The tourist had fallen hard for a Cape Town girl, 

Completely mesmerized and hypnotized, 

Heart in vertigo, pupils in swirls, 

Grabs two lattes, offers her one. 

She thanks him, he pulls the chair, 

There were eighteen sips of time left

For him to pull out a magic card. 

On the sixteenth sip, she asks - 

'Are you a mountain or beach person?'

His humour rings, mouth whirl...

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I'm a labourer of your hive, 

You're the queen of the tribe,

I sleep every night dreaming of you, us,

And our budding love; intimately venomous -

I'd hum while you'd nectar the sweetness

Out of the yellow sunflowers and lavenders, 

You'd hum while I'd work my blood and sweat

Out to store the honey safely in the honeycomb,

We’d love irrespective of your royalty or...

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Heights, bytes and meteorites 

Of it had wrecked my heart and soul,

Taking it all to the dumping abyss so big

That’d take the ship down and leave no twig.

A nymph appears on top of a tall tidal wave.

She looks me in the eyes; my youth’s demise,

She hears my inner voice of whale-like cries –

Burst this bubble with your pointed dart, 

Get me off this melancholia and c...

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I spread the mattress and blanket on the floor, 

Popped-bounced the pillows above,

In this tiny-terraced vacant room, 

Beside a busy-moving herring-highway. 

Patterns and combinations of headlights 

Created light-waves on the plain ceiling, 

Rising and falling like the evening sea,

The moon shining bright through the dormer 

Was like a safeguarding lighthouse on the bay, 

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Clouds gathering up in the sky, 

Collected water rumbling up high

Begins to drop slow and sturdy-straight. 

Legs on the peddles, riding through the puddles, 

He ought to get back home before the hurdles.

His siblings scribbling in his notes and art book, 

Mother waiting for the meat curry to cook. 

The horrendous winds and torrential rains 

Blocking his rear view and t...

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I received a heart-numbing letter in black and blue,

From a renegade resident of my heart's penthouse,

Who'd once lived in symphony and harmony,

Owning the place wholly and jovially.

My cardiac vein bodyguards were grousing 

On not being able to dodge the retrograde flow

And unruly trespassing of those distraught emotions

And compunctions that were embedded long ago,

Deep b...

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I know that you adored letters, 

More than texts or emails. 

Something of the old times 

Always had a place in your heart - 

Writing a letter with quill and ink, 

Sprinkling your fragrance on it, 

Filling it with love and kisses, 

Owning a white pigeon deliverer,

Who'd fight all the odds and ordinaries

To deliver it safe and sound to me. 

I know that it's been mo...

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Searching for the good, he'd ran into evil.

Who made him do all their chores, mine the ores, 

Do everything as per the commands and notes 

Instructed by the merciless, non-bargaining devil. 

He had to climb up and fix the gable, 

Maintain the hay and horses at the stable, 

Collect well-water and check the electricity cable, 

All as per the gruesome decisions taken by the ...

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When I was 17, I'd met a man,

He'd asked me the reason for my happiness.

When I'd said it, he'd chuckled and replied bluntly 

That he was truly happy for me and her. 

He’d also apologized for the unruly chuckle.

Moments before signing-off, he'd left a letter,

A one-liner, down my memory-mail-box.

He'd written – ‘See you down the solitary lane.’ 

And I'd kind-fully allowed t...

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The sky and the ocean watched each other

From a distant mile of spheres away, 

They often spoke through their glittery eyes, 

Or otherwise, through their vast canvasses - 

The ocean portrayed her flows and flaws 

Of waves, high tides, dolphins and blue whales, 

While the sky showcased his highs and lows 

From sunsets to sunrise and stars to constellation.

They were eag...

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Her farsighted eyes squinting to read mine,

Her mumbles and fumbles while I’m welcomed in,  

Her long-crooked nails turning pale-untidy, 

Her white hair outgrown, frizzy and undernourished, 

Those rhythmic wrinkles on her aged-dripping skin

Narrating the highs and lows of them previous years.

The unbreachable stains on her long dress were glued, 

Tooth by tooth giving up ...

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In another sci-fi life, I'd take you to Saturn, 

Leaving all your friends and their stupid, callow,

Bagful of opinions about me back on Jupiter.

You'd traverse along with me without worries or pries, 

And I'd tell you the enigmatic love phrase of mine.  

You’d make a face like you’d heard it before, 

You'd try to trace it in your head, echoes rumbling, 

Playing episodic vivid ...

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A Mercedes-Benz Sprinter screech stops 

As it spots a trash can away from the city. 

No one around, only sound of rain drops, 

The man had to drop the zip bag in paucity 

Of seconds, making sufficient use of the time slot. 

The camera and equipments lender yelling on the voicemail,

The trashcan shivering in cold as the van passes by. 

The next morning was as pleasant as e...

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A smack and crack on the spine, 

Bleeding arms from ugly claw marks, 

Scraped against thorny bushes and barks, 

Red capillaries in the eyes popping up, 

Gusts of agony, grunts of anger, groans of angst,

And a loud feminine roar against the giant outcast.

Cubs felt secured, Mama Bear was fuelled, 

The raged and scar-faced brown bear was misruled

Off his prowess, mobility and...

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You fear the skyscraper nearing the flight, 

You fear that I'd be on one of the floors, 

You fear that I'd not be looking at you, while you are, 

You fear that I've moved on in my life, unlike you.

You fear that this is yet another unpleasant landing.

You get off the other terminal to avoid looking at me, 

To get away, safe and sound into the new set of arms. 

Maybe one d...

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Penning down all my pensive thoughts

Towards the last chapter and the nib breaks, 

A gust of wind sweeps all the pages away

To the upfront barren terrain of nothingness. 

I kick a stone out of frustration and utter angst.

Eventually getting to the backyard mini-garden; 

My green friends calming me down to roots, 

The peacock blossoming all its feathers to dance, 

A small s...

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The veneered contours of it had tamed me, 

Hand going numb, words plodding to alphabets, 

Soon, all that was left were blank pages and ink going dry, 

The relentless thirst to flow was giving away without a sigh.

My hands never trembled as electric as this day, 

My present-ness and mind going down in disdain, 

Inertness taming my ability to begin anew, 

Therapist on the phone ...

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This thing that's embedded deep underwater, 

We gauge it, excavate it, extract it, 

Every artifact whispers its past mysteries, 

Every page tides up the floating memories,

Surfing upon it, crystal eyes, wavy heart,

Diving deep-in, not anticipating the depth, 

As the rocky dead-end nears, we pull back

From the water, to the arid plain reality,

Dropping it all back within and...

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A flower shop glowed and bloomed under the sun, 

The florist opened the door and the day had begun,

In the alps of Swiss, the store’s panes glimmered,

As patrons walked-in in large numbers, 

Greeted by a long-coated cute clumber. 

They handpicked what they desired,

And the florist wrap-tied them in thin wires.

Roses for valentine and birthdays, 

Chrysanthemums for the ...

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Concretes' combustion emitting cotton clouds 

To the contrasting sun and the eternal sky, 

Deforestation is a long forgotten and decomposed term,

Marine lives fed no more on human waste, 

Animals lived without any automobile intrusion,

Birds didn’t dread electromagnetic radiations,

Wind stopped forceful collaboration with smokes, 

Flora and fauna forever lived in harmony,

...

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Amidst the bustling noon-crowd out the university,

He goes wrestling with the shadows of the city,

Chasing down the brightest spill of light, 

To recreate Trent Parke's "moving bus" upright.

Setting the camera on the sidewalk,

10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5 and so goes the timer, 

'Make way for the frame', goes the declaimer,

The crowd goes around, except for one strider.

She ...

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This morning had a matrix start in-stored - 

An old eccentric lady bisected my way,

As I dumped the groceries off my cart

Into the car trunk while she continued to sway.

I took on the driver's seat and hooked the belt

When a jet-black cat crossed my way.

The lady bragged about years of bad fortune,  

And worthlessness it would make me pay. 

Having been a cat parent, I ...

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A cloudy, slow-drizzling dawn;

Droplets forming crystals on the lawn. 

On such umbrella days, 

We'd cuddle on slow pace,

And on such slow mid-morning, 

I'd be your sight of silver lining.

You'd cook Spaghetti Aglio e Olio for supper, 

I'd be your side hustler and veggies cutter,

You'd be my sunsets, 

And I'd be your sundowner, 

You'd be my afterglows, 

While I'd re...

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15,000 ft. up in the dark dense sky, 

The weather forecast seemingly meant to pry. 

The rain begins to pour out loud, 

Thunderstorms break out the cloud, 

The steady plane was now under great turbulence, 

Journey, purpose, life and hope were imbalanced. 

150 passengers dread the horrific plight, 

Over a hundred pleads and prayers; hands held tight. 

Lovers wished to see the...

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While battling with my internal strife,

I met a soul, so soothing and full of life.

So powerful yet so delicate as a flower,

I was an admirer and a lover undercover. 

She loved elephants, stars, Saturn, retrievers, flamingos, 

Alpacas, waffles, seas, bell chimes and cappuccinos; 

Elephants and stars always topped them all. 

It didn't take her long enough to love me too, 

Wh...

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I remember the day we first met at the lake park; 

Serene stillness in the world around us

And a wavering reflection of you on the water. 

The swans didn't let the water calm down, 

The larks tweeted with a disapproved frown, 

The clouds blinded the sun all along, 

And the crawdads didn't stop their sad song. 

I should have taken those clusters as my cue,

Reaped it to smal...

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Several eggs laid on the creepers, 

Mother flies away crossing her fingers,

Knowing only few out of a plenty would survive.

Green leaves and stems are where one’ll dwell,

And others won't get to see out of the shell. 

Shedding the skin several times,

Before gathering two wings to fly. 

Growing half the size of a palm, 

Giving a sight of vibrant charm. 

All this catc...

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Sore mind, weeping spine, baggy eyes, 

Veins popping out, asking for some sleep,

Staring at the bed smaller than the size 

Of these innumerable thoughts growing up steep.

The tethered memories of my past life I try to release, 

And get back my peace of mind that's at cease. 

Particles of disloyalty I put to bed,

Pinnacles of dishonestly I put to bed, 

Follicles of argu...

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Little feet set down the bed, 

Mother calls him for brekky,

He toddles out for a walk instead,

Opens the creaking door slow, being sneaky. 

Papa gets to him before little feet got

To the stairs at the end of the porch. 

'Drink your milk and eat your eggs while they're hot' he says. 

The heated sun had turned the leaves thirsty and scorched. 

Little feet enter the ...

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I live in the land of false foreverness

And walk in a solitary sidewalk. 

If you were the handle, 

Your love was the bolster

And foreverness was the blade, 

Then a knife was stabbed deep within me,

Exploiting every little innate emotion of me 

Into a clean slate, rock heart, away from sanity.  

Science says, it takes months or a year 

For a body to develop new cell...

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Glittering lights in the balcony, 

Bells chiming away for a moment,

Crackers and a sky full of lighters, 

Wine being poured and wishes conveyed. 

You lock yourself in a room 

With a pack full of cigarettes. 

I distance myself and disappear from my friends

With a bottle of wine until I'm high. 

1st of Jan 22, was wholly me and you,

Now we only have drafts of texts in...

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On a dense dark baited night, 

Pain awaits outside the windowsill

For me to get to bed, aware of the plight. 

There's a box of pills, but why should I bend my quill? 

Sometimes breathless and sometimes hyperventilated 

Are the fluctuations of my helpless heart. 

Every time it feels contemplated and castellated, 

Troops of anxiety ambushes and tears it apart. 

Toni...

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Slow footsteps, short breaths, steady hands, 

Opened window, hushed silence, safely lands, 

Not a burglar, not a thief, nor a murderer, 

But a nervous competent and participant 

With a dagger held tight in his fist,

Choosing an unholy and sinful way 

Of fighting the glory easily away. 

In one of the pastel rooms, maple aroma, 

A man typing on the table, caffeine, a pai...

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A capitalist in the captivity of capitalism 

Prioritizes money and wealth over love, 

And watches her walk past the door. 

A derelict building rotting and decomposing, 

And he decides to turn it into a "stop and watch" 

Piece of utmost beauty and delicacy. 

The building gives him luxury, fame, more wealth,

More paying guests and temporary residents, 

And everythin...

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Tonight, I'll learn let you go, 

Tonight, I'll accept the fact that you let me go.

The memories of you I'll finally stow,

And sow the box deep underground,

Hoping they'll never occupy my head or bound. 

And on days like these, 

I'll be reaping the memory outgrowth, 

Knowing certainly and factually that there's  

An equally strong and sound undergrowth.

Now that...

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Long before, there lived an outlaw king 

In the northern ranges of Native America. 

Not a biological heir, or chosen according 

To the traditional royal hierarchical throne. 

Conspicuous when the bells of danger rang, 

Upward and onward on battles and wars, 

Lunging forward and gearing up on ambushes, 

Bulging his troops and cavalries with prowess, 

Loving, loved and lovabl...

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Traffic lights go green, 

An empty late midnight highway

Gives the man the license to speed up. 

The speed limit marked 80 or below, 

Nevertheless, he gave in full throttle. 

The girl sitting next to him had to reach out 

To someone who'd been waiting to hear from her.

A sudden unexpected interception and 

The situation was under grave repercussion. 

The radiator gr...

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I’ve learnt that it comes and goes in waves.

But what's important is to survive the tide,

Stay on deck and keep on sailing until the end. 

It starts and ends with us, or either of us, 

But it’s the innumerable memories

And unfulfilled dreams that feel betrayed.

Life goes on, and people move on quick.

But honestly, it’s the warm-hearted who stays, 

Like a bonfire ...

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A calm serene night sky with 

The moon shifting and stars glittering,

A drone hovering above with a bird view,

Sees the city lights that seem like fireflies. 

Minute-by-minute, lights wipe off. 

The man, the handler, clicks the images with

Wide and telescopic lens of cityscape and people. 

He gradually tilts the lens down 

On the opposite flat, like he always did. 

...

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A newspaper lying on the ground

Titled – “A teenager goes missing…

Missing by fate or missing by choice?”,

An enraged breeze transits the newspaper up

Above and lands it under the feet of

A nomad on a nomad-land. He stomps on it.

A rucksack on his back, rain pouring down, 

Entering through the fabric and flooding

The outfits of his long-long journey ahead. 

The go...

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When I'd first met you, 
Can't explain how frenzy I'd behaved. 
From the daylight butterflies, 
To the dark night fireflies, 
I could feel everything around me. 

It was a feeling out of this world,
Like how the comets collide, 
Like how the stars collide. 
And people have wishes to make 
Of the loved ones they desire. 

I made a wish too. 
To grow old with you, 
To get to the countr...

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Last night I found myself 

Walking in an alley in a French town. 

Strangely, I was dressed vintage -  

High winged collar shirt and a tailcoat,

Alongside few passing Victorian men. 

The calendar in one of the French windows 

Of a restaurant marked the year 1887. 

Down the yellow house, 

At the corner of Place Lamartine, Arles, 

I heard loud furious row. 

It sound...

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Two barn swallows gazed upon 

A humming bird beyond 

The open field and the pond. 

They watched the bird 

Wandering joyously, feeding on flowers. 

They watched the free bird 

Living out a pleasant non-urban life. 

Hovering above was a sparrow-hawk,

Casting a big, vicious, antagonist shadow.  

The bird anticipated and swept like an arrow.

Manoeuvring through the ...

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Smoky night down the 

Harbour Street, Whitstable. 

The tea on the windowsill 

Is getting cold while the 

Night stayed frozen and still. 

The construction man resting

After a clean slate repair 

Of a decomposing building, 

Eavesdropped on the indistinctive 

Voice heard from inside the window. 

Tascam played the last words 

Of a mariner to the love of his l...

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November dropped its temperature,

The harsh winds blew uncharted,

The snowflakes fell uninvited,

You came by again unexpected. 

The same street, the same parking lot, 

A different man, a whole new you. 

And I feared that December 

Would get a lot more colder

When I let myself remember

The days that I truly, truly lived. 

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Purple lavenders neatly wrapped,

The flower vendor sprays his secret

Lovey-dovey fragrant spray on it. 

Clay attaches his heartfelt note 

And gets going on the boat. 

Crossing the lake that particular night, 

Felt like crossing the ocean. 

But the Mangata paved his way,

And he couldn't wait to see May. 

The boat finally touches the ground. 

Clay reaches the ...

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Midnight 1:09 a.m. GMT, 

Down the starry night,

Alongside the gloomy 

Street of a town in Norwich, 

A DOP finds a dog trapped

In a payphone booth. 

The door is half opened. 

The dog shrinked and depleted

As the wind whistled-in through 

The half opening of the door. 

He grew submissive 

As the human approached. 

The DOP leaves his scarf in,

And with...

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The following piece of writing -

"It's weird how a conversation 

That you had yesterday,

Makes you feel like a nonversation. 

Despite, you would want to give 

Life to some word,

To make it feel like a conversation."

Was found in the journal

Of a teen who had tried 

Hard to make things right,

Before he finally decided 

To give up on all the 

Love and nu...

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The place that you 

Once called a paradise,

Is my latibule now. 

If daylight makes me 

Meet people like you,

Then I would rather be  

Making friends with the 

Owls and bats. 

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Jazz plays downtown 

Los Angeles, California. 

Ash grey silhouette of 

A man seated on the opposite table. 

Something's sparkling in his ashtray. 

Something's bleeding on the pages 

Of the journal, as the reporter writes 

Her draft on the side table. 

People in numbers heaving in. 

Drinks on the table seeding 

To outcomes of sorrow, guilt 

And happiness flowers. 

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