Viraha

Earth lies looking at the blushing sky,
With evening kisses floating around,
The sun slowly setting inch by inch,
Beneath the grey twilight,
Till it suddenly disappears;

Gazing at the sinking warmth,
Wrapping the receding light around,
Watching the birds go behind the leaves,
Lamp by lamp ignited in the minds,
Till the glow reaches the sky,

Fireflies buzzing with their lights,
Crickets singing lullabies,
The moths fly up to my faint candle,
Crackling with life,
Till the wings fall dead;

The air thick with the smell of falling night,
The scent of a presence embraces,
The proximity of some thoughts beside,
Music of a distant flute materialize,
Till the trance reaches the soul;

The dark waters will beckon Radha,
The peacock feather will call her again,
And lonely bank of Yamuna will recite,
Sacred song of the Raas leela,
To the Gopi who sits there every night.

HUM

Tere rang rachi
Tere sang rachi,
Tere naam rachi,
Tere maan rachi,

Pal-pal mai pisi,
Har pal mai dhuli,
Tere haath pe kesar,
Si gaadh rachi,

Saari raat ghuli,
Fir subha khili,
Tere mathe tilak,
Ki chaap rachi,

Teri saans basi,
Tere sath chali,
Tere aangan, ban
Rangoli rachi.

Ye mehndi meri,
Saanwariya teri,
Hatheli meri,
Rekha teri rachi.

"medias res"

Too bored to stay within,
Too tired of staying without,
Up and down the stairs I go.

The cushions too soft,
The pebbles too hard;
The ceiling too low,
The sky too far;
The rooms too constrained,
The grounds too vast;
The noises muted,
The music jars;
The coldness suffocating,
The warmth harsh;
The stagnation a whirlpool,
The movement a marsh;

This is all I do; this is all I know;
Up and down the stairs I go.

Happy Diwali

May this Diwali spread Light in each heart

FACES

The frozen fire held,
In the cold gaze,
Tries to pierce through, and;
Look beyond the face,
Look beneath the face,
Look between the face,
Look against the face,
Look through the face,
Look at the face,
And tear it in the end,
To look at me, instead of the face.
To find, yet another face.