Risky rink

On the icy streets of life,
Where thin ice patches are rife,
Dodging them needs skill,
A wrong step could end in a spill.

Skating across it barely,
A few falls, I recall sorely.
Can I hold on to the fence?
Especially when it gets intense.

A soft cushion I would like
To protect from the rare pike.
Will I make it through the end?
To get there, I do intend!

Warmth within

Epical cold wave cycles form,
Nibbling away at life around,
Draining away the last bit of warm,
Lifeless quiet all over is found.

Arctic freeze, it seems to be,
Up and down the degrees go
What wouldn’t I give to be
Away from this wintry show!

Hued motley

With whimsical wings,
Flitting and fluttering by,
Myriad monarchs

Welcoming...

Thrilling New Year’s eve
Spectacular in Times Square
Electrifying

High spirits and hopes

We laugh, we weep, we hope, we fear.
We wait for the beautiful perfect year.

Like the Indian hornbill thirsting for rain,
We continue our anticipation, in vain.

Without letting go of the past, we stagnate,
With bated breath, the future, we await.

Amidst all these, we seem to forget,
Today, the present, is the best we get.

Paradoxically ours…

The New Year snuck in,
Ambushed all resolutions,
Was the past year hideous?
Or are they all this way?

Among those past, so far
Was this the lotus in the mud?
A diamond in the rough –
Was it one, in the making?

With natural course of life,
Meddling minds try to intrude,
The cycle of time continues
Paying no heed to powerless us!

Frivolous diversion

The unfettered joys
Of a late night session,
A group huddled over,
At times, around a table,
Otherwise sprawled over,
In the carpeted floor,
The aged smell of cardboard,
Laden with memories
Of the good old days
of carefree childhood,
the joyous rekindling
of the playtimes of yore,
in this digital age,
a round of board games
brings a welcome change

Dog's tail

I see waste all around,
The papers thrown away,
Each one a nail in the coffin,
Of our earth’s green cover,
Blatantly discarded
Without a paused thought
Weeping within, weakly
I am. Can I change?
The million others?
If I could, I would
Try and whip them in shape
Force them over and over
To turn a new leaf!
Reality is far from it.
And things will go on.
I shed a silent tear
For the meek in me!

A note to you, my dear!

With your words, you astonish,
Is there anything, to you, unknown?
Lovingly, our lapses, you admonish,
We wonder where time has flown!

Math interests you, more than ever,
Geography is your newest delight,
Read, you do, with zealous fervor,
Not to mention, how well you write.

Your artwork never ceases to amaze,
The confident strokes in bold color,
Your gallery puts everyone in a daze,
Splendid, it shone, in its grandeur.

Forever gracious, you are to all,
A great friend, you always are.
As everyone who knows will recall,
Your kindness reaches near and far.

Counting down, as you did,
Braving through midnight hour,
Just then, doubts any, were rid,
Of the goodness this year will shower!

Itchy feet

This immense nation
With her brimming gorgeousness
Feeds my wanderlust

Cleansing concerto

With delightful abandon,
The role of a singer I don,
Orchestra in my fantasy,
Introduced by the emcee.

I belt out a few tunes,
Alternated by mellow croons,
I am the star of my concert,
With few high notes, I flirt.

The moment doesn’t last,
A peek at the time, I am aghast.
It was great while it lasted,
Music in my mind, I blasted.

The water stops and so do I,
Away from the eyes that pry,
My own stage, here I create,
With just me to appreciate!

Farther and Farther

One after another, my mind feels,
Life is a series of never-ending,
Setbacks and falling short ordeals,
And of tasks constantly pending.

A pause from it all I seek today,
Just for the catch up endeavor,
Over time, I realize in dismay,
Not today nor tomorrow, it’s never.

Delectable

Wafting through the doors,
The smell of contentment,
Tinkling through the windows,
The sound of joyous giggles,
Shining through the glass,
The sight of blessed togetherness,
Tingling through the heart,
The feel of delightful camaraderie
Flowing through the homes,
The tasty deliciousness of the season!

Jolly Days

A time, it is now, to be with joy,
A time to look back and reflect,
To fondly remember and enjoy
The wonderful memories to select

A time to look within and assess,
A helpful hand to another, extend.
With hopes of bliss and happiness
And a lot of peaceful content!

Dawn anew

A new beginning to my journey,
Of life, a continuing tourney.
A resolution, I try to craft.
To not hinder my drift, my waft.

Unhurried and carefree, I hope to be,
Far from the unyielding rigid, I see,
Life is too short for stringent rules
Lay back a little, hoping it cools.

As I begin to start afresh,
My life with others does mesh,
With this hope that I set out,
a few will be touched, helped out!

Dreary misery

A belly load of laughter
Was the doctor’s orders
She’d rather pop the pills.

Life to her, hadn’t been kind,
But then she didn’t mind
Seeking love, she was in a bind.

She could never be happy,
Paranoid of it, she was,
Always a down followed an up!

She dodged the downs,
One painful blow after another,
They didn’t stop, so she had to?

A little one in her arms,
She hoped would do the deed
Would she get what she needs?

A belly load of laughter,
Joy beyond words
Things that money couldn’t buy.

Vagaries

A connection I had slowly built
A familiar face among the many,
Life has to go on, doesn't it?
As if happenings there weren't any.

A dull day it was overall,
As a fellow being affected I am,
Not a thing over which to bawl,
but my days shall take a slam.

Sending out a prayer unspoken,
For the well being of one and all,
For the one to recover from broken,
Give out good wishes, I shall.

Frigid fury

Grave warnings abound,
Storm watch and wind advisory,
Weathering pre winter storms.
Mixed precipitation pelted hard.
Slushy dirty snow flooded
Automobiles and people alike
Howling winds compete
For their share of damage,
Mother nature on an offensive
Ripping power lines apart,
Trees fall like toothpicks,
Manpower stands no chance
People lithely cancel plans
And patiently await the calm

Off color

Down I am today,
Achy all over I feel
Body doesn’t cooperate,
As much as mind wills it to
Croaky I sound groaning,
The cliched sore throat
And the archaic runny nose
Weird how I caught it
Careful that I am
Strange are the ways of,
The body, the human machine!

A snowy shindig

Just another day, it was to be
But set out, on our way to see,
Among them all, a special few
A visit that was long overdue.

A snowy day was predicted
Brave it we will, we indicated.
The little ones continued to enthrall,
A lovely time was had by all.

Nip in the air

Carelessly fondling my gloves,
A slight pull to my hat
I set out of the door

With a rude kick to my face,
The breezy chill awakens me,
Sending a harsh shiver down

Sumptuously dressed in layers,
I ready myself for the freeze,
Winter snuck up on me, uninvited!

Erratic

Errant in my pursuits
Of poetry have I become?
Hankering over other things
Stepping out of my virtual,
Anonymity to my identity.
There is a liberation, I find
In putting down thought,
Without constraints or rules,
I am my own master,
But then things get murky,
When this thin line blurs!

Divulgence

I believe in Karma
The only laws I obey are
Nature’s, which are thrust upon me
I can be mean and sneaky,
Perjure and shoplift,
Petty defaults define me
I do it however, in the fear
Of universe conspiring
I am disappointed in me
Honestly, I may confess
But dishonest I am
I don’t make any sense
To me either!
Destined I am to wither away,
Unseen, unheard, in solitary confinement
As he was dragged away, he spouted thus!
He is just one among the few punished,

Twist

An idea slowly incubates
Smugly, she believes in it,
A dream come true, she hopes

Her vanity amidst it, explodes,
Unknown to her, life has other plans,
A garish nightmare seems to brew!

Preserved

Pale worn out pieces of paper,
Tattered edges and frayed corners,
Stitched together once so well
Now the loose threads lie there bare.

Sewn up and darned more than once,
Crumpled with creases one too many,
Held over and over by sweaty palms.
Dust and grime cover in layers.

To any other eye, it is just junk,
Trash to be thrown away in a blink,
For him, it was priceless treasure
A century ago’s journaled memories!

Twinkly twos

Jangling her pretty curls,
Her tresses tied up in a bow,
She came in reckless abandon,
As only a two year old could do.

Nary a heartache in her mind,
As carefree as the autumn breeze,
If only life could remain thus,
If only, this frame I could freeze

Changing colors

I don several roles in a day,
To prioritize, there is no way.
A chameleon I am, I change
Of colors I have a wide range.

Fickle, will I be known forever?
Or sign is it, of being clever?
In every role, I seek to be the trump
Smoothly, I cruise over every bump!

Inconsistency, I don’t see it as,
Not a phase either, which shall pass.
Adaptable, I term this trait
Of troubles, this could cause a spate.

I promise to myself and I break.
As a new me, I try to fake.
Versatility, at time is a curse.
Self conflict, it always spurs!

Entreaty

Caretakers of the earth, we are
Not a burden to bear through
A gift to cherish and preserve for
We need to uphold it, without any ado.

Snow in summer, it has happened.
Rainy days melt away the winters.
Natural calamities seem to impend.
Mother earth will soon be in splinters.

Seasons came and used to go,
Now they all seem to blend.
For our actions, all we have to show,
Are outcomes we can’t comprehend.

For the lurkers in the fence,
Time for action to make amend.
For no one can be this dense,
To not grasp, what the signs portend.

Deformed moment

Trapped between the hands of the clock,
The ticks and the tocks frustrate me,
Bound within the grid of the calendar,
The fleeting numbers irk me
Looking for a tiny hole to slip by,
To get away from the indecent pace of life
Slow down, I can’t seem to, however I try,
Will I ever understand the enigma that is time?

Providential

I revel in the strength,
of my talisman's power.
I guard it with my life,
I religiously follow routines.

Is it that powerful,
To guide every step I make?
To it, I attribute success,
to lack of it my failures.

Could it really be,
I am my own power?
Stripped free of charms,
Will I still be me?

Are amulets just a prop,
To stir the dormant self?
The trinkets I lug around,
Are they holding me back?

Should I be reveling, instead,
in me and who I am?
I'd rather not jinx my life,
For the want of luck!

Petite Panache

His imagination, hardly fallow,
Sky is the limit, in his mind,
In self pity he doesn’t wallow,
Vocal he is about his find.

All of four years, he is today,
A fine young man, he is now,
Breaking milestones, along his way,
With his skills, he continues to wow!

Every day, a new beginning,
New heights, he seeks to scale,
He settles down for a long inning,
Accomplishments shall prevail!

You know who you are, little one... :)

First Kiss

It was a day, just another,
In his room, we were together
Two awkward teens in a bay,
Hoping to not scare the other away.

A silent pause, a long one too,
Beating hearts, not one, but two.
Butterflies in the stomach seemed real,
Fear then added to its appeal!

Hands came in the way,
Everything just as the cliché
Fumbling along, it ensued.
Heart and mind seemed to collude.

The moment stood still there.
Nothing for it, could prepare,
Sneaking away from older eyes,
And away from people’s pries.

Two short moments, did the deal,
A lifetime of love, it did seal.
Decades later, it is still divine,
And, sends a thrill down my spine.

Riddle of life

Red and gory, is that me?
Or pure and holy as white?
Life shan’t be a series to me
Of paths of remorseful contrite.

Seek to never tread away,
From the chosen path of right,
Quietly I shall lead my life
With care to not be a trite!

The beginning of the end

He was nearing the end of his life
Ambitious he wasn’t, he realized,
Life for him had been a struggle, a strife.
That was his own and he greatly prized
Incredible others, he idolized
But to be one of them, he did not like
Now, mature and wise, he of them despised.
The ugly truth of life, he did dislike
Something that could no longer be disguised,
Gradually he knew, what his life comprised.

Vivid vivacity

Colorful, like butterflies, flitting by,
Dressed in their dance costumes,
Little ones, with their heads held high,
Their dedication spoke volumes.

With pride, my heart swelled,
Seeing our dear little one there,
Joyous tears, in my eyes, welled,
Looking at her lovely fare.

Reign of rigor

Nature rules supreme,
Sovereign is her state,
Distinctions, there are none,
Her subjects for her are one.
Majestic she holds her fort,
Even in the autumn of life,
Supply, she does to all,
The sweet nectar of joy!
All creatures survive,
Under her just rules.
Additions there are a few,
Subtractions of late, many.
Men, her prized creation,
Caused her kingdom’s anarchy.
Nature, however rules supreme
And, sovereign is her state!

Murky

Overbearing gray
Descending fog stifles all
Leafless trees in line

Unreality

Powers, I have, a great amount.
The world, all of it, I did surmount.
The master of the universe I am,
Anywhere, anytime I can cram.

Clean up this land, I did in a snap,
Peace and prosperity all over the map,
I did all of this, sitting in a chair,
See, I am superpowers' apparent heir.

Invisible, I can be, anytime I want,
No task, ever, will it daunt!
A moment is all it will ever take,
Of course, that is, until I awake!

Stellar sadness

Eclipsed in sorrow,
Waiting for penumbra of joy!
Will I languish forever,
In the umbra of melancholy?
Orbit eternally, will I,
In the phases of grief?
From the velocity of life,
I seek an occultation!

Life, a stage?

Extending his exposure to the limelight,
He stood silent, deep in thought,
Seeking a remedy, for him a respite,
Firm hands in his hips, sleep he fought.

Conformed he hadn’t, often, to norm,
Scofflaw, he however, wasn’t thus far,
Multitude of roles, he had to perform
In the plum of his career, he was a czar.

Real and reel, for him was a blur,
A confection of truth and lies hover,
A pittance of love, for him would stir,
A denouncement of all of his in clover.

He sought for substance all along,
A husk of triviality was his life, he felt,
Snapped out of his reverie, by a song,
Life as an actor was something to be dealt!

Looming gloom

A hanky I may need today,
To stem my tears,
Heartbreaks for no reason,
Miserable smears,
Drifting through the tasks,
Warding off fears,
The thick of this gloom,
I hope soon clears,
Life, however, shall go on,
It appears!

Glut

Drifting aimlessly,
A hanky keeps company,
through the thick of tears,

Treasured pleasure

Your identity, that is your name,
To fame, it shall be your claim,
The joy in the process, beyond dreams.
Its loved by all, luminous – it gleams.

With bated breath, you were awaited,
Your tiny presence, got us elated!
The thirst of longing for you was sated,
To greatness, you are, one day slated.

Nurture you, we will, as you grow,
With pride and delight, we seem aglow.
Soon, our hopes you will transcend,
Today, with love, all our wishes, we send!

You know who you are, little one!

Commonplace glamor

Summer trips, by the road,
BBQ grills fired up around,
Smell of warmth wafting by,
Red, white and blue in July.

Sports woven into its fiber,
Baseball, football and tennis,
Labor day with its sneaking chill,
Travels abound, with school in tow,

Football begins to drive weekends,
A turkey feast with pumpkin arise,
Cornucopia given in thanks
Soon enough festivities take over.

Traditions of one’s own originate,
Created for the sense of belonging,
Life thus goes on here beautifully,
Like the poetry verse that’s just right!

Incongruous

Engaging in war,
Aiming at disarmament
Resulted in mayhem!

Infantile

His disarming smile
Amidst his toddler mayhem
Kept his mom engaged

Spirited clash

Thwack on the left and then on the right,
Alternating with the roaring applause,
Aargh - a grunt, loud and wrought in pain,
Aaah – a groan, followed by a pause!

A few loud shrieks and some squeals,
Screeching in pain or is it joy?
Squeaky foot work on the surface,
To prevail, briefly they toy!

Out from there, a call of name,
In return, a whimper of a smile,
The climax in pin drop silence
A well played game, worth its while!

Inception...

Noisy surroundings
And copious commotion
Beginning of school

Mute pursuit

Not the pitter patter of rain,
Not the roaring of thunder,
Nor the flash of lightning strain,
All I hear is silence, I wonder.

Not he rustling of leaves,
Not the gushing of wind,
Nor, of the storm, the heaves,
All I hear is silence, I find.

Not the burn of the scorching sun,
Not the buzz of the flying bee,
Nor, the chirping of the birds on the run,
All I hear is silence, I see.

The quietness of the rooms,
The insulation below the transoms.
The panic of the moment looms,
Outside I go, and my world transforms!

Fire play

Source

Flames,
Blazing hot star,
The street performer act,
Crowd gaping around in awe,
Flares!