New Beginnings

The call to grandmom. Unplaced. 

Mom’s secret recipe. Untried. 

The last mile of the half marathon. Unfinished. 

The pages beyond the bookmark. Unread. 

 
The almost winning performance. Unrehearsed. 

The journey of your dreams. Untraveled. 

The lover the heart yearned for. Unkissed. 

The love the heart deserved. Unreceived. 

 
The much needed breather. Untaken. 

The long due apology. Unmade. 

The ticking of the clock. Uncounted. 

The scribbles you wanted to call poetry. Uncomposed. 

Would you still want it this way?

Would you want it any other?

A new beginning is on its way. Untarnished.

A new chapter. Unscratched. Unscathed. 

New fairy lights waiting to be lit. Bright. Unfused. 

A new balloon waiting to rise. Buoyant. Undeflated. Undefeated.

Happy New Year!

Fog

Have you noticed the city enough

Through your fog-kissed lens?

Noticed the potholes on the road?

Just like the dark circles on my face.

Have you noticed the dusty grey of the leaves beyond the greens?

Just like you forgot to notice the silvers on my scalp.

Have you listened to the voices of the streets

Through your fog-dimmed senses?

Or do they sound too distant

Just like mine?

Tell me what’s on my mind

As you walk through the psychedelic street lights

Or can you not even think

Because the fog has now taken over…

…Taken over only to give you an illusion of assured steps

As you tumble down steadily into an unfamiliar darkness..

What will you do once the fog lifts up?

Red Fairy Lights

Entered the room

A wine bottle in hand and a bagful of hurt

Some rage, a sprinkling of guilt too. 

I was on the lookout for some release

Some comic relief?

I breathed in the sights

The books on exhibition, the thoughts that were not.

The odour of the permanent resident, his clothes strewn around. 

And along came the intoxication

When the red fairy lights were turned on

Seeping beneath the skin like laser shots.

Settling on that ever-palpitating heart

Making me do things I didn’t quite foresee

Such as clinging to the crumpled sheets with a new-found fervour

Or revisiting that once familiar foot-rub. 

They nudged me to sleep gently, finally.

A much awaited one. 

Should I come to you once again?

Once again as you switch those fairy lights on?

Loveness

I long to tell stories

Uncomplicated, Gibberish

Would you care to listen?

Or would you confuse my silence with disinterest,

My stillness with boredom?

I am sorry I have no sweet nothings to whisper to you.

Call me unromantic. Full of myself.

Would you still believe me if I said I love you so?

I long to take those journeys

Unfiltered. Uninstagrammed.

Would you care to come along?

Or would it hurt because I smiled my smile at the stranger over coffee

And danced my dance. Rhythmless. Clumsy. Chaotic.

You think I am different.

Indifferent perhaps.

Would you still wrap those arms around me

And yet let me go?

A Life In Labels

The baby ought to be cute. A Huggies baby. 

The girl must be pretty.  Fair and Lovely.

The woman needs be quiet. And talk most definitely in Whispers.

The daughter must be trained for Matrimony. No Marks on the face. Because she's Worth It.

The wife must cook and cook well. For it's a matter of Prestige.

Perform her duties in bed too.To please the man and his Moods.

The bahu must Bru the perfect cup of tea. Keep the kitchen stain free and the bathroom too.

The mother must wake up every morning before Sunrise. Pack us tiffin in 2 minutes. Be a Bournvita Mommy and forget she ever had a LYF. 

Mother in law must definitely be evil. Because the saas was once a bahu too.

The Granny must be clothed in Tide White. Pray for Moksh. And wish for a Huggies grandchild. 

A great piece in reply to my last post, 'The Other Day' by the girl after my own heart, Sohini. Read on...

Come-on, what do you have to hide

You wear skirts - your legs spread wide

You play in the grounds and jump up on slides

You call me uncle- you know that shit hurts my pride?

Your skin glows bright with a burning desire

Your face tells me clearly that you want my fire

But then what's this!Why do you fight my urges?

Trust me - when I am done, you will hold no grudges

Everyday makes me feel I am less of a man

You're my only vent and I hate it that you ran

Where did you think you will hide dear child?

Your tears flowing wildly - your whimpering mild

I am coming for you baby the only way I can

Let me finish with you - I shall make you a woman

Your young face beams with the promise of youth

You think its cool to call everyone a dude

Your dreams are made of teenage angst and fear

I love it sometimes that you choose so very little to wear

I am your elderly cousin - based in the US of A

Everyone thinks I am single cos I am gay

My love, dear one, lies in your bright little eyes

I smile every time you rebel on your marijuana high

Let me touch you my girl - what do you mean free will?

Your wares were on display & you know the drill

You shake your head as if you think you have a choice

Your upbringing is questionable cos you think you have a voice

I see you are saying no - but that means nothing

I consider you a prize- much less a human being

You pretty little thing - I must marry you

You are an angel from heaven - I must carry you 

Your are my responsibility, my beloved wife

You shall stay back at home and support my life

How do you think I feel when you say you have friends who are male?

You think you try hard enough, but you're getting stale

Your newfound job takes up all your time

Don't pretend you earn a living & an honest dime

I know what happens in those closed glass rooms

Can you explain why your bosses book hotel rooms?

You say you travel always with some official agenda

Don't even get me started with all your colleague's gender

You say you are a lonely woman putting up a fight?

And when has any woman ever been that bright

Bitch! if that is what you do with your office time

I will make you pay for it - confess your crimes

You will submit to me - your body will be mine

You shall repent being a woman this one last time!!!

The Other Day....

The other day I wanted to sing

Mum said my voice didn’t quite have the zing.

The other day I wanted to dance

“Behave yourself”, said Granny for my skirt blew too much.

The other day I wanted to hike

Daddy said I’d rather be home, read and write.

The other day I wanted my hair cut short

“You will look so ugly”, pat came the retort.

The other day I wanted to kiss a boy

I was considered too fast and asked to act coy.

The other day I said I looked pretty

“Over-confidence”, they said and “Oh so petty!”

The other day I came home late

Dark eyes bored into me, a lot of contempt, a bit of hate.

The other day I was thirty and single

They assumed my consent and thought I was ready to mingle.

The other day I said no to a baby

“Something’s not right with her, infertile maybe?”

The other day I became the boss at work

“There are tricks up her skirt”, they said with a smirk.

The other day I looked at the mirror

I loved what I saw for this one for sure is a killer!