The Last Word ...

To step out of the cloak of disguise,
Of being someone I am not;
Is perhaps the hardest step to take.

To stand afar, a heart full of love,
Yet unable to shout it from the rooftops;
Is perhaps the hardest feeling to reconcile within.





Still,
When the world rises up
To question,
To pigeonhole,
To discipline;

It is you, as me, the other way too
That is, at once,
My strongest armour
And my softest heel!

Love hurts, love heals,
Love reaffirms faith;





But the point is-
(One that I'm blessed with)
Love Is.

Period.



8 to 11 January, '08


*****

Yet another old one, being given new lease of life :) The muse is still wary, and I'm trying all I can to appease it, lol! So while she plays hide and seek with me, I thought I'd share some more of her, through these re-posts:) Thanks, as always, for your patience!

Tantalizing Tanka!!

Tanka, like Haiku, is again a form of Japanese Lyric Poetry.

[As you know by now, :) ] A Haiku works with 17 syllables arranged in 3 lines of 5/7/5 syllables to each line, and evokes an aspect of nature and the seasons, with the last line holding the punch so to speak.

A few haiku here, in my previous post!

Tanka on the other hand gives the writer more space to work with – 31 syllables, arranged in 5 lines of 5/7/5/7/7 syllables each. Tanka is an older form of the lyric in Japanese… dating to 13 centuries ago, while Haiku is just about 3 centuries ago..

Tanka was mainly written between lovers, as society had accepted the fact that a man’s dallying with another woman, other than his wife was normal!! After the man departed early in the morning, he would send a Tanka to his lady love with his message of love..

I hope you enjoy these Tanka, and that you will try some of your own!

Morning After...

A fiery blush

warming your palm under my

face, on the pillow-

the morning after the night

before – in our crimson dawn.

20 April, 07

(Picture from : www.betweenthesheets.co.uk)

***

Death Smiles

[Tanka in Tandem]

The beautiful rose

Tall, vain, proud- but now slain, lies

Picture-perfect on

The coffin of her mistress,

Whose hand fed that vanity!

Death waits and smiles in

Irony – the beautiful rose

Tall and proud, now his

Prize: another soul to take

Away – unexpected Gift!

30 April, ‘07
(Pictures from : scholez18.blogspot.com ; www.guardian.co.uk)
***

A Note on the Lover's Bedside
[Tanka in Tandem]

Love, I leave you now-

your hair spread over pillows

soft ; your body in

wanton pleasure, covered by

satin sheets white: Oh! pure grace!




So that my heart – yet

again whetted by your thoughts;

my breath savouring

your promises, beckoning

delights; returning to you!

10 May, ‘07
(Picture from: www.dallas-sleep.com)

***

Me in You!

What's it about you

I love most, you ask and wait;

O Love, don't you know?

Not passion- not body sweet!

But me, in you, held captive!

16 September, 07

(Picture from : http://www.chiselstudio.com.au)

***

Breeze of Love

Thoughts of you blow a

Gentle breeze, running fingers

through my hair, your way!

Whispering, a feather touch

Vow; our love of yester eve!

16 September, 07

(Picture from : www.prlog.org)

***

A Shower of Haiku !!

Rebirth




autumn leaves falling:
buried seeds look up hoarding
hope to grow anew.

6 April, 07

***



Story of Life

Dew drops winking just

momentarily, to fade:

Story of life, lived.


12 April, 07

***



Paradise

in crystal water -

under the blue sky: a lush

green - paradise mine.



20 April, '07

***



Lightning!



cosmic energy:

pent up fury, just unleashed –

a bolt from the blue!


15 May, 2007

***



Rain





Softly falling drops-

touches my soul - harmony!

in a shower to cleanse!


10 May, '07


***


Onam - Haiku in Tandem






A celebration
Flowers, hues, spirit of nature
Festival Divine!!!


Richness of colour
Promise of Prosperity
Onam: life relished!!


30 August, ‘07

***



Sorry, this one is another re-post:) The original is Here. As you will see, there isn't any change as such, but a re-arrangement, which I just managed to be taught, by my young philo' Soumya. Thanks, Soumya... :) Time for you to assess my progress, lol!

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:) More on Haiku and how to write it, HERE.

The picture for the Haiku "Rain" is a gift from a dear poet, Shalini Devraj. The pictures with "Story of Life" and "Paradise" have been taken by my brother and son, on which I've attempted the writing with the help of Photoshop:) The final picture of the Pookkalam [the flower carpet, and this is with real, natural flowers :)] was taken this year, at our home, on Onam Day:), 12 September, 2008. The picture with "Rebirth" has been taken from a webpage on the net:)

Another write, associated to this, is an earlier post, a Senryu, called The Chill. Senryu works like a Haiku, but then again, it is slightly darker in nature:)

The Moment of Reckoning

You held out your hand-
Never spoke a word!

Your eyes just looked grave-
No hint of any fear, or doubt!

Across the table, as you sat
Looking deep into my eyes, so deep..

Willing me to believe-
Willing me to take the chance.

Oh, I knew, alright;
I knew I trusted you.

How could I not!
Such faith in me,
Such love for me
How could I not!

Still the demon of despair
Wouldn't let go the
Tenuous chord it
Bound me with.

The hand outstretched
I longed to take.
The warmth in the look
I longed to bathe in.

Why did I feel it
So wrong to feel so right?
Why couldn't I just let
Myself go, and fall in love?

What held me back
In its terror's sway
I wondered...

A monster of doubt-
Am I worth it?
What is there in me
That could be so loved,
With such infinite gentleness
Such precious tenderness?

My eyes welled up...
How could you be so...
So You?
How could you give so much
Of You?

And how could I not
Take that proffered hand!

I knew I was made whole
The day I took your hand
And placed my trust...
In that outstretched hand!



19 June, '07


**Yet another re-post. I know it's not done, but what the heck! I decided to re-cycle anyways, Lol! Thank you for the continued patience, all of you who have already read this one :)

Bull in a China Shop

My precious shop
Ye Olde Antique
Priceless, fragile, exquisite-
I thought.

Till you barged in..

And swept away the
Distant past I guarded
passionately.

The blue Ming vases
Treasured keepers of pain.
Shattered.

The perfect figurines
Masks preserved for ages.
In smithereens.


Crystal, glinting
A thousand reflections of
memories.
No more.

Astounded. Shorne
Of my prized treasure
I wonder -

Was that a deadweight
Suddenly lifted away?

Freedom.

No more do I
Have to tiptoe inside.

No more do I
Have to caution another
Who approaches.

No more.
Inside.

With the freedom
Comes the
Insanity of letting go.

I shall have to keep you.
To remain insane.



18 April, 07

************

This one is a re-post of an old one :) Till the muse decides to visit, I thought I'd push this one up... :) Thank you for the patience in reading this one again.. :)

Loquacious

Who needs words
To speak?
Our eyes did, in
Multiple zillions of them!
Who needs words
When fingers entwined
Pass messages, sing songs
Bewitch, enchant and enrapture!
Who needs utterance
If any,
When hearts meet
Merge, melt into
The only soul they
Can be!

Who said that you
Need words to be
Loquacious?



29 September, 2008

The Hearth of the Matter

For aeons, it seems, have I slept,
Till you happ'd upon my obscure self;

Peering in, you found that solitude
You always yearned for; a quietude.

Lit the hearth and warmed yourself;
Glad was I, kindling had I set in store;

Gladder still, you stayed, and
Warmed yourself, and never, ever left!



21 July, 2007

Conundrum

Wild laughter and
Melancholy sighs
Soft words and
Blank stares
Niggling doubts and
Hearty reassurance

Love, revisited.
Life, undone.



28 September 2008