Mumbai Rains

A view from a balcony from a distance too far
I see
Images on net of my town submerged in misery
Rain is lovely but there is no escape for water to run smoothly down the flowing drains
Images of clogged water at places blocked by thrash
Broken roads open potholes,
Traffic slower than snail
At signal they check their mail of latest updates on twitter to find the road that is safe
Perched here in my balcony some thousand miles away glad to escape the discomfort of Mumbai rains

I am Guru

I am my own Guru, 
I control my mind, 
I can weigh the right from wrong,
My thought can be called divine.
I look out of my window, 
there is solitude in the air, 
the sea and sky is calm, 
the birds sing freely with flair...
The universe takes care of me, 
It listens my whispered tones, 
I have no need to worry
because I am always with
My self......

Lazy Attitude

What you do with your time
there are so many hours in a day
no time you complain, really?
I often see you
laze

Maybe you have no time for me
its all excuses you make
its your loss, i believe
from my mind you soon will be
Erased

Dreadful Poem : SunSet and Moon

there is a moon outside my window
its not indian
there is no woman waiting on the terrace
to offer it water or milk
no pampering or fuss over it
it stands there alone over the horizon
watching its own reflection in the sea

It winks at setting sun
who cares not for an ardent fan
blushes too much on its own
in its self praise
spreading its red color
over the bosom of clouds

Moon just shines
unlike its cousin in India
that entralls people on every festival
this Spanish moon
seduces only me....

Barbie Doll

why should Barbie doll be slim and beautiful
why doesn't her flaws show?
why does she always have a kindness writ on her fact
why does she seem so perfect?

Millions of women across the world
of various colors, shapes and hue
are accepted in society for their talent
its nothing to do with her physical attribute

but they never manufacture a barbie
that limps or retards or has a missing finger
its always (like on FB) a photoshopped profile
that is easy to accept.

Are they afraid, it will not bring sales
it will lie for ever on rejected shelf
like recluse woman, judged and stoned
because she belonged to strangest clan

Experienced Cook

nobody is born cook
one learns by experiments
little burn, little cut
sometimes salt much too much
practice makes one perfect
its the art that grows with interest
just lentils and rice is also meal
but variety is break from routine
cakes, sweets, happy desserts
briyani, puloa a royal treat
flushed face, greasy hands
warm heart, tummy full
a talented cook brings joy
a grateful smile that warms the soul

Listen

Listen! 

There is no need to purse your lips

its people that tweet and birds that greet

Don't raise your brow

you read between lines

analyze the rest from words in rhymes

Frowns have changed 

so have smiles

tears go unnoticed for thousand miles

Each on their own

with liquid mind

trust me and let me on my own

rewind

Nonsense Verse - Broken Eggs

Thousands of eggs 
fell off the truck on a sunny day
Crashed and immediately 
turned into omelettes
Laid flat, 
stretched leisurely on a tar road
Till the baker arrived 
to lift them off into their breads
Sandwiches were made and 
served from diamond studded plates
As morning breakfast 
for rich babus and 
lungi dressed heavy shiekhs.

Nonsense Verse - Books I read

Long time ago enid blyton
i did read
When there were 
no million checks and greed
Not even portly
in my news feed
Those were the times 
I wrote prose for my writers breed

Wrote i thousand pages 
with closed eyes
Nobody guessed true stories 
behind my lies
Friends bought chocolates sweets 
infested with flies
I would celebrate my success 
in club with guys

Alas in rough times now we live
Prose has changed to portry..
can u believe

Burn I the oil to write and rave
But earn no penny, 
nothing to save

Private Island

I often retreat to my own private island

Block myself from the mainland

Sit I in solitude reading my thoughts

Undisturbed by outside worldly taunts

The peace I get from blowing winds

Of the happy times wrapped in bliss

Its is just me, and my pleasant memories

Under the friendly clouds we sit

art by Enrique Ochotorena

Experience

Nothing but words
Memory in script
Of years hard and soft
Clipped fractured sliced
Then mended again
No room for blood
In the game called
Experience

Street Performer

He is dressed in white 
from head to toe
Stiff pose
Painted face
Sans expressions
Not a blink,
Eyes focused
At distant lamp
He stands there on a box
In the town square
Un-flinched
People walk around him
See him
A passing glance
Is he a man?
Breathing, or
A stone sculpture
A monument
A living legend
Happy child comes along
Jumping, laughing, skipping
Throws a coin in the tumbler
The mask man moves
to thank her
Child shriek with fright
People stop to gaze
He is no beggar
But a street performer
Much disciplined
In a race

Made Friendship With Pain

I have made friendship with pain
It is here to stay
There is no escape
It leans against my skin
Squeezing the nerves within
Begging for attention like
A spoilt, pampered child
When I ignore it, it will sleep for a while
Is back again when I stretch to a comfort line
Sits closer to my bosom
Never out of sight

I have made friendship with pain
Cause I have no other choice

I Cannot Help You

How can I guide you, 

When I am lost too? 

The little nuggets here and there
I had pick up on my path
Shuffled them up
Spread them on your path 

In front of you

You learnt to walk
Watching your own steps
Reached your own destination
I did not help you 

I was there
just standing on curb
watching you...

It was you

Who taught me 

To trust you.

Canvas

Splash paint on canvas
It's not the brush that moves
colors sprinkle delight

Script In My Mind

Nothing but words
Memory in script
Of years hard n soft
Clipped fractured sliced
Then mended again
No room for blood
In the game called
Experience

Street Performer

He is dressed in white 
from head to toe
Stiff pose
Painted face
Sans expressions
Not a blink,
Eyes focused
At distant lamp
Stands there on a box
In the town square
Un-flinched
People walk around him
See him
A passing glance
Is he a man?
Breathing, or
A stone sculpture
A monument
A living legend

Happy child comes along
Jumping, laughing, skipping
Throws a coin in the tumbler
The mask man moves
to thank her
Child shriek with fright

People stop to gaze
He is no beggar
But a street performer
Much disciplined
In a race

Pain - My Friend

I have made friendship with pain
It is here to stay
There is no escape
It leans against my skin
Squeezing nerves within
Begging for attention like
A spoilt, pampered child
When I ignore it
It will sleep for a while
Is back again when 
I stretch to a comfort line
Sits closer to my bosom
Never out of sight
I have made friendship with pain
Cause I have 
No other choice

Book Shelf

Artist- unknown

So many stories behind this shelf
of travels, romance, adventure
a tapestry of emotions 
Unfolds from page to page
transporting me to vast
fantasy world...

Lotus

Pity 

Nobody heard 

Lotus screaming..

They just watched 

The poor lotus 

Drenched in muck  

Let it glorify the pond 

With its beauty..

Selfish world..

Knows not to read 

Between the lines  

Sees not the pain of 

a helpless flower

Stand in vain

Like

Music Stayed With Me

The music stayed in my mind
soothing,
creeping softly on my nerves
hissing
unaware of its movements
on my skin
I played on
lost in fantasy
into a different world
where the angels dance to the rhythm
of the soul
gliding in space
seasons changed
but for me
time stood still

The Conqueror

Conqueror by Veri Apriyatmo 2008

Lost I was in sea of uncertainty
wrapped with unforeseen dangers
did you search for me?
did you truly missed me?
would I be rescued, I wondered

captured and entangled
no hope for escape
like a bird in a cage I fluttered
exhausted i lay, rejected and abused
in a naked glory
I forget myself

Double Talk

Double talk
Double meaning
Wish you could 

Talk direct
In simple words that I understand
Your words 

When they pass through a maze of emotions
Are too bent and distorted
Crumpled 

They lose their strength
Become too weak to lift our friendship to a higher level
They lie 

Neglected
Ignored
Alone