India!

who cares if India dies
neither you nor I
your child is in Harvard
mine is headed to Carlyle

mitti

mitti se gehra rishta hai.
ghaas pe nange paanv chalo
tehni ki lachak , phoolon ki mehak
sarson ke rang, methi ki sugandh
in sabko parichay apna do
phir gehri, lambi saanson mein
sukoon ko dil mein utarte dekho

rain

it rained last night
the gutter overflowed
loud, fierce winds howled
leaves flattened against the window
fleetingly their fate I rued
the full blown roses that'd
welcome me the morn
on the glistening grass scattered
then turned the page of the book
that told inspiring, far away stories
of the struggle against poverty

she did not ring the bell at 0730
it was then that I remembered
rains bring down the tin roof, they scurry
to protect their roomful of possessions
a family of four
living nearly next door
to our villas and landscaped gardens

small joys

mushroom soup
chicken fried rice
jousting brothers
a mother's indulgent smile
the warmth of a kitchen on a winter night
such are the small joys of a domestic life

to my brothers

life has taken unexpected twists and turns
and we aren't what we used to be
but what will forever remain unchanged
are the delightful childhood memories:
the solace of many an hour of sadness
and the promise of what may yet be

haiku

the glistening pearls

awaiting the morning sun

evanescence

motherhood (2)

his scream of terror
raised me from slumber
with tear blinded eyes
I reached his bedside
he slept with a smile
his fears transferred
to my racing pulse
If only, my son
I could thus efface
all the fears you face