Close…yet distant (Elk Jr)

Chase… hunt; Frown… grunt
Winner, Worst of, pageant
Harsh, Blunt; Tears instant
Close… yet distant

Innocence claimant
Ignorant yet flippant
Ways, methods, errant
Stupidly brilliant

Harsh, Blunt; Tears, instant
Close, yet distant

Old to infant
Nonsense arrant
Affection, stunt
Hierarchy rules. Yes Sergeant

Harsh, Blunt; Tears, instant
Close, yet distant

Aggression rampant, passively fervent
Trick, fake, diplomatically bunt
Offensive word, too indecent
Quietly bubble, seething;  silent

Harsh, Blunt; Tears, instant
Close, yet distant

Ring of fire, holy quadrant
Extinguish with coolant?
Insolvent; Sentiments, Stagnant
Burnt, Ashes… Hardly fragrant,

Variable constant
Salient, Tangent, Vibrant
Harsh, Blunt; Tears, instant
Close, yet distant

Zingadi na milegi dobara (Poems)

Ik baat honton tak hai jo aayi nahin
Bas ankhon say hai jhaankti
Tumse kabhi, mujhse kabhi
Kuch lafz hain woh maangti
Jinko pehanke honton tak aa jaaye woh
Aawaaz ki baahon mein baahein daalke ithlaye woh
Lekin jo yeh ik baat hai
Ahsas hi ahsas hai

Khushboo si hai jaise hawa mein tairti
Khushboo jo be-aawaaz hai
Jiska pata tumko bhi hai
Jiski khabar mujhko bhi hai
Duniya se bhi chupta nahin
Yeh jaane kaisa raaz hai

————————

Jab jab dard ka baadal chaya
Jab ghum ka saya lehraya
Jab aansoo palkon tak aya
Jab yeh tanha dil ghabraya

Humne dil ko yeh samjhaya
Dil aakhir tu kyun rota hai
Duniya mein yunhi hota hai

Yeh jo gehre sannate hain
Waqt ne sabko hi baante hain
Thoda ghum hai sabka qissa
Thodi dhoop hai sabka hissa
Aankh teri bekaar hi nam hai
Har pal ek naya mausam hai
Kyun tu aise pal khota hai
Dil aakhir tu kyun rota hai

——————

Pighlay neelam sa behta hua yeh samaan
Neeli neeli si khamoshiyaan
Na kahin hai zameen
Na kahin aasmaan
Sarsaraati huyi tehniyaan, pattiyaan
Keh rahi hain ki bas ek tum ho yahaan
Sirf main hoon meri saansein hain aur meri dhadkanein
Aisi gehraiyaan
Aisi tanhaiyaan
Aur main sirf main
Apne honay pe mujhko yaqeen aa gaya

—————

Dilon mein tum apni
Betaabiyan leke chal rahe ho
Toh zinda ho tum
Nazar mein khwabon ki
Bijliyan leke chal rahe ho
Toh zinda ho tum
Hawa ke jhokon ke jaise
Aazad rehno sikho
Tum ek dariya ke jaise
Lehron mein behna sikho
Har ek lamhe se tum milo
Khole apni bhaayein
Har ek pal ek naya samha
Dekhen yeh nigahaein
Jo apni aankhon mein
Hairaniyan leke chal rahe ho
Toh zinda ho tum
Dilon mein tum apni
Betaabiyan leke chal rahe ho
Toh zinda ho tum

Mommy can I… ?

A conversation I over heard this morning at a traffic signal between a mom and a 4/5 year old boy…

(Mom) Wear your cap, its hot.
(Kid) Can I get a coke ?
(Mom) Here is some water.
(Kid) But I want a coke.
(Mom) Coke is not good for you honey
(Kid) That guy is having it. You have it.
(Mom) Yes, but Mommy regrets it now (Showing a broken / extracted tooth) See? I lost my tooth because I have coke. Its bad for you.
(Kid) Ok, alright. Mommy can I have an ice cream ?
(Mom) No sweetie, it will spoil your teeth.

(Shows the rest of her teeth. They look alright to me)

(Mom) See ? Here have some water
(Kid) Have you had a lot of coke and ice creams mommy?
(Mom) Umm…

(does not seem to know where this is going, so does not answer)

(Kid) Mommy ?
(Mom) Yeah, yes baby (answers absent mindedly)
(Kid) Is that why you go to the Doctor ?
(Mom) Yes sweetie, he is going to fix mommy up.
(Kid) Mommy, will you be alright ? Does it hurt?
(Mom) No baby its fine.
(Kid) Ok, then lets get me a coke and 2 ice creams

I cannot help but smile. The Mom looks at me. I give her a wide smile with a nod (suggesting, he got you there sweetheart). She returns mine with a shrug (suggesting, how could she have walked right into it)

(Mom) Okay, lets go find one for you.

Kid dances around and claps his hands.

Metallica [Unforgiven 3, Death Magnetic, 2008]

Check it “Metallica Unforgiven 3” out on YouTube. These guys continue to raise the bar. With Unforgiven I, II and now with III

————-

How could he know
This new dawn’s light
Would change his life forever?
Set sail to sea
But pulled off course
By the light of golden treasure

Was he the one causing pain
With his careless dreaming?
Been afraid
Always afraid
Of the things he’s feeling
He could just be gone
He would just sail on
He’ll just sail on

How can I be lost,
If I’ve got nowhere to go?
Search for seas of gold
How come it’s got so cold?

How can I be lost?
In remembrance I relive
And how can I blame you
When it’s me I can’t forgive?

These days drift on
Inside a fog
It’s thick and suffocating
His sinking life
Outside it’s hell
Inside, intoxication
He’s run aground
Like his life
Water much too shallow

Slipping fast
Down with his ship
Fading in the shadows
Now a castaway
They’ve all gone away
They’ve gone away

How can I be lost
If I’ve got nowhere to go?
Search for seas of gold
How come it’s got so cold?
How can I be lost?
In remembrance I relive
And how can I blame you
When it’s me I can’t forgive?

Forgive me
Forgive me not
Forgive me
Forgive me not

How can I be lost?
In remembrance I relive
So how can I blame you
When it’s me I can’t forgive?

Sweet talk – Elk Jr

It’s been a week of sweet talk

Rush, hurry, flock
Time goes by, painful tick tock
Hear a key turn, snap goes the lock
Eyes & ears, like a hawk

Rewind the clock,

Her retorts, hurt and mock
About a shirt, dinner, in laws and a sock

I smile, don’t want her to walk
If it gets to me, will I balk?
Emotions surge, pause, take stock
Screech, halt, people gawk
Bottled up, and caulk
A few punches …silence…then a drop

Distribute pain, ad-hoc
Revived, defibrillator shock
Call from her friend, Jacques?
News flash, am no impervious rock

So alike, cheese and chalk
Jack and the bean stalk
Deadlock, lever up, ball cock

Its been a week of sweet talk…
Just a week of sweet talk…
Yet another week of sweet talk