We’ve all got to get back home!

There are few lanes that bring you to happiness

Few bring in unpleasant, morose acquaintances

Then, there are roads, leading you to insecurities

Some teach you a few important lessons

For, some are strict while some are creamy

All is said, all is done, lesson learnt well and gone

If some streched gardens and rivers on the either sides

Some, accompanying your journey are deserts and thorns

Then, there are those roads that take you

To where you do not belong

To let you lose to the house of dark clouds

To where exit lies no where
You were brought,

Either, by the wrong directions of the breeze

Or by simply stumbling in

If the shallowness, the emptiness, the quite solitude

Had never before, seen through your soul

With the other colors when you don’t blend in

Leave marks of your own, scratches, bumps, bruises

Blinded by an illusion, a mirage of the non- existence

Of what you otherwise believed

Then again, they help you make sense;

Of why there are a few people in life

Who had your back every time.

In the end it’s all about finding the right roads

Although, there are sometimes, lots of,

Crossroads, cuts, wrong ends, pin bends!

When maps prove useless, because there aren’t any for life

The roads just have their own tributaries

Some just end into a mere wall, while others may bring a fatal fall

The roads’ have its bosom friend, the criminal time

And, it plays you as it's own!

Still, what matters is all the roads have to end sometime

And, we’ve all got to get back home.



Swati, this one is for you! For, you were sitting, beside me through out when I wrote this one.
P.S: I love you!

When we stop

There were times. Times when,
What I said, fell far from the feeling deep inside
When I called a war with the conscience
And, emerged unclean

Times when I clammed up,
While I had to articulate of what I defined
Times when I relinquished,
While I was to hold on to
Times I lied in the eyes,
While the hour of truth was most profound
Times when I walked away,
While the moment I was to pause and look back
Times When I agreed to clinch the deal,
While I had to stand up against
Times I gave up and abjured,
While all I had to, was take another try

For the lost opportunities, for the missed chances;
For the wrong choices, for silence alone;
If only, we get another say-
One last chance, one last coin to toss;
One glint of luck, one falling star;
One answered prayer, one guardian angel;
Or maybe just a ray of hope

We spend ourselves fighting fate all along
Can we ever? Shall forever remain a mystery
But, the bigger question is;
What happens when we stop fighting?

A lover boy’s winter diary!

One winter evening across the street,

When a part of me seemed incomplete,

I see a girl tugged in green stole,

Looked a lot, out of control.

Those Ruby-Red Stilettos making way,

That delicate soul took my breath away!

Heavy footsteps and intense eyes;

Tightened fists and prolonged sighs.

She meets this guy, he pecks her by,

She pushed him away and said good bye;

And, I knew too well he was the bad guy

In a few seconds she had had me enchanted!

She was the one, for long I had awaited;

I knew no delay, I knew not nothing;

“Just go get her!” was all I heard my mind reciting

As, I ran towards her, feeling nothing but breathless;

Fighting hard to find words to express my madness

I said-

I know I’m a complete stranger,

But trust me, I mean no danger,

There is something I really need to tell you,

I cannot believe it’s making me go blue,

How do I tell you? I’ve got no clue,

My heart beats tell me something true,

I have fallen madly in love with you!

She said, do you believe in destiny? Cause I do!

What might come as a surprise to you,

Is the fact that I love you too

But, with destiny comes fate

I have only a day’s stay mate!

Next morning I shall be flying to a far off place,

For I have some crucial dreams to face,

  

Oh! How I wished I could steal her eternity,

But, to let her go, even for a while was a huge penalty,

In a day spent together, it felt like we’d been in love for ages,

And, I knew it wasn’t just another silly infatuation of teenagers

Just when I wished that the sun never rose,

The reality bites me deep and gross,

The minute had to come close,

When she’d leave me; to pursue her dreams. I suppose!

But the tears in her eyes I saw them

And, froze!

She asked- “can I take along something that belongs to you?”

I said- “You don’t need my belongings to feel me around you,

             I’m always there open arms, longing for you.”

Shoot for the moon, catch up with the race

Live up your dreams and I’ll wait for your embrace

Hopelessly, I’d miss her eyes, her presence, her grace.

She whispers in my ears-

“Don’t miss me too much, I’m back in May”

She hugs me tight and runs away.

That winter evening across the street,

The girl in green stole making way,

With ruby red stilettos who took my heart away!

                                                                             

                                                                                    -Greeshma Ramesh

Dear Heidi, I write to you!

Every time my memory rolls back

Back to the days I wore cute frocks and ran

Ran after butterflies or chasing the moon

The candies, the muffins, the teddy bears

Never were they the most integral part

Of my rosy childhood days

Not even the beautifully weaved bed time stories

Did they lure me to joy and glory

But it was the five year old little orphan

Yes, the one named Heidi

I’d throw aside the books, the dolls, the crayons

I’d push through the curtains, hop on the couch

Declare strikes to own the TV remote

So I watch Heidi

The more my heart would ponder

Every time I saw her; I’d stretch out

Stretch out my arms so she’d come to hug me

I’d stand up and salute

And never failed to repeat each time;

“Good morning General!”

Just the way her Grandpa said.

My biggest of all fascinations although were,

Grandpa’s long beard and his bushy grey brows

Oh! How I adored Peter;

Adored how he jumped in the puddle

Or the way he kicked the grass so green

Even when he swam through the water so blue

I blew a kiss, when he’d whistle and yell ‘Heidi’,

As much as I celebrated Clara’s friendship

I’d clap in their little accomplishments

And then, I’d say-

“In your face Miss Rottenmeier!”

How I hated her matron

Summer was back so was Heidi

I cared not nothing of the rest

My eyes grew big and brows in the air

When little Heidi alighted the stairs

In bright red scarf and a pretty frock

She’d slide down on a snow sledge

Darn, she was my rock star; she was my diva

My little miss sunshine; oh! She was my hero!

She defined hope, faith and love

She taught us life, peace and more

The birds, the bees, the mountain highs

The daisies, the berries, so the butterflies

You still smile in my memories

When I look through the childhood diaries

Dear Heidi I write to you

For I miss you, I love you so’

Dedicated to each one of you who love and miss Heidi! =) 

My daffodil.

Today, I see those two little girls

In my colony lane

I froze, arrested by our memory lane

The little ones, engrossed in building

Their mud castles and talking of angels

I thought of you, I thought of us

I thought of how we ate each others’ lunch boxes

Of school trips and lemon & spoon races

I thought of how we feasted on that one candy

While, laughed at the prejudiced ones that laughed us

For we laughed at what they missed out on

While they laughed at what for us was fun

Humph! How the notice board glasses were our mirrors

Gosh! The pinky swears and the sleep over nights, endless hours

That churns my stomach, how our school days flew

Bidding us a farewell, a good bye view!

On the other end, were we greeted

As we stepped together, by the experiences new

All that we wanted was everything

Crazy shopping, stalking, excessive facebooking

The malls, the Mc Ds’ earned bucks, all thanks to us.

The cake backing, French classes that spelled of lush

To have faced heart breaks together

“Why the hell do you have to put up with this,

He’s a jerk, don’t you see?” yelled at each other

I stand here, as I see, The wall of pictures screaming

At me, of you and of I,

To have dreamt the bizarre dreams together

The chips packets that we’ve dived in together

The mango showers drenched together

The freezing star gazing, blue blanket shared together

The humongous drooling that we raised from others

Their raised eyebrows spelled of jealous

Who thought otherwise, we made them believe,

That, with time we only get stronger

To have bonded by the code of loyalty, bonded by love

So they now call us, almost twins, unbiological sisters!

So, when I see the little ones building castle, I tell them

Of how and what she is, the dynamite Miss!

The eyes that oozes oomph, her disclosure owns awe

Yeah! My soul sister she is

She makes the guys go weak on knees.

One sarcastic look of hers,

You’re bound to doubt your most certain answers

The poise, the positivity she spills around

The geeks turn freaks and fall to the ground

For the sacrifices she makes, for the drama she takes

She is a conqueror, she is a star

Now that I am at it, I relive

Of unbroken us, on the shores of the breathing sea

Of crazy us, that jumped the puddles

Of canny us, that victimized people

Of each time we went bonkers

Of evil us, that discomforted folks

Of the hope, faith, love that we clasp

Of zillions of sunsets we chased

Of thousand ugly situations we faced

So many perfumes, in the mall we test

The memories of us, do not seem to rest

The little ones, building the castle curiously asked,

“Oh! You’re talking of the angel that we just discussed

But others rubbished that angels don’t prevail?”

And their little faces turned frail

 I assured them,

“I Have seen an angel, she lives with me

She is my best friend, my daffodil!”

Just like us,

The two little girls in my colony lane

Left me arrested by our memory lane!

Bum, this is for you...
Needless to say, I love you! <3

Have you seen?

Less of drama, more of substance

Built of intensity, minus the vengeance

A quintessential partner in crime

Rings the door bell with a bottle of wine

That man, tall, suave, magnetic and lean

Have you seen?

Who keeps the bad boys at bay

With just a raise of his sinister arch

For the super hero hidden with in

Hearts on sleeves, girls, after him march

Capable of unconditional love and care

Pursues awe and beauty, the one so rare

In whose kingdom, happiness reign

Have you seen?

Can cook, clean and carpet the floor

Calm, composed, tolerant and more

Passion would be what commitment defines

 Ambience gleeful with his convivial lines

Every time he passes by,

I swear by the moon, I wouldn’t lie;

What a treat it is, to the olfactory alright!

His mysterious fragrance wild and bright

The man in the tie olive green,

Have you seen?

Quotes ridiculous cartoons, quirky movie lines

Traveling and exploring, enjoys the rains

Is simply who he claims to be

Can build a home under the tree

Waits with orchids at the rainbow end

Unsaid, unheard he’d comprehend

Raymond- The complete man, that I mean

 Have you seen?

I Gave In

By choice or by destiny, I gave in;

Gave in,

To the flow of peace through the veins,

To the place that spoke of our tale that night;

To the night that had the silver lining,

To the stars that winked at me bright and shining;

To nothing that perfection could ever define,

And that, I shall forever call it mine.

To those feelings for eternity I’d hound,

As I sang to the lyrics profound.

                                     Give me that moment again,

                                     Give me those times again!

                                     Freeze me in there,

                                                        peace lies where.

                                   No, I do not want to come back,

                                  Back to where love and silence lack.

You cannot wage war with yourself,

Nor can you withdraw the feelings,

For, all you know are uncertainties,

When answers seem to blur.....

When everything ceased to matter.....

By choice or by destiny, I gave in!  

Dirt to diamonds!

The girl that lived in the pumpkin house

Not so pretty people would say

Nor was she ugly everyone would agree

 Thus, she raised no eyebrows;

But led a life of merriment and content

She walked on the clouds

Swam the chocolate lake

Picked candies from the trees during the day

Cakes and shakes were all she made

While, she lived by the mint sea side

She hid her dreams with in a treasure box

Placed beneath the bed were they guarded

Oh they were!

By the bumble bees, and the magic fairies

Then the time fell by; all hell broke loose,

She fell between the cracks, travelled

Where darkness dwelled

She opened her eyes to a place, strangely new

Where humans reside, or so they said.

They trampled, they kicked her aside,

Laughed at the dreams she beheld

They rolled her up against the corner wall

They called her immature, called her meek,

Dull, docile and even bleak

A lousy star gazer, they said.

 She rose through the perils to make her way

She groomed herself and blossomed in a day

There she was donned in black

Hot stuff people would now say

Was she trodden? Oh no more!

My my! She was a storm in the thick of the seas

A gush of a new scented breeze

She stood tall, groomed and polished

The insurmountable she accomplished.

She owned several pairs of eyes

People craved for her day and night

Dying to be in her shoes, they idolized her,

For she paralleled what perfection marked

All she left were a bunch of jealous souls

Who once called her worthless

They now tagged her flawless

She looked in their direction, gave a grin

For if they saw her lose, they as well saw her win

Judge not of one’s broken wings

Or the cut feathers that lay

Or even by the crushed hopes

For bruised is only the mind but not the soul

What would cost millions is the spirit! 

Spirit to fix; spirit to fight back;

Spirit to hold on to; spirit to voice;

Spirit to gather one’s self; to discover;

Spirit to reach for the stars;

Spirit to refill while to renovate;

Spirit to learn and own up flaws;

To love, to renew hope and fly again

The pumpkin house or the concrete jungle

An uncrushable spirit is all it takes

To travel from the rags to riches

And transform the dirt to diamonds!