The treat to eyes

Playing hide and seek,
or feeling shy to be the
center of attraction today?

As I soak in your beauty
the chill breeze gently ruffling my hair,
my little girl exclaims
"moon is normous!"

who cares about correcting
her cute little vocabulary,
when I see the glee
in her bright black eyes

I capture your magnanimity
with the lens of my eyes,
my smartphone resting
peacefully at home

For I know I won't be alive
when you come this close
the next time around

those imperfectly perfect
craters that adorn you
like a beautiful bride,
those thick dark 
clouds that wrap you
like a soft pashmina

Oh! you super moon,
shining in all your glory
you are a treat to our
tired, puffy eyes!

The comeback

steel plates and glass bottles
cloth bags cottony crisp

tender greens and herbs
plucked from the window sill

fresh hot breakfast from the kitchen
prepared with care and love

a walk to the vegetable shop
fresh veggies in a jute bag

conversations with real people
face-to-face in no hurry

the clock takes its own sweet time
to cross the hours and days

lifestyle simple unhurried
moments to pause and reflect

neighborhood well known
and in perfect harmony

sharing and interacting
caring and giving

every living being
our closely knit family

respect and love
natural state of mind

Ruminating on the simple and beautiful lifestyle of 80s. Wishing this makes a comeback in general while I take conscious steps towards such a lifestyle for myself and my family.

longing

My contribution to Sunday Scribblings - #246

foggy winter mornings,
distant rhythmic hymns
early morning routine
clear objectives at hand

purple and pink flowers
plucked fresh from December bushes
strung in a crisp, white thread
a symmetric, neat garland

a notebook filled with designs
translated into distinct shapes
frontyard neatly decked
adding life to different colours

praise the devotee
one poetic verse everyday,
offer sacred leaves
bless us, Oh Lord Krishna!

longing for the last month
the fragrance, the colours,
the music, the memories
vividly etched for years

P.S - #1 In India, we have a flower named December. These flowers blossom only during this specific month every year.
P.S - #2 December is also special to worshippers of the Hindu Deity, Lord Krishna and his devotee, AndaaL.

mastery over randomness

My contribution to 3WW

a planner I am
systematic and meticulous,
checklists and to-dos
tracking the chores to the core

shuffling amidst life's mysteries
I trudge along, confidently
aiming for complete control
mastery over randomness

bills paid in advance
predictability on the rise,
boredom strikes soon
missing elements of drama

ignoring uncertainty
I take the stride as
it comes along, at times
pander for laziness

Infinite blessings

My contribution to 3WW

monsoon rain tapped my windows
I opened, a flurry of drizzly rain
on my dry face and frizzy hair
a fresh feel, it was

hankered for such a moment
I stepped out, leaving behind
the colorful blue umbrella
with a dejected look

the empty roads, no longer murkier
an errant walk in the rains
dancing and getting drenched,
my palms gathering droplets

infinite blessings from the sky!

sinusoid

My entry for 3WW

languish of fierce storms
velocity of ferocious winds
the intensity mellows down

the high tides, quietens their pace
the full eclipse, crosses its prime
the darkness, fades away in a whisker

peace emerges and prevails
the canoe gently floats,
bound the horizon, reflecting

bright red rays of evening sun
stillness of the vast ocean
sinusoidal effects of life

Liberated

My contribution to totally optional prompt

compulsions of the past
conformance to standards
follower of the herd
never before a rebellious attitude
swaying to society's ways

vagaries of monotony
hit her hard,
"impatient, idealistic",
they called her,
she started to wonder
purpose of her existence

slowly she turned
starts to question everything,
opinionated, execution oriented
eager to make a difference
to her life and others'

decided to chase her guts
a liberated feeling
an open window with the fresh breeze in,
breaks free, opportunities galore
for she had created her own walls
one life, one wish!

Unexpected visitor

My contribution to 3WW

A quiet, peaceful evening
monsoon rains simmered down,
TV volume blaring away
wrapping up a homely supper

a screeching sound out of the blue
I look around puzzled,
moving in the direction of noise
he peeks under the washing machine

the tiny mouse well engaged
on the slab with anxious looks,
he shakes the contraption violently
standing beside him, I start to scream

the little devil runs into my kitchen
confused and scared, hops on my spice containers
a state of mayhem, I run to a safe place,
the mouse giving me a chase

slamming the door hard
my voice still screaming,
the little brat more scared
than ever, hiding behind

"I am not disarmed", I convince myself
the shrieking scream to the rescue
he laughs, watching my reaction
towards the unexpected new visitor

the forgotten summer

My contribution to 3WW CLIII

A sunny bright afternoon
the scorching rays no respite
humid breeze, howling murmurs
wiggling shadows of trees
whirling storm of dust

the empty highways, a threat
distant mirage, a glare
hope in any shape or form
luster of a tiny raindrop
gently fell on my dry palm

the journey...

My contribution to Cafe Writing - May/June project - Option #4

A regular Monday morning
I muddle along
the crowd walks past
I wander around

faithful to my instincts
I board the train
dare to travel
wherever it takes

not much to ponder
I take the plunge,
brain seems to wonder
is this who I am?

spontaneous decision perhaps
I am hit by the buzz word
the "bear run" ends
not in the capital markets sadly

the wheels start to move
going direction uncharted,
leaving behind its trails,
the journey is the destination

I am

My contribution to Sunday Scribblings #152 - Lost

Getting lost
in my own world
amidst the daily humdrums
A dreamer, they call me!

Staring at a distance
in search of someone,
amidst the gathered crowd
A loner, they call me!

Gliding through the clouds
seashore abound with footprints,
sulking in the beauty
A wanderer, they call me!

Feeling his presence
my heart skips a beat,
the sweet end to my quest
A romantic, they call me!

Break free

I want to break free
from the entanglements of everyday rigmarole,
fly far until my wings show me their full potential

I want to break free
from the information overflow engulfing my thoughts,
seek serenity until my left brainwaves slow down their speed

I want to break free
from the noises emanating from all directions,
admire the stillness until my ears could hear soft music

I want to break free
from the responsibilities and society enforced restrictions,
walk with the full moon until my footsteps make rhythmic raps

I want to break free
from the pressures of time and mood swings,
romance around until my heartbeats echo my love

The first drizzle

My contribution to Cafe Writing - Sept & Oct Project

dark clouds beckoning to pour down
mist traveling from distant mountains
Cool breeze adding to the glory
I stood there contemplating

A tiny droplet caressing my palm
announcing the arrival of monsoon
injecting a fresh stream of energy
I stood there motionless

glad to have caught the first splash,
the murmurs of threatening thunder
passing cryptic message from the heavens
I stood there in awe

hot cup of tea awakening my pallid senses
rivulets flowing swiftly by my side,
swooned by this magical evening
I stood there feeling blessed

The view

My contribution to 3WW - XCVIII

The sun so close to slumber
clouds creating hues and shapes
in the canvas of blue sky,

a loner bird alongside
vast expanse of the lake
wings flapping briskly

Reaching for the million stars,
unnoticed but unruffled
time bound but unflurried

rhythmic movements in the air
a linear flight to be admired
the view spectacular and gorgeous!

fine to falter and flounder

My contribution to 3WW

a horrendous job to
wade through the dark forest
dried leaves, brown sticks
strewn around everywhere

holding hands together
frequenting this wonderland
quite often, hoping for
a treasure to get exposed

someday rain played spoilsport
drenching the brown mud and rocks
making the grounds slippery
bringing alive the sucking leeches

undeterred by the lashing wind
unscathed by the oozing blood
determined to discover the trove
working diligently, we dug deep

an old wooden box
locked tight by its side
with intricate carvings
revealed itself with pride

fine to falter and flounder
the only objective to open,
there she lies, our sweet pie
the cute kitten, feeling shy

A quest

My contribution to Cafe Writing - May & June project

Aroused by the pure rays of the sun
wakes up to the mellow voice of the cuckoo
with no need to scurry, admires the beauty
of the shades and colors of morning sky

devours the tunes of enchanting temple bells
the fragrance of burgeoning jasmine bushes
every reason to feel zealous about the dawn
unscathed by the hustle and bustle of metros

nerves her to hit the road yet again
in her embellished bullock cart
waving hands to the men and women
of the distant green fields

a nomad by choice, wandering through life
befriending toddlers and children on her way
humming to the tunes of the rustling leaves
in quest for her destination, nowhere

Invisible wave

her eyes searched for him
hoping to catch a glimpse
before leaving for home
a daily routine it was!

her day became colorful
jumping with rejoice
beaming with grace
a secret smile it was!

he's nowhere to be
seen that evening,
wandering around with hope
she returns home disappointed

his first victory in billiards
celebrating with friends,
a sudden momentary discomfort
which he is unable to explain

an invisible wave
starts to form
a telepathic link
for lifetime between the two!

Goal

My contribution to 3WW
delayed
edge
focus

trudging up the deserted hills
focusing on the rough trail
his footsteps not so wary,

peeping over his old watch
hoping he doesn't get delayed
his milestone in his vicinity,

placing his careful last step
standing on the edge of the cliff
his eyes immersed in the spectacle of sunset

Not a final frontier

My contribution to 3WW

A chase of a lifetime
peeking away from daily treasures
one step at a time, you walk
the giant hops twice as fast

with great effort, you catch some
only to find bigger monsters
staring right at you from a distance
tangled by the ever alluring race

taking bigger and wider strides
you reach to master those creatures,
unrealized that you've transformed
to a tamed, timid slave at the end

conquer or to be conquered
money not the final frontier
understand the loss before gain
life meant to be superior

A scary adventure

My contribution to 3WW

Dark and eerie,
60 minutes to midnight
elders snoozing
after a long tiring day

remote buttons stressed
quick hops through TV channels
wide awake siblings
the apartment's active souls

a sudden pause of the thumb
the title of the movie allures
so begins a scary horror flick
the background score threatens

hands go numb,
heart pounds maximum,
midnight draws close,
characters come alive

fearful to watch anymore
breathing tends to shallow
switching off the TV
scarier nightmares to follow

My brother and I used to watch horror movies in the night when the rest of the family sleeps. I rarely watched the whole movie. Somewhere in the middle, I used to get so scary that I couldn't watch it anymore!