YARDSTICK

When you are with me
I often feel
you are far away from me.
When you are far away from me
I often feel
you are by my side.
Distance to me
is either an illusion
or kind of disharmony.
It depends.

REEL AND REAL

After reducing the

villain to a heap of pulp

the hero walked

along the path non-chalantly.

After about half an hour

a few steps away from his home

the hero sensed

somebody following him.

The villain tall, burly and muscular

along with his gang were following him

with lethal weapons in their hands

were approaching the

hero with fire of rage in their eyes

to wreak vengeance on him.

Hero unlike the villain

though skeletal was energetic

strong and courageous

was surrounded by the

villain and his gang

brandishing their weapons 

rushing towards him

and finish him off if possible.

The hero keeping his

cool came face to face with

gangsters and the villain

and within minutes settled scores with them

without any weapons

in his possession but

courage personified.

You might be wondering

how a man skeletal, tall and dare-devil

faced the sturdy, muscular

villain and his gangsters,

kicked and traded blows single-handedly

and forced them flee from the scene.

Remember,

hero is always hero

and villain always a villain

the latter is

bound to bear the

kicks and blows of the former.

What you and I were

watching were the scenes

enacted in reel life not real life. 

GOD, TIME, DESTINY OR FATE?

From the very moment

living-beings are born

and race ahead down

the road of time

it is written somewhere

by somebody

the periodicity of their

existence on the surface of earth.

How far each living-being should race ahead?

Different distances are allotted to each

and is strictly followed?

While some living beings

even before moving ahead

bids goodbye to the world.

Some move ahead

only a few steps and bid farewell to all

while some cross the half-way mark

and luckily or unluckily

a few jump ahead

since they are allotted more time

on the face of the earth  

who is the ULTIMATE authority?

Could we name God, Time, Destiny or Fate?

CIRCLE OF SEASONS

Like a couple

after celebrating their initial years of married life

immersed in glory, beauty and pageantry

slowly get bored with one another

and each keeps aloof from one another

like sort of an inclement weather enveloping  them

you people after suffering

unbearably hot summer days

often start praying for my arrival

to escape from the blistering heat

dreaming for the skies to get cloudy

with darkness like a torn blanket pervading the land

expect me to open up the doors of skies

for the torrential rains for days together

like the couple after enjoying

the initial years of life sticking together

getting bored with one another

I too become a burden and bane to you

and incessantly pray to God

to exile me from your land

often forgetting the undeniable fact that

you will have to

pray to me again, again, again and again

to return once again…. 

LIKE A JOURNALIST

Deep down in my heart

I have a collection of secrets

which I won’t ever

divulge before anyone

and I like a journalist 

reporting breaking news 

which he/she extracts from a person

on condition of anonymity

he/she keeps it to himself/herself.

Unlike several persons

most of them celebrities,

politicians, film stars

and a few common men or women

claiming that their lives

are open books

and they don’t have

anything to hide before anybody

while there are umpteen skeletons

tumbling out of their closets.

My hitherto life is not

an open book

and I am not willing to

open it for somebody’s reference.

I do have or

did have any love affairs

unlike persons aplenty

boast about their

love relationships…. 

THE TEMPTATION

On the look-out for the fellow

who tempted and succeeded

in his efforts 

by providing me

with the invaluable

material comforts of life

in exchange for my soul

I have travelled a long

way to identify him

and continue to go on

with my ceaseless efforts of

finding him till I succeed in my search.

True,

my life was blessed

with the pomp and pageantry overnight

which up till then

was in dire straits due to

hunger, poverty, lack of a roof

over my family and all the

basic necessities of life.

From the very day

he bought my soul

a moral prick thrust on me

and I was cocksure that

I was an incomplete man

in the place

of a complete man before the fellow

took away from me.

I am in constant 

search of my soul

and the man who

tempted me with the

priceless material comforts

of life in exchange for my soul

my friend, philosopher and guide.

This is my pledge to find out the

fellow one day and

will regain my soul at any cost 

until my search is accomplished.  

LONELINESS

A man or woman

is basically alone.

Be he/she is in the midst

of a crowd

or in a crowded train

either long distant or

a suburban train

or with his/her friends

or with his/her family

husband, wife or children

or listening to melodious songs

or rock in rapt attention

or enjoying a scintillating dance

by pretty danseuses

or playing cards or

for that matter any game

or ringing up and talking

to his/her lover

friends afar, cracking

jokes with them or playing

pranks on them

or writing or reading even

when the city is roaring outside

and wherever he/she is

either sitting or lying

alone in his/her room 

or meditating inside a cave

at the foot of Himalayas

like a hermit since decades

man or woman is basically alone…

and from persisting

loneliness no escape

for him/her….

until his/her last breath…