February 23, 2017

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

February 21, 2017

benevolent babas

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

February 14, 2017

February 12, 2017

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

February 9, 2017

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.