To the Unknown Poet

Beauty is thine,
My friend,
In thine dark eyes,
Embedded in chocolate skin,
In thine pure heart,
That beats passionately,
As word on word is built,
Then formed,
In to a rhythm,
That echoes,
To the beat of your soul,
It enfolds,
Capturing me,
Through sound and tone,
Words I do not understand,
But yet love,
As if they were mine own. 

To a true lady, My Archchi (Grandma)

The last of a monarch
You proudly lay
Withered leaves of a trunk 
That weathered many a rain
And yet with each spring 
Grew white flowers 
The color of your soul
That bloomed with each smile
That same color, white
Your blessings took
As it flowed from your withered hand 
To my bowed head 
Through that gentle touch
Your love I felt
I will never forget
And as I watch 
Tears drop unheeded
As petals to the ground 
You, the last of the elders
Of an era long gone
You lay, eyes closed
Draped in traditional sari
White flowers printed on white
You lay in your final sleep
As I kneel before you
My final salute 
Final gesture of worship
Forehead to floor
I lose a part of my soul
My Archchi, go in peace
As you enter
Through heaven’s door

Sounds heard on a Tuesday summer night

The world turns
Winds grow cold
Rains fall 
Darkness dawns
Yet in twilight I dance
Swaying gently
A question lingers
Whispered softly
Will you join me?

Bare feet tread
To the melody 
Wind in the trees
Crickets chirping 
Young frogs rejoicing
Each drop of rain
A drum roll on a leaf
I sway, white dress
Drenched in summer rain

Dark tresses curl
As dark eyes search
You, in the shadows
Listening in silence
To my footsteps in dance
Watching in silence
As my lips hum
To the sounds heard
On a Tuesday summer night

Change

The mountain moved
Or did I
For both resisted change
Resisted, rejected 
Hid in the darkness of our own shadows
Repulsed by what it brought
Change

“Go away”, I said
You are danger

“I am the king of the valley”, it said
And you are nothing

Barred away in narrow vision
And trumped up by vanity
We stood tall
With false ego and pride
That was our downfall

For change moved us
Moved it
Moved I
And one morning 
I woke to find
Not the king of the valley
And call of the eagle
But brisk salty winds
And call of the seagull

Change
The mountain had moved
And so had I
But as I look across the Cerulean waters
White sail calling my name

All I can say is
“Give me a star to steer her by”
Change 
I will
Resist you 
Never again

To love you is to love me

To love you
Is to step off a cliff
To fall to an unfathomable depth
To not know the future
But live every moment
Every day as if it were the best
You take me away
From control, safety
From rules and guidelines
I so carefully erected
All through my life
A vision I had
You made me question
The image of me
You torn apart
I crumbled at your touch
Stripped away the clothing of fear
You made me see
The woman I am
Beautiful, strong and secure
You made me feel
Alive, vibrant in colors
I didn't know I had within me
No, I knew they existed
But was afraid to let out
Afraid of norms and cruel taunts
Society that snubs the unexpected
Shames the different
And cages the mind
Making us believe
That this is we
Living free
Then you came along
You terrified me
Looking through glasses they gave me 
I painted you black
While all you saw in me was white
And now you are trying to set me free
And I feel fear holding me back
Scared of the plunge
My wings never flown
Would it hold me
But you undo me
Show me the strength
I never knew I had
You set my spirit free
You showed me
That to love you
is to love me...

Sometimes

Sometimes

Some days

Some ways

I am going to be different

Depressed

Strumming those Blues

Courting hurt and pain

I had thought long forgotten

Forgotten

Sometimes

Some days

Some ways

Baby, my smile won’t shine

As my body rocks to sobs

In tune to hurt and pain

I had thought long forgotten

Forgotten

Sometimes

Some days

Some ways

You will find me

All alone in the darkness

Slowly fighting from going insane

No pleasure just hurt and pain

I had thought long forgotten

Forgotten

Then

Most times

Most days

Most ways

I will smile again

Strengthened in thought and mind

Baby, I will make you smile

I will help you fight

Those times

Those days

Those ways

When you will be different

Depressed

Strumming those Blues

Courting hurt and pain

You had thought long forgotten

Forgotten

Break Free

When the sun comes to December
Will I wake again
From the ashes
Of all that remains
Of a soul once set aflame
Burnt then doused in cold, cold rain
Buried deep within the earth
Left in solitude
Confined in darkness
Forgiven but not forgotten
To await the sun that rises
Against December's cold frost
Like the phoenix, that bears hope
Will I rise, break forth
From frozen earth and hard rock
To unfurl in the golden rays
When the sun comes to December
Will I live again