The cursor is blinking
the night it is sinking
my slippers on the floor
my poster on the door
a friend is in trouble
burst is her bubble
an acoustic guitar is strummed
a sad song it is hummed
its an intriguing age
its an empty page
there's some work to do
still i think of you
the government's going to change
the phone is out of range
i like to see smoke in the air
i like to sit on a rocking chair
refreshing scent of a new book
refreshing air in every nook
nuclear warheads rust in peace
the curtains blow with the breeze
some men fight for their rights
some men just want to fly kites
a dog barks on the street
an army orders retreat
a pile of clothes on the bed
a face thats blushing red
the joker cracks his jokes
in the rain the city soaks
a small boy chased his dream
a rookie took one for the team
a drive in the dark
a walk in the park
cupboard full of cloth
beer mug full of froth
books on the table
horse in the stable
earthquake hits a town
old buildings torn down
the table cloth is stained
the madman is chained
air hostess bring me my tea
cargo ship stranded at sea
fruits and flowers
future world powers
a man of wealth and taste
a new kind of tooth paste
a bar graph
a funny laugh
passion and grace
a car chase
rhythm and rhyme
wasting time
a stolen purse
meaningless verse
all connected right now
but I don't know how
Friday, June 25, 2010
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
An Existential Enquiry
Chapter I
Lights on the street, illuminating the wonders on display
An exhibition of art, salesmen imploring "Don't walk away"
Cold winds blowing, the maidens hug their jackets close
A wizard roams the streets tonight, or so the story goes
A man wanders with his hands in his pockets, he's no wizard you can tell
He walks over to another and asks, "Man have you got something to sell?"
The stranger is the wizard of whom the legends have warned
He, an ancient man who has eternally evil sworn
"I sold my soul a long time ago", said the wizard to the man
"You should do the same", he said, "Do it while you can"
Taken aback the man replied, "Stop talking funny, you old loon",
"Sell my soul? Ha !Why, I'm not dying any time soon"
The wizard laughed and cried, "You think life and death are in your control!"
"Don't be a fool boy, the spirits will debate the merits of your soul"
"A sinner you have been, and a sinner you will live on to be"
"I'll give you a chance to escape Hell, sell your soul to me"
Afraid the man tries to step back, but is drawn forward, attracted somehow
Angered by the wizard's words, he shouts, "You listen to me now"
"I don't know where you come from or what you do"
"But I'm not paying for this, so good day to you"
This time the man walks away with a firm resolve,not looking back
As the wizard smiles with mischief and retreats into his shack
"He is but a mortal, I know he will return", he said to himself
Still smiling he lit his pipe and put his hat on the nearest shelf
Chapter II
Across the thoroughfare the man walks once more
He thinks of the wizard,and of his folklore
Dismissing quickly, the fear of what awaits
After all, he reasons, it is all but fate
But now questions the man,
"By whom is fate decided?
Is it I, myself, or by things coincided ?
To think of my goals
of rationality and reason
but by nature controlled
the same as the seasons"
"If by destiny we live,
then how can I be punished?
Why forget and forgive ?
leave all business unfinished
Our thoughts are in our hands
And our actions too therefore
Ourselves then we command
Our fates, I can be sure"
"Is there a thing
as Heaven or Hell?
Are there angels who sing
To the Church bells?
Do demons exist
who blasphemy insist?
A purgatory
is it all a story?"
He walks as he thinks
He walks to his door
The mirror above his sink
His reflection unsure
he gets into bed
the voices in his head
Allow him not to sleep
And he asks,
of his tasks
"Will I sow what I reap?"
Chapter III
"If I know what will happen, then die I will slowly
Not afraid of what's next, peace I'll have surely
But the answers unknown,
will stay as they are
And the seeds I have sown
shall remain as scars"
"I cannot rid
Myself of my deeds
In some desperate bids
To satisfy my needs
The man that I've been
is not devoid of sin
But dubbed, am I wrong
Have I lived for so long
to suffer, the pain eternal
In the abode of the infernal ?"
"Reflective
a new perspective
Are my fears well-founded?
I would not be so
terribly astounded
If I were to know
that death ends all
that no angels may fall
What remains once we're gone
Words and actions, by our friends carried on"
All life is in doubt, all actions regretted
All thoughts and things aided and abetted
Inside the man, fear grows like a cancer
But he knows now where to find the answer
Walks out the door again, in the cold winter air
Makes his way back to the thoroughfare
Finds the wizard's shack, and goes on in
"I've been expecting you", said the wizard with a grin
Chapter IV
"Have you now?" asked the man perplexed
" Oh come on, mortal, it's not so complex"
"Would you like to share my pipe, some tea perhaps?"
"No thanks, I'd just like some answers" the guest snaps
"How'd you know I'd come?" persisted the man
"Well you could say sir, it's all a part of the plan !
Curiosity didn't kill the cat, I don't reckon
But it's the reason you were this way beckoned"
"You got that right, now tell me the nature of your being"
"Let's just say, sir, that I'm more than what you're seeing
I've got places to go, people to see, some souls to buy
And you're daft indeed if you're wondering why"
"So the Devil exists and you're one of his cohorts !"
"Actually sir, I'm a free agent of sorts
I sold my soul to stay here on this planet
400 years ago, before cars overran it"
"There's more to life than this universe
Which is why I chose this little curse
Heaven or Hell is but a roll of the dice
And we both know you don't live twice"
"Then, sir, do we have a deal?"
"Wait man, there's something amiss I feel"
..........
A strange fix I find myself in
this loon awaits my decision,
The years I've spent in this skin
I now see with precision
But humans aren't we all
The vendor in his stall
The miser who doesn't share
The dreamer who doesn't care
Is man a machine
To be judged on a scale
By powers unseen
Only heard of in tales
We breathe and we blink
We sleep and we stink
Until one day we're no more
And our body lies on the floor
That's how it is, the way it'll always be
The chance taken by all those before me
And I am a man, so human I shall remain
Keep my soul in my body, and endure the pain
................................
After pondering thus the man found his voice again. "I'm sorry to have taken up your time, old man......"
"But I've made up my mind at last, and I'll keep my soul to me.
And now perhaps, I'll have some of your tea"
Upon this the wizard fixed his guest with a passive stare
Then he fixed him a cup of tea, and returned to his chair
"Well mortal, then there's only one thing I must tell
And that'll be, 'No, I don't have anything to sell'"
Lights on the street, illuminating the wonders on display
An exhibition of art, salesmen imploring "Don't walk away"
Cold winds blowing, the maidens hug their jackets close
A wizard roams the streets tonight, or so the story goes
A man wanders with his hands in his pockets, he's no wizard you can tell
He walks over to another and asks, "Man have you got something to sell?"
The stranger is the wizard of whom the legends have warned
He, an ancient man who has eternally evil sworn
"I sold my soul a long time ago", said the wizard to the man
"You should do the same", he said, "Do it while you can"
Taken aback the man replied, "Stop talking funny, you old loon",
"Sell my soul? Ha !Why, I'm not dying any time soon"
The wizard laughed and cried, "You think life and death are in your control!"
"Don't be a fool boy, the spirits will debate the merits of your soul"
"A sinner you have been, and a sinner you will live on to be"
"I'll give you a chance to escape Hell, sell your soul to me"
Afraid the man tries to step back, but is drawn forward, attracted somehow
Angered by the wizard's words, he shouts, "You listen to me now"
"I don't know where you come from or what you do"
"But I'm not paying for this, so good day to you"
This time the man walks away with a firm resolve,not looking back
As the wizard smiles with mischief and retreats into his shack
"He is but a mortal, I know he will return", he said to himself
Still smiling he lit his pipe and put his hat on the nearest shelf
Chapter II
Across the thoroughfare the man walks once more
He thinks of the wizard,and of his folklore
Dismissing quickly, the fear of what awaits
After all, he reasons, it is all but fate
But now questions the man,
"By whom is fate decided?
Is it I, myself, or by things coincided ?
To think of my goals
of rationality and reason
but by nature controlled
the same as the seasons"
"If by destiny we live,
then how can I be punished?
Why forget and forgive ?
leave all business unfinished
Our thoughts are in our hands
And our actions too therefore
Ourselves then we command
Our fates, I can be sure"
"Is there a thing
as Heaven or Hell?
Are there angels who sing
To the Church bells?
Do demons exist
who blasphemy insist?
A purgatory
is it all a story?"
He walks as he thinks
He walks to his door
The mirror above his sink
His reflection unsure
he gets into bed
the voices in his head
Allow him not to sleep
And he asks,
of his tasks
"Will I sow what I reap?"
Chapter III
"If I know what will happen, then die I will slowly
Not afraid of what's next, peace I'll have surely
But the answers unknown,
will stay as they are
And the seeds I have sown
shall remain as scars"
"I cannot rid
Myself of my deeds
In some desperate bids
To satisfy my needs
The man that I've been
is not devoid of sin
But dubbed, am I wrong
Have I lived for so long
to suffer, the pain eternal
In the abode of the infernal ?"
"Reflective
a new perspective
Are my fears well-founded?
I would not be so
terribly astounded
If I were to know
that death ends all
that no angels may fall
What remains once we're gone
Words and actions, by our friends carried on"
All life is in doubt, all actions regretted
All thoughts and things aided and abetted
Inside the man, fear grows like a cancer
But he knows now where to find the answer
Walks out the door again, in the cold winter air
Makes his way back to the thoroughfare
Finds the wizard's shack, and goes on in
"I've been expecting you", said the wizard with a grin
Chapter IV
"Have you now?" asked the man perplexed
" Oh come on, mortal, it's not so complex"
"Would you like to share my pipe, some tea perhaps?"
"No thanks, I'd just like some answers" the guest snaps
"How'd you know I'd come?" persisted the man
"Well you could say sir, it's all a part of the plan !
Curiosity didn't kill the cat, I don't reckon
But it's the reason you were this way beckoned"
"You got that right, now tell me the nature of your being"
"Let's just say, sir, that I'm more than what you're seeing
I've got places to go, people to see, some souls to buy
And you're daft indeed if you're wondering why"
"So the Devil exists and you're one of his cohorts !"
"Actually sir, I'm a free agent of sorts
I sold my soul to stay here on this planet
400 years ago, before cars overran it"
"There's more to life than this universe
Which is why I chose this little curse
Heaven or Hell is but a roll of the dice
And we both know you don't live twice"
"Then, sir, do we have a deal?"
"Wait man, there's something amiss I feel"
..........
A strange fix I find myself in
this loon awaits my decision,
The years I've spent in this skin
I now see with precision
But humans aren't we all
The vendor in his stall
The miser who doesn't share
The dreamer who doesn't care
Is man a machine
To be judged on a scale
By powers unseen
Only heard of in tales
We breathe and we blink
We sleep and we stink
Until one day we're no more
And our body lies on the floor
That's how it is, the way it'll always be
The chance taken by all those before me
And I am a man, so human I shall remain
Keep my soul in my body, and endure the pain
................................
After pondering thus the man found his voice again. "I'm sorry to have taken up your time, old man......"
"But I've made up my mind at last, and I'll keep my soul to me.
And now perhaps, I'll have some of your tea"
Upon this the wizard fixed his guest with a passive stare
Then he fixed him a cup of tea, and returned to his chair
"Well mortal, then there's only one thing I must tell
And that'll be, 'No, I don't have anything to sell'"
The Bird Has Flown
Looking at the sky
It sits on a stem
Ignores the jeeps passing by
And is duly ignored by them
With a backdrop of the setting sun
It surveys the field
It sees a deer on the run
Only to soon yield
It sits for a few minutes more
And then flies into the air
Settles itself on a sleeping boar
And surveys the field from there
Everyday it flies over the elephant herd
And retreats to its nest
And no one cares to look at the little bird
When there's a tiger in the forest
It sits on a stem
Ignores the jeeps passing by
And is duly ignored by them
With a backdrop of the setting sun
It surveys the field
It sees a deer on the run
Only to soon yield
It sits for a few minutes more
And then flies into the air
Settles itself on a sleeping boar
And surveys the field from there
Everyday it flies over the elephant herd
And retreats to its nest
And no one cares to look at the little bird
When there's a tiger in the forest
The Dark
A dark abyss that invites
A lone rider fraught with fright
Not an abyss that falls downward without end
But a road that you walk on forever, with our friend
Who is the friend you ask
And your eyes humbly inquire
So i will take up the task
To fulfil your curious desire
The friend is no friend that you want by your side
He is the friend of the cowards who run and the weak who hide
In dark mountains and dense forests he roams
Quietly seeping into people’s homes
Walking on the fateful road, the rider was alert
A brave man was he, but he didn’t want to get hurt
A pervasive silence magnified every sound
Echoing eerily in the darkness profound
This was the said friend, announcing his entrance
Promising that he won’t be a hindrance
Indeed when it seems like he won’t let you run
He himself sets off the starting gun
How is this evil being a friend,
the most noble of all relations?
How can one even pretend
To show him some kind of patience?
This is a friend who reads your mind
An unwelcome guest and a companion combined
“faithful” he is, he won’t leave till you force him out
But while he’s there, he’ll spawn uncertainty and create doubt
A figure approached suddenly and startled our protagonist
And he jumped involuntarily and clenched his fists
Just a play of the light, it’s gone already
And he’s left there standing unsteady
Walking on, walking on, making meaningless progress
In unhallowed darkness, finally he did confess
Yes the friend was in close vicinity
With the man and the darkness, a torturous trinity
Images of horror and terrorising thought
all rationality and reason forgot
the friend is fear, and he goes deeper than your skin
in the insidious abyss that is your mind, he lives within
A lone rider fraught with fright
Not an abyss that falls downward without end
But a road that you walk on forever, with our friend
Who is the friend you ask
And your eyes humbly inquire
So i will take up the task
To fulfil your curious desire
The friend is no friend that you want by your side
He is the friend of the cowards who run and the weak who hide
In dark mountains and dense forests he roams
Quietly seeping into people’s homes
Walking on the fateful road, the rider was alert
A brave man was he, but he didn’t want to get hurt
A pervasive silence magnified every sound
Echoing eerily in the darkness profound
This was the said friend, announcing his entrance
Promising that he won’t be a hindrance
Indeed when it seems like he won’t let you run
He himself sets off the starting gun
How is this evil being a friend,
the most noble of all relations?
How can one even pretend
To show him some kind of patience?
This is a friend who reads your mind
An unwelcome guest and a companion combined
“faithful” he is, he won’t leave till you force him out
But while he’s there, he’ll spawn uncertainty and create doubt
A figure approached suddenly and startled our protagonist
And he jumped involuntarily and clenched his fists
Just a play of the light, it’s gone already
And he’s left there standing unsteady
Walking on, walking on, making meaningless progress
In unhallowed darkness, finally he did confess
Yes the friend was in close vicinity
With the man and the darkness, a torturous trinity
Images of horror and terrorising thought
all rationality and reason forgot
the friend is fear, and he goes deeper than your skin
in the insidious abyss that is your mind, he lives within
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