Random thoughts

Little wisps are they, darting across my brain,

Blurry images recalled with flashes of joy, grief and pain.

Its funny the way they work, without reason or rhyme

Some staying sharp, others slipping away with the sands of time.

With blank stares, indistinctive replies I mumble,

To recent acquaintances, while for their names I fumble.

But in great detail I’ll remember to the very end,

The sparkly-eyed grin of a kindergarten friend.

My need for detailed verbal maps, get plenty of nerves frayed,

When in this city, for nearly twenty years I have stayed.

But, I know like the back of my own hand,

Twisty little lanes, shortcuts and secret nooks of golden sand.

Newton-Raphson’s method, formulae, the definition of an applet,

Learnt an hour ago, in I flash will I forget.

Lullabies, silly songs out of my mum’s imagination,

And every nursery rhyme, I still sing with each inflection.

Childish pranks, giggle sessions, fights of the silly kind,

Are etched in permanent ink- crystal clear in my mind.

Rum things are memories, very rum indeed,

They make you smile, they make your heart bleed.

Carefully, the yellowing paper I folded and bent,

While he watched eagerly, with mounting excitement

From the deep recesses of memory, instructions I dug,

Till finally for my efforts, I was rewarded with a hug.

Holding it aloft, he let out a triumphant yell

& ran into the open, where a torrent of rain fell.

Down our little lane, with speed increasing evermore,

Flowed water into a swirling pond, right at our front door.

To this he sped, sans umbrella or rain coat

& like a grim sea captain, set sail his boat.

How well a bit of paper can keep him enthralled..

Watching him, rainy days long-forgotten I recalled.

Boat races, water fights, loud squeals of joy,

Damp clothes, drenched hair & a salvaged bedraggled toy.

Buried incidents, all those long years of fun…

I can see them all clearly, when I look at my son.

I look down at the hands folded across my lap,

Once smooth and firm, fettered by age’s fatal trap.

This house-like me, has known happier days,

Now my sole companion, beside my mottled medicine case.

My branches and buds, across the world are spread,

But on occasions like today, they convene round my bed.

Around they crowd- family spanning four generations,

With laden hands, hearts brimming with love and patience.

Joy is unbounded as they gossip, laugh and play

In the midst of it all, I’m far far away.

With many hugs, copious tears and a heavy heart,

I watch as one by one, they inevitably depart.

Their echoes fade away into a silence so deep

As I seek momentary refuge in a drugged sleep.

Written bout a month ago during compiler design class- the heights of joblessness .. came across it a couple o days ago when i was studyin for my sem exams! ..

Surreptiously, I stifle a yawn,
The enthusiasm of the previous hour gone
A dull throbbing fills my head
My eyelids are as heavy as lead
In a monotone on and on she drones
Till the boredom seeps into my very bones
Stupor hangs heavy in the air
In spite of the OHP’s glare
She calls for attention – in vain,
‘I’ll mark u absent’, her constant refrain
Finally she leaves with a pronounced pout
With glee, we prance and leap about

A hush falls, an impatient ‘quiet please’,
Oh no! back again to the domain of Hades

When first I awake, on a dewy morning,
Brought alive with the sound of myriad birds’ singing,
Attired in golden yellow, with a hint of saffron,
I slowly unfurl & reach out toward the sun.
Above- an expanse of blue- a sight I’ve not forgotten,
Dotted with tiny clouds, like little wisps of cotton
I watch bees & butterflies, as around me they hover,
Partaking of sweet nectar, they flit from flower to flower.
Soon the sky darkens; the sun goes down- a glowing ball of fire,
The evening breeze whistles around me, as I begin to tire.
Slowly, and oh-so gently, to the ground I fall
Weary and sore, I answer sleep’s final call.
My fallen siblings & I, like a soft blanket we lay,
Until in the morning, we’re unceremoniously swept away.

Omniscient, Invisible and Omnipresent,
or Hogwash, Blind belief and Non-existent.
The debate rages on & on, eternal as the sun,
Continuing as long as mountains stand & rivers run.
Is it proof that you ask for- something solid and tangible,
Which can be dissected & examined,& is measurable & weighable?
Verdant trees, flowers of all hues, the sun beating down on your roof,
And your very own existence- are these not enough proof?
What do you stand to lose, by having faith and believing,
- perhaps a misplaced ego & an arrogant way of thinking.
What do you do at times when all hope seems in vain,
When your brow is furrowed, and you’re in dire pain?

As for me, I breathe easy & sleep more peacefully,
Knowing there’s someone watching over me.

Glittering lights reflect off shiny, swanky cars,
Off bottles of champagne served in plush bars.
Bright cities with slick offices and fashionable malls,
7 Star hotels, multiplexes and grand wedding halls.
Better education, lifestyles, jobs and pay,'
The world's improving each day, they say.
But somehow i find that hard to digest,
As i see plenty that puts my happiness to test.
Starved hands and piteous voices reach out toward
the blatantly indifferent-marching determinedly forward.
Desolate orphaned children wander the streets alone,
Ill-treated, ignored,abused- all of which authorities condone.
Nations are torn apart as terrorists get out of hand,
Creating chaos over age-old prejudice,religion and land.
Screams of terror,wails of sorrow rent, the smoke-filled air,
As they cause untold destruction without so much as turning a hair.
How can we claim that ours is a civilised age-
when men publicly beat up women in fits of rage?
Corruption, injustice and utter selfishness is the order of the day.
In this cloud i find no silver lining, try as hard as i may.
My heart bleeds and i heave a deep sigh,
For our world - that's slowly beginning to die.

written in a weird mood in class -

Peals of laughter, giggles of joy echo around you,

There's a fake smile on your face, but inside you feel blue.

More friends than you can count, more accquaintances than you can name,

But, is there anyone whose attantion you can always claim?

Everyone envies your oh-so-perfect life,

As they crib about their lives- full of problems & strife.

You're outgoing, popular, with good friends & a great family,

Outwardly chirpily cheerful - you look as happy as can be.

Yet- sometimes, do you feel a shadow cross your heart,

Do depression & misery pierce you like a dart ??

Are you assailed by self-doubt, does despair plague you?

Are you gnawed by confusion- till you dont know what to do?

But- you barely ever let it show on your face...

A plastic mask covers you, like a veil of lace.

In your busy lives have you ever found,
the time to stop, pause and look around?
to gaze at stars against a velvet black night,
& feel the enchantment of their twinkling light.
Have you heard the beckoning of the ocean,
or witnessed the grace of waves in motion.
Have you found yourself taking delight,
in tracing the glide of a bird's flight.
A buzz of bees, a flutter of butterflies,
a soft breeze that gently sighs,
the bubbling of a brook, the gurgling of a spring,
dark rain clouds and the promises they bring.
Playful dogs and gamboling puppies,
kittens with balls of string to tease.
Animals of every description and size,
from stately elephants to tiny mice.
Every leaf and feather, every stone and shell,
each one a miracle, - a marvel.
Don't you see, we ought to be grateful..
for this world of ours- 'tis truly wonderful.