phantom menace

a thin, white, minty stick the size of my ring finger
with a bright red tip, the memory of it still lingers

i've smoked it many a time
with friends
i've tossed and caught it well
like the movie star
i've held it between my teeth
to look cool
i've blown many rings
imaginary

phantom sweet cigarettes, are they to blame
for the fascination or is that an excuse, lame

what you see when you light up is probably just my frown
but it's because my heart beats a lil' faster knowing that yours is slowing down

benevolent babas

left and right i turn,
bearded men with palms raised
compete to bless and sell

sombre valentine's day haiku

it's valentine's day
cards, balloons and chocolates
only they remain

boxed-up feelings

i wish there were boxes inside of me

and that each of them was labelled

with all the feelings that i'm feeling right now 

clearly demarcated

fear, anger, sadness

confusion, love and envy

each one sealed in its own box 

without them getting all muddly

because, in and out of their boxes,

they very often seem to jump 

causing mayhem in my mind 

because they treat it like a garbage dump

was it anger that caused me to act in a particular way

or was it sadness, instead, that had plagued me through the day

how can i forget fear and confusion

when both emotions have left me in a sticky situation

out pop joy and love
suddenly giving me some respite

and in go the others

thankfully without much of a fight

many a time i notice

that all of them sit tight

inside their boxes, doing nothing

especially late at night

and it's at these times when i am blank
that i write about how i feel
with objectivity, i think
that helps me, with life, deal

i wonder what would happen

if i switched around the labels

would they act their new part

and spin me some new fables

or would they continue to jump

in and out with glee

and leave the acting of the part

solely to me

raindrops on my face

the breeze felt warmer,

the road seemed longer,

and the trees didn't sway as much.

there was a stillness.

she felt more deliberate too,

like she had to think before taking a step.

the fluidity was gone,

and so was the lightness.

it was a usual evening.

she was off on her walk

just the predictable routine,

a few rounds around where she lived.

but something felt different, something felt off.

was it the tunes?

but she had heard them before.

was it the place?

but she'd been there so long.

was it her thoughts?

her head was so full!

was it her heart?

it felt so heavy.

whatever it was, it was too much.

suddenly, something changed.

it got cooler and the leaves began to rustle.

the breeze blew her hair every which way

and she felt herself moving faster.

faster and faster!

she felt a few drops land on her face,

and then, the tears which had been brimming for awhile, flowed.