger of his gaze;
Calm and serene she stood, willing him to peace!
Gently and fearlessly, she stepped closer:
He flinched, yet nearer she went.
Stretched out, and took his wrinkled hand in hers.
A rush of emotion swept through him
The tide could not be stemmed;
It seeped from every pore, a cry of anguish!
He found words, and tears again,
The eon of darkness, had now slipped past.
And tumbling forth were all he held in his heart.
The words he groped for came fast,
Incoherent, wild, ecstatic and endless.
She stood, deluged in his love, finally content.
My precious, my precious, a chant it seemed.
That helped to ease the loss, the endless yearning;
And all the while she stood, with simple heartfelt love.
Now he knew, he hadn't lost all, when she left;
Now he knew, why he didn't fall, when she fell
Into that pit of darkness, the emptiness of nothingness!
For here she stood again, in her
gifting him words again, words he thought he'd never hear!
She spoke, gently, tenderly, "Father, shall we go home?"
Usha, 4 August, '07
The insidious dream
that crept upon
my sleep-
uninvited.
The unfelt rhythm
that rocks my gait
through a million
miles of thought-
The rush of expression;
of touches on the soul,
glances, in words, unspoken-
Suddenly, they grab
my mind, and
force me-
And so I write!
Usha, 12 July, '07
Laughter in times
of sorrow.
Trust in times
of deceit.
A broad shoulder
to rest my head
when grief overwhelmed me.
A strong hand, in mine
when I stood, shattered!
Picking up the pieces,
putting me together again-
Gifting yourself to me
so that I stand whole..
A nameless bond-
A wordless promise-
And a lifeless me...
Reborn..I am!
When you completed
the jigsaw puzzle,
that was me...
with that last piece-
yourself!
Usha, 18 May, '07
How sure am I
Of you, you ask.
And smile-
knowingly!
I know, I don't
have to say it-
But I shall!
(At least, I'll try..
just to see
if my words
find that expression:
that note, just right!)
So sure am I -
As that river that flows
knowing its destiny-
to merge with the endless ocean!
As that flower, shyly blooming
knowing that kiss
of the early morning sun, awaits!
As those stars bright
unfailingly twinkling a promise
to keep me company,
through each dark night!
As sure as day and night,
in our journey through the
infinite limitlessness of time!
As that indrawn breath
you breathe, for me!
And the tears that roll down
my cheeks,
oozing your sorrow away..!
So sure -
I'd leap into nothingness
knowing you'd be there
to gather me in your arms!
So sure, am I
only because
I am you
and you are me!
And I echo your
laughter, in my eyes!!
Usha, 16 May, '07
How did that
piece of art
get that way?
It’s a thought I’ve had,
recurring, persistent…
Imagine, the colours
in that oil painting, just so-
the strokes, each one,
making magic, when it happens!
a knife to smoothen, sharpen,
blend and perfect…
Only then, will that soul
of the artist, permeate-
And the painter? Replete!
Imagine each sculpture
chiseled, just so-
how it knows the form
within, taking shape:
through blows, taps, edges
and endless jabs..
Just the right force
in the sculptor’s hand;
else, it just might not be!
And the sculptor? Humbled.
The flowers in the vase
be it Ikebana, or just
your own special, inimitable way-
the fern placed, just so-
and the aster – that way.
Gently placed on the
thorny holder..
you want it upright-
standing tall and proud!
And you? Mesmerized!
The poem you just wrote
the story that just came-
How did it get that way?
Maybe because, you did! –
your heart in it, you pondered
patiently: the words wrote
artfully, and it happened, just so.
The writer? Soaked in it!
And I believe,
The Artist, up there,
would look at us..
thinking, how he moulded us!
A little push, that fall, rising again,
helping us to form – just that way!
Colour us with feeling, just so-
tap and smooth, the rough edges
and, watch us stand proud!
And, yet again, I do believe
No matter, if anyone
understood us, His work –
He’d believe in us;
and He’d know – it was
Worthwhile!
I wish, though, we could believe
So fully too!
Usha, 15 May, 07
A thought of you,
your love - enmeshed
in the weave of golden
molten moonbeams...
makes me catch my breath
at the wonder of it all!
The sound of your voice
Its velvety softness,
low, deep timbre of affection
lending strength to vows we made!
Your comforting presence
leaving an indelible mark
on my soul..
Even in your absence.
The kind that will
never, but never,
fade, or go away.
Undated!
Burning my love
and melting my heart…
So long as you are in the light
my love…
Winding the spool
enduring the laser jab, the endless whirling…
So long as you can hear the music...
Flowing in ink
no matter its my blood…
So long as you can thumb the pages...
That is what I’m told.
You’re the reason I am.
So I have to be.
So I have to do.
And so I have to.
And funnily enough-
so I want to..
Because of you.
Isn't it strange?
How I still love you?
Usha, 14 May, ‘07
So when you took
My hand-
[After stealing my heart,
With my hand too, I had to part!]
What did you feel,
I asked, remember?
I'm holding my world in my hand,
You said, remember?
Did I feel lost?
You asked, I remember.
How could I?! I retorted,
Remember?
In the circle of your Love-
Led by the hand,
I finally found me,
In Us.
Usha, 22 September,'07
Am I that sword
that hangs over you?
Aghast, you wonder that
I dare to ask!
Ah, but I wonder too-
Did you ever know I think?
And think, so deep and long,
Ponder, vitiate, then surrender.
Sometimes to you.
Sometimes to my thoughts.
Which brings me to
the moot point -
I am that sword, aren't I?
That destroys your peace of mind?
Because neither of us
Can ever move out -
Of each other.
Usha, 7 August, '07
Story of Life
Dew drops winking just
momentarily, to fade:
Story of life, lived.
Paradise.
in crystal water -
under the blue sky: a lush
green - paradise mine.
Usha, 20 April, '07
Lightning!
cosmic energy:
pent up fury, just unleashed –
a bolt from the blue!
Usha, 15 May, 2007
Onam – Haiku in Tandem
A celebration
Flowers, hues, spirit of nature
Festival Divine!!!
Richness of colour
Promise of Prosperity
Onam: life relished!!
Usha, 30 August, ‘07
**********************************
Haiku is Japanese lyric poetry, composed, usually in 3 lines of 5-7-5 syllables each, on some aspect of nature and the seasons. A very amateur attempt here:)
The picture for the Haiku "Rain" is a gift from a dear poet, Shalini Devraj. The others are pictures taken by my brother and son, on which I've attempted the writing with the help of Photoshop:)
