The tears welled up...

When the world conspires to pull them down
the lil fingers reach out
they reach out to the hand
the one they know
will pull them up

They hope for the smile
the smile that will lift their spirits up
from the upsets that they faced
the hopeful beginnings
that threaten to cloud their happy tracks

Old order changeth
bringing in the new
unseen as it may seem,
it gets better as it ages
new replaces old, but never to hold
just plain cold.

The hand stretched out
slowly drawn back-
the hand , larger and stronger
holds back,knowing not how

The tears , welled, behind the lids
were the dreams and hopes
of a smaller hand
precious, raw
unexposed to the laws of the land.

From dad with Love!

The ringing of the doorbell

the glimpse of a card

each year

early morn

yet to fail

the crispness

of the note,

hidden inside

treasures all the love

handed over

to the daughter

who smiles in anticipation

for the sameness

and tradition

each new year

Ambling along!!

The alarm rings, and out she jumped, no snuggling between the blankets, no turning away from the nagging ringing of the clock.

She finished her chores, and gingerly chose the socks that she was to wear. Would it match the blue stole Manju had bought for her? It didn't matter, after all, it would be hidden inside her long pants...oh yes!! She should check if she had taken her wallet.

Mmmm, it was right there where she had kept it on the side table. She had kept everything ready last night, hadn't she? She got ready and she started out, in the grey of the morning.

It was still and just the sounds of the neighbourhood strays barking, could be heard. She was a wee bit scared. Should she wait for a while more till the sun danced out of those clouds?

She thought otherwise...it would make her change her mind. So out she stepped.

The walk to the garden, one of the very famous ones in her city. Many early morning walkers could be seen huddled inside their warm clothes and walking or taking a stroll. The fervour inside, was a different scene altogether. There was so much activity, one would assume there was a race to be run. But that was the scene every morning.

She entered the huge gates, a small , figure, who could have been camouflaged amidst the many trees. She ambled along to the tree, the one she had seen on her walks everyday and seen many smiling faces under the sprawling branches. She had never stopped untill now, but now she waited.

She looked straight ahead, knowing that , that was the path that would be taken. She looked into her wallet yet again, and counted the coins. There was all of 4 coins.

She smiled, a knowing smile. When she looked up, her smile brightened, one that could light up the entire space. She didn't move, she stood looking with that sparkle in her eyes,while he trudged along, leaning heavily , taking support on the brand new birch John had gifted him. He wanted to walk faster, but he knew he had to take it easy..after all they had a lot of time on their hands. He strolled upto her, and looked down at the cheeky smile. Hands held, they walked up to the cafeteria a few steps away.

" By two coffee, please"
The small helper boy with a toothy grin, handed them the 2 glasses, helped them find a place to sit down.
" Ajji ( grandma), sit here"
and walked inside, a grin on his face. He needn't go back for another hour he knew. After all he had seen the old couple everyday for the last 6 months. He just smiled.

ps. by two coffee, is a very popular way of asking for coffee, when one doesn't want the entire cup of coffee. It has become more of a habit in this city and many just ask for this, by two coffee.

The prompt at Sunday scribblings was 'Coffee', and this was what got into my mind first thing.

Lonely yet again!!

And then one day....I saw it...
all balled up and rolling away from me.
I wondered what that was!
Though it looked way too familiar
to my very discerning eyes

Wasn't that the same color
or was it part of the set?
No!!! I'm sure I had seen it elsewhere
But now it isn't there.

Once long ago, when they were bought
Longings for those stripes,
Same colors as the mob
Short and ankled, its what it was!

Wore it with pride, pulled up the legs,
of those denims hard and worn-
A teeny bit peeping out
For every one to know

Now a day after it went in
to the tumbing it had to get...
Rinsed and scrubbed, by the machine
And out its supposed to get

All fresh and smelling clean
bright and squeeky but seen
Tumbled over the remaining pile
Oh! Alas, where did it go

I can't find it , yet again...
and once more it gets to be
The lonely old soul
with none who knows better
how it would be..

Living the life a-single
It was just meant to be
once again and yet again
A lost sock trying in vain!!

Cherish the nights!

The inky blue darkness

descended on me

It was time to let go

and blend into the fading lights.

It was the time to forgive

the moments of the day

and then who could say

what in the next few hours lay?

It took me long moments

To unwind

Thoughts, and fears out aside

Welcoming the beauty of the night

What should I make

for breakfast and later

Will he come early tonight

Or later than ever?

Read through the crawling words

of the fairytale and heroes

Eyes drooped into a close

Till I could think no more.

Sleep, beauty soul

Think not what lies ahead

Cherish the wonders

you've been gifted instead.

Believe and Soar!!

A few years back, when the movie 'Space Jam' had released, one thing had struck me as amazing, and it stayed in my memory for ever. To this day...It was the song 'I believe I can fly' .
That song, had the ability to take you to a different realm of life. My dreams would soar with the lines, and I could feel my mind gliding through like a seagull.
It was indeed a lovely inspirational song. I still sing it when i'm down and out...it helps your spirits soar and fly ..
And this prompt here at Sunday scribblings just had to make me put these words out.

Oh monkey mind
tamed though you may not be
Watch out for the star
twinkling above the sea

Minds drift in and out
dreams floating about
Happiness is all you want
The mind is again on its jaunt.

Let the goals soar
up and into the sky
higher and higher
reaching out to make you fly

Its all in the mind
positive thoughts, one of a kind
Let your thoughts soar
Saddened emotions left behind

Up , up above and beyond
let them grow
'You can do it, yes, you can'
don't give up , try once more.

path chosen?!

Dutiful , respectful
childhood moments
words he oft heard

parents separate
his inner turmoils
rendered apart

substance abuse
peer pressure
laws broken into

Handprints taken
mugshot framed
bare walls are all he got

Sense'd!

The eyes flitted across the room furtively
The lil one with 2 pigtails played peacefully.
The dolls were changed many times over,
The tiny pots and pans arranged all over.

The crowd began to disperse
towards the dining area:
Few held themselves back,
prepared to wait it over.

Thats when he entered
wearing a dark suit, class written all over.
He moved around with ease
evryone's attention he held to please.

It just took a second
but she saw the eyes squeezing shut
The pigtails flying around
Into the shadows far behind.

The instincts picked it up
ferocious and determined.
A mother's sixth sense they say
But she knew he was the one.

He was from the same family after all
No one would believe her, but she knew,
A mother will pounce to defend her brood,
Like a lion in wait, standing over his food.

The prompt over at writer's island 'ferocious'.

Family!

Family faces are mirrors. Looking at the people who belong to us, we see the past, present and future.

This piece was written in response to the prompt at Sunday scribblings

The excitement was overpowering her. She never could stop herself from planning her days. She had just recieved a call. It said that they were all meeting in her hometown for the weekend. All of them were coming with their families.

She smiled. She had merged herself into her husband's family. His parents had slowly taken her under their wing and protected her. She loved every moment with them. Her innocence had transformed her into a mature wife, a mother and a much- loved daughter-in-law. Days had turned into months and then to years. Now after 15 years...she had trouble believing it.
Life had taken each of her sisters into different paths and then onto far off places. Each one on a journey of discovery, a quest for fortune. Not once did their routines coincide, then how was it, this time there was a chance? She hadn't seen them for so many years...she was apprehensive. Would they still be the same? Would all of them get along well? Will her children accept the other cousins easily? She shook herself from this euphoria.
Nothing mattered now. Being together and seeing them all was what took precedence.
She packed her bags carefully...not wanting anything to come in the way and mar her joy.

Reaching her hometown, she knew she wanted this so bad, and she had been waiting for this for years.
Her dream had come true. Now when she saw her father smile through his glossy eyes, as he saw his daughters with their family, she was overwhelmed.
She knew that for a parent, their children will always remain young and here he was, just soaking it all in...he had'nt seen all his 6 daughters and their family together and so happy....
He wished time would stand still. His family had brought him an unspoken contentment in him. And he was fulfilled.

Reminded me of a poem I had read sometime back...it was so beautifully written, I wanted to share...I think it was by someone called Denny..

Grandpa Doesn't Care

My ice cream dripped on his good pants,

but grandpa doesn't care.

his fishing tackle's tangled up,

his rod is who knows where?

I lost his keys in the garage,

I've made a mess out there.

I'm always getting into things,

but grandpa doesn't care.

I help him in the garden

'causewe're really quite a pair;

I pull the plants out with the weeds,

but grandpa doesn't care.

When I am grown and on my own,

when visits become rare,

I won't forget the love I'd get when grandpa didn't care.

As I look back!

Namrata looked longingly at the young man behind the counter. It had been a few hours since she had eaten anything. Her stomach was rumbling along and she knew for sure her daughter, Anagha's would too. Anagha was seated next to her, lost in her own fairytale world. She looked away knowing she couldnt afford it at all. She would just have to wait for the meal they'd provide on the flight.

Her thoughts wandered back to her squeeky clean kitchen she had left behind that morning, on Sommerset drive, Jersey. The announcements being made in the terminal were jarring and clashing with her thoughts. Her thoughts of another flight, another journey she had made 15 years ago, nervous just as any newly wed bride would be.

Hands crisscrossed with the red henna patterns, clutching her brand new suitcase, her neck caressed by the unfamiliarity of her new mangalsutra, she had embarked on her journey into matrimony. A flight that had taken her to faraway shores, latticed with promices of happy, bright, adventurous paths, far away from parental security. She had held his hands in nervous fervour, one she had entrusted her future into.

Now as she looked around the terminal , she tried to quell her nauseous thoughts. The painful memories of deciet, infidelity, abuse-physical and emotional had worn her thin. She dwelled on the choices she had made- a lucrative job, her warm circle of colleagues, her house,her daughter's world: she had to give them all up in search of one precious gift, her freedom. After he had wiped out her bank accounts, she had snapped. Now while she waited for her flight to be called, she shuddered at the thought of her future. But she knew she wanted to leave the place that held volcanic nightmares. She hadnt deserved to be treated the way she had, and she had taken a bit too long before coming to this decision. Now there was no turning back. She had a right to freedom and she was going to get it. A silent calm settled into her.

Was it her flights of fantasy that had held her back when she could have confided in someone? She had thought he would change if she did. Now she knew she was just clutching at a melting piece of ice. She smiled. She had made her choice and she felt happier. All she had to look forward to, once her flight was called and she bent down to lift her bags and hold her daughter's small hands.
This time her she was embarking a flight that was less unknown and she ,less nervous.

This piece was written in response to the prompt at writer's island.

Boiled beans!

Namma BengaLooru

By two coffee, filter kapi,

Steaming idlis soaked in divine chutney

SLV's , Darshini's, teeming with harried citizenry

Temples and rock shows ,rustling along

Pub hopping, or salsa dancing

Stroll down memory lanes

MG road, Brigade Road

Sidewalks disappearing, yet gives way to green

Peaceful, hospitable, pensioner's paradise

Tags of era gone by

It city, pub city, silicon yet no identity

Floundering along far away.

Language barrier broken into

Smiles aplenty for me or you.

Wide roads, mud roads, narrow streets

Lalbagh, Cubbon park, landmarks giving lung space

Gulmohars, Tabebuia, and not to forget the brilliant Jacaranda

BMTC roars along, while the lesser mortals cruise past

Give way to the majestic Autos, traffic is stairway to hell

Weather so pleasant you forget moments were dull.

Warm welcome to one and all

'City of boiled beans', isn't that what she was called

Bangalore to BengaLooru

Does it matter?

Our hearts still remain open to all

In response to Totally optional prompts in the regional category.

Life!

Mysterious calls
late into the night
Silent words,
unfinished tasks
Springly bounce
to the joyous feet.
Parallel lives
Words left unsaid.


My first time at 3WW. Would love to hear what you'll have to say.

Gambling in torrid sands...

Endless steppes and torrid deserts, high mountains covered with eternal glaciers and valleys filled with fragrances of grasses and flowers. So said the ad.

Thats where they were headed

She glanced askance, and saw him engrossed.

Deep within the pages of a moth eaten novel.

He was devouring it like a parched traveller.

She shuffled her feet, he lifted his weary eyes.

He knew it was time to leave

Saw that she had packed her bags,

some more than she could carry

But then she was made strong

And so there was no need to worry.

He left his post with a gloom on his face

Knew not whether he would get such a taste

He had gambled away his heart

and now he must not make haste.

So pensive in his thoughts, he trudged along

She waddling by his side

Reached the scorching sands

And hid beneath the burrowed bands

Made sure no flying eagle caught their sight

Scurrying along shadows

They both hurried, knowing their plight

Reached safe haven, and hi fi'd

"Yo! heady ant, I the termite, take thee as my lawfully wedded wife.

Written in response to writer's island prompt

Is it sunshine yet?

Morning greyness

toothpaste sweetness

Is the faucet fading away?

Struggle with the footsteps

seat myself on the first step

But where are the rest of the treads?

Mother brings a bowl

Swirling crispies on a roll

But did the sugar crystals melt away?

Into the shower she howls

As if the water's crying foul?

But listen I must or else she'll yowl.

Morning has broken

Isn't that a song?

Wonder what Cat was thinking

Nights seems to wander

Into a snooze

Left me behind

while it went chasing the starry moons.

'Saturn'ic verses

He rotated around

All ignorant

Looked always

In the same direction

Round and round

he went profound.

The big ball of fire

Was all he could keep in count

Not counting the days

nor the months in which he spun

Smiling all round through

Turn and turn but he still wasn't done.

Far far away

many bodies apart

It does look rainbow coloured

Is it the Earth?

or is my insides torn apart?

Yes, the Earth it was

and there many a scribes spent

Days and years..

long , long ago.

They said it was the position:

and some said it wasn't.

But down it went,

Into the palmyra strips

The manuscripts were written

The verdict was given

Seven and half years of evil

and some more or be ill

Thats all she had heard

Sade sathi or ashtamatha shani

All through ,kept pondering

Why should the planets

be the reason for her shortcomings?

Just for Sunday scribblings

Who's at my window!?

It was a divine morning

Her tea was boiling

She took one mug out

And let her thoughts out!

Her eyes focussed on

all that was green

The skies so pretty

She felt it was a dream

The whistle brought her out,

out of her reverie

Only to hear the knock

tap, tap, tap

She smiled knowingly,

Let him wait-

I've just felt my way around

So need to focus straight.

She heard the tap again

Persistent yet stubborn,

She glanced askance

and turned back to her task

Mug in hand

song in her heart

walked away:

a different zone

Tap, tap, tap

she hears it again

This time from the glass pane

near her ears

Oh! oh!! he's not letting go

persistent is his knock

He needs to be given

A piece of his morning bread

Her hands stretches out

The morsel in hand

He pecks at her with a glance that says

you made me wait!

Why? Didn't you hear at all?

In response to the prompt at writer's island