A dozen roses

A dozen roses,  for the years gone by
Each for the lasting fragrance in our lives
One for the arm which holds me tight
Fondly, each time on a tired night
One for the knowing look in those eyes
Two for the superb two little guys
One for the comfy home with you
Ok ,one for our fantastic cars too!
And one for the lovely time we spend
Vacationing together at lands end.
One for the grocery shopping each month
For bearing the load without a grunt
One for those sudden food cravings
Truffle cake with chocolate shavings !
One for hearing me prattle the day's alls
One for the 'whats for dinner?' calls
And one,my dear man,finally
For simply letting me be me

Missing Prajna

On such days which just wont die,
When they linger on , I wonder why
Do I suffer it all alone, when I should
Be having you by my side. I could
Be holding that right hand tight
And walking down the roads in delight.
Or I could be cradling the phone so long
trying to recall that one stubborn song
Stuck in your head and also in mine
While we watched that movie online.
Or maybe pour  all my troubles out
About silly people whom I could do without
Or share with you the  ache and pain
Which has started in my knees again
Oh why does this day linger on and on
Making me so pensive and forlorn
How I wish and pray that I can one day
Get back my friend whom I miss today
To nod my grey head and shake  my wrinkled hand
To endless chatter that only you would understand.

Your Name

Somedays sometimes in a pensive mood
When I weigh all things bad and good,
I fall silent at your name
Wondering if you think the same.
Don't know where to pin you down
Days u made me smile and frown
Go  so far back in memory lane
Yet, to this day I find you hard to explain
Are you good or are you bad for me
I close my eyes yet fail to see.
So I linger a lil longer on the name
Wishing that you would do the same.

- Piyu

A date with myself.

I am having a cup of coffee. In a busy mall. Just by myself. There are a thousand things to do. A thousand deadlines to meet. Yet,  I find myself within this bubble of suspended time,  with a cup of coffee.
Gregarious and socially overactive by nature,  I am rarely alone. I cannot recall many instances where I have been just by myself.
Mind you, I am just alone today, not lonely. Thoughts and feelings encompass me as I sit with my coffee. I wonder if many people would simply sit idle like I am right now and enjoy the company of their thoughts. And more importantly,  will society allow and accept it ?
The three men sitting by my side are casting furtive glances. Maybe wondering why a lady is sitting alone in a café. ..
The lady walking by holds her kid and husband closer as if to assert that she is more secure in her love...
Young girls giggle by as they whisper secretively into each others ears...
Are they as aware of me as I am of them ? Maybe,  maybe not. Yet I can feel the scornful pity as they find me alone with my cup of coffee.
But, I  want to shout out, let them know that I am completely happy and thoroughly at peace as I sit alone.  I am not alone...I am with Myself.

My Dawn

Give me a few moments at dawn
To soak in the powder pale skies
To feel the soft winds torn
From the wings of the bird which flies
To stand with my elbows at rest
On the dusty black balcony grill
To have the power to resist
The desire to grab a few winks still
To feel one with the soft flutter
Of the leaves of the newborn tree
To be able to hear the mutter
Of the pigeon setting its wings free
To count the windows in the tall towers
Which have  yellow light streaming out
To feel the softness of the dew showers
On the petals of colours I can't make out
Give me a few minutes at dawn
To sip a tepid cup of tea
Away from the work ridden world forlorn
Oh ! Please make me feel free.

The lollipop kid

At the grocery,  I waited, as the line at the cashier crawled. The evening had brought in a collage of people together. I feast on such sights, my hyperactive mind preying on people and their interactions, trying to glean tidbids from their lives. Momentarily,  I am a part of so many stories. I become one with the mom who chides her little girl, the newly weds who walk with entwined fingers.
The sly old woman who breaks the queue, using her old age to her advantage, irks me but interests me nevertheless.
My attention is drawn to a toddler playing with the string of lollipos hanging near the chips stand. Suddenly without any warning his breaks out into an incomprehensible, high pitched baby babble. Fat tears roll on to pink cheeks defying gravity and settling there without falling.
The trouble is easy enough to assume, he wants the lollipops.
Caught unaware is the toddler's little sister who must have been left in charge as the parents shopped. She looks discomfited and apologetic at the same time. Her eyes search the throbbing aisles of the shop in desperation,  yet she hushes her little brother and tries to calm him down. Her face looks helpless and guilty all at once. My heart goesout to her.
It led me to question, if girls are genetically programmed to be carers. The little girl was no more than 5, yet not once did she lose patience, not once did she go running to look for her parents. She accepted the tantrum of her brother. Tried to make the best of the situation by soothing him. Felt guilty for no fault of hers. Apologised to all the people around by  looking around and smiling weakly. Responsible and caring, she displayed a maturity level much beyond her age.
What amazed me more, was that she neither complained nor asked for a lollipop herself when her hassled parents arrived.
If I had a crown , I would have put it on her curly head there and then.  She was 'My everyday queen '.

The rediscovery trip

Through the years gone by,
My mother and I,
Have grown apart as we aged
Our lives and love, a bit damaged
She was lonely, I busy always
We wouldn't speak on many days
And on the days we did,
Empty words covered, what the eyes hid.
We connected now and then,
But drifted apart more often.
Then one bright summer day
We decided to go on a holiday
Bags packed I headed out
Not knowing that I was about
To embark on a recovery,
A relationship rediscovery.
I spoke to her and held her hand
Shared meals and walked on the sand
I was up early and so was she
We bonded over a cup of tea.
After ages I felt secure
I hugged her some and wanted more.