EVEN NOSTALGIA ELUDES

Those were happy days.

He had parents, siblings,

uncles, aunties close

and beloved relatives in

the immediate neighbourhood.

Along with the passage of time

he grew up like a

coconut plant growing up

into a coconut tree with coconuts aplenty

and his near and dear ones

including him went in different directions.

Several of his elders

bid adieu and left to Heaven.

With them departing from all,

now none is left behind

in the village where he

was born and brought up.

Those days of nostalgia too have

‘gone with the wind’.

He knew in the bottom of his heart

with the wheel turning a full circle

he finds himself in

this part of the world

with his wife and children.

This is not only his

story but the stories of

many a people are like this.

Behold

we are all ‘creatures of circumstances’

and have

no let-up from them…

PRIORITIES

Memories are like one’s

children

while some children

right from the kindergarten days

are studious

others often play truant.

Rewarding the studious

children and whiplashing

the truant ones are of no use.

Studious ones in the

course of their life

turn civil servants, scientists, professors,

doctors or engineers et al

the truant ones in the

course of their life

evolve into politicians

ministers, rulers or law-enforcers

who occupy positions of power

and rule the once studious

hard-working, dynamic and enterprising ones

holding the reins and command the

first category and

direct them to follow their diktats.

ROBBER

The day on which

you visited my home

together with your parents

and a few close relatives

I was all joy and happiness.

Only after you went

with your near and dear

I felt something missing within me.

While I was groping

along the dark alleys of my mind   

the light I saw at the end of tunnel

I knew you have stolen my heart.

In the night

after slumping into the bed and lay

your face started playing

hide and seek game

robbing away with my heart.

You came from nowhere in the thick of night

and entered my bed-room stealthily

and lay by my side you asked me :

‘you are still sleepless?’.

I couldn’t find words

to explain my predicament

since I  was drowned in the pond of overjoy.

Hugging me planting kisses galore

down my forehead

lips, cheeks, hillocks and my valleys

you were emotions unlimited

you lay by my side until

I fell asleep

deep sleep it was.

In the morning when

I woke up from

slumber you were not by my side.

My delight vanished and

I plunged into the abyss

of melancholy.

I awaited patiently until

the darkness got thickened.

But you didn’t turn up 

leaving me in tears

and I felt like my

senses going haywire…..

I was still certain you

would come to me one day……

PRESENT TENSE

Always living in the past is foolishness.

It is like swimming

against the river of fluid.

Even  a great

swimming champion can’t move far

and it is dangerous.

Getting drowned in the

river of fluid is common.

The more one tries, the

less one can move ahead

before he/she reaches

the finishing line.

Let bygones be bygones,

I would advise.

Future is always unpredictable 

and uncertain.

Hence weaving a dream net

is always impossible and immaterial.

True, to set an eye

in the future is good

but you may not be able to

reach your goal.

Always try to

live in the present

this moment, this second,

this minute

you could taste the

sweetness of the present.

Your imagination won’t

wander thru the forests

and it would remain  in

the present only and

that would make you

cheerful and delightful.

Be you a rich man or

a poor man living in

the present is of primary importance.

Never try to rewind,

never try to forward wind

but for something important

some thing important….

THE EMPTINESS

One day the new landlord

along with his labourers 

came by lorry from elsewhere

followed by the JCBs.

First and foremost they

removed the gate

after which four tall 

compound walls demolished.

The huge pretty house

in the middle of the property

was brought down

and ensured that

not even a  single

remnant of the destroyed

structure was left behind.

The owner who was watching  

the entire structure

saw to it that the work was in progress.

And

as per his instructions

labourers uprooted the trees and plants

in the already drought-hit garden.

The land was leveled

as directed by him and

by evening thy returned

elsewhere. 

They came back next day morning

and took up the thread of the work

they left behind yesterday.

What happened to the

occupants of the house

along with the

former landlord, his wife

three girls  and their young brother.

A emptiness left in his mind

and memories of his love-affair

with the young, cute, attractive girl of

the house for a long duration entwined him.

Whither went the enigmatic girl

was the nagging question

tormenting his mind, her face  

without being able to

erase from his mind.

His old, golden memories

of the past flowed like

a ‘stream of consciousness’.

In the meanwhile

he was asking himself

what would be the plan

of the new owner in

future who  had taken up

the mantle handed over

to him by the former landlord?   

ELECTION GIMMIKS

Riding the crest of popular wave

he was voted to power

with a thumping   majority.

From the very day

the party elected him

as Prime Ministerial candidate

he plunged into the fray

six months before the

elections were scheduled.

He went on a whirlwind

tour of election campaign

across the country

and conquered the minds

of majority of electorate

with his oratorial skill.

The D-day approached

within six months

during which time he had

delivered rousing speeches and

upsetting everyone’s expectations

his party  emerged victorious hands down.

While he was on a

whirlwind tour around the nation

highlighting the plight

of poor people

and vowing to lift them 

above poverty line

he could capture the hearts

of suffering millions.

Upon assuming the charge of Prime Minister

within two –three months

contrary to the expectations

of the poor

he and his party sided

with the industrialists

and businessmen  

caring two hoots for

the dark plight of poor people.

The gap between the rich

and poor got wider and wider

and the sinister game continues

leaving the poor

and middle-class in the lurch.

All parties while taking

the plunge into the

election arena

always swear by the welfare of them

by ameliorating

the pathetic conditions of the suffering millions.

He and his party are no different.

A MAN’S PLEA TO A STAR

Allow me to come out of the

shell of the star

in which I spend my lonely days

to come out and stand on my legs,

take a prolonged sighs of relief

and look down on the

vast sprawling Mother Earth

who gave birth to me

and jump with joy

and exhilaration

when I find out my residence 

among thousands of

residences belonging to various guys.

I can very well stand

erect and look upon

them - my wife and children

while they take a

walk down the courtyard

in the moonlight

looking around cracking

jokes, playing pranks

and occasionally looking up

they happen to see me

watching with delight

from the sky.

The amount of joy and pleasure

they enjoy

singing, dancing and jumping up frequently

are immeasurable.

Such are the feelings

I too enjoy

when I feel assured

that they still recount

the love and fondness I proffered on them 

all still etched on the soft

walls of petals of a red rose

I get elated.

Watching them sharing happy moments

for hours together until I

return to the star

with agony and sorrow enveloping us

is unbearable.