Beauty?

You have looked at a river flowing downstream

And mused at its eloquent beauty.

You have seen the sunrise each day

And loved the radiance abound.

You have gazed at blooming flowers

Surrounded by flirtatious, clinging bees—

Watched them buzzy at their activities.

You have appreciated smiles on pretty faces.

You have stared transfixed at the moon—

The ethereal charm all over you.

You have smiled at a napping baby,

Mystified by innocence personified.

You have felt the cool breeze on your face,

Which sways the trees in a rhythmic faze.

You have seen the tide rise and fall,

You have seen hills, big and small.

You have admired beauty in all its splendor.

You have loved roses, soft and tender.

You have rejoiced at the advent of spring,

You have sung and have made many a heart sing.

But never have you mulled over the monotony,

That lies at the helm of all these ethereal beings.

Nature blossoming in all her forms,

Rejuvenated, refreshed— but never afresh.

Blood on the Staircase

Here’s a famed fable about four souls—

Lust, Envy, Wrath and Greed;

Destiny brought them together

And the gods made their fortunes speed.

Though at the face of it—

It does seem a dysfunctional unit.

Still, there was laughter and there was mirth

And a keen camaraderie was allowed birth.

But, right from the outset it was known,

This pretence wouldn’t last long.

For everyone knows — witty or deranged,

Human nature has seldom changed!

In a house up the beach,

They stayed together till morning reached.

The house was huge with two floors,

But most rooms had no doors!

Greed was anxious and Lust was in symphony,

They had two lustrous dames for company!

What with only two functional rooms in the huge bungalow,

And the two wenches apart after a big row.

Lust came to Envy’s aid,

He considered her the prettier maid.

Sobbing was she with her eyes red,

And deep down wanted Wrath dead!

The two couples went different ways

In the even, away from the sun’s rays,

They talked and the men tried their best

For reconciliation—but couldn’t pass the test.

The two men, beside themselves with joy,

Were anything but coy;

As twilight drew nearer,

Things became a little clearer.

The fit of rage consuming the two members,

Was born out of jealousy and anger,

The reason why Wrath was far from mellow,

Was that Envy had stolen her fellow.

The foursome reached the sleepy bungalow,

Which, by night, had a hazy glow;

The moon was out, with a calm face,

And its light filled up the empty space.

The couples cordially departed

Into separate rooms, which were parted

By a thin wall which offered little privacy,

And the ladies hadn’t yet reached normalcy!

The two men were up for the job,

To contain the women, lest they sob,

But, Wrath was in a fit of rage,

Which Greed found difficult to assuage.

Night brought a pacifying effect,

And Slumber didn’t defect,

Its honey-heavy dew did the trick,

Which made the men a little sick!

The ambience was cosy inside,

Though a storm was raging outside,

A thunderclap yelped a terrible shout,

That was when the lights went out.

Darkness enveloped the entire house,

And a cat triumphantly caught an elusive mouse,

Envy got up for a glass of water,

She heard the rain pitter-patter.

She seemed in a pleasant mood,

Singing to herself, she didn’t brood;

Just then a hand came up from behind,

Which had her neck in a tight bind.

Moments later, there was a loud shriek,

And a falling body made the staircase creak.

The other members ran out,

No longer in slumber, without a doubt!

The trio saw a bloody sight,

Which had Envy in a horrid plight

Slowly she raised her wrist,

But died in the hazy midst...

Though this secret is death to hide,

It is you, who has to decide,

Was it he or was it she?—

Who caused the sudden demise!

Culprit!

I have walked many a mile,

And it gives me no reason to smile.

And, when you were sure this was a happy place,

You should have looked back and seen my face!

‘Cause there I was, silently observing,

Listening closely to every man’s craving;

It was then that I understood

It was desire that hid behind that hood!

Dissatisfied men with insatiable desires,

Rove the streets and burn fires!

It isn’t a disease, it’s a plague

That has every man in a heavy daze—

Brutal, never-forgiving, ever-controlling—

Its grasp has him always drooling

For zillions! For maybe a lot more—

It’s high time he swam back ashore.

Where we go from here is left to be seen,

The future doesn’t paint a rosy picture,

It, actually, is a scene—

Of mayhem, of carnage, of slaughter

Of one man at the hand of another,

Of races against races,

Of lives against lives—

This is where Satan happily thrives!

The face you look at is no longer human,

It has the eye of the devil—

Red as a ferret’s—

Desire bubbling deep inside it;

The wicked face contorted in a malicious smile,

As he holds on to jewels and dime—

He loots, he plunders, wreaks havoc

Just to fulfil his desire, his whim, his fancy.

And the world is never the same...

It never regains its normalcy!

A small note:

Everything wrong with the world today boils down to desire- man’s unnecessary need to have everything, deservingly or otherwise. The whim to conquer the whole world consumed Alexander, the Great. The British had a similar plan. George Bush was/is in the hunt for free oil. Hitler’s agenda was to prove the superiority of the Aryan race. Investment bankers caused recession because they believed 1+1 could make 1100 in the stock market.

Why is the history of mankind so maligned with documents of wars, peace treaties and wars again? Why is it that kings needed conquests to remain kings? Why is there the need for another million dollars when you have already earned your first one? Is it only to be called ‘successful’…? Isn’t it an unbridled ambition that eventually does more wrong than good?

‘Culprit!’ tries to raise many such questions. It’s a lament on the state of affairs that have remained unchanged since time immemorial and hence have been accepted as a norm. The lamenter in himself is not so important- it could be Nature, Mother Earth, God or just an onlooker, an observer. The poem ends with the realization that man, in the ever so powerful clutches of Greed, has become synonymous to the Devil; all hopes are lost and the world shall never regain its normalcy.

What if?

What if the sun never sets?

What if the sea never rests?

What if the moon never changes its shape?

What if the beavers look at you and gape?

What if the bud never pops?

What if the rain never stops?

What if the clouds never part?

What if journeys never start?

What if the fields wither and cattle perish?

What if all the meadows vanish?

What if the bird never sings?

What if the church bell never rings?

What if the flowers never bloom?

What if all beauty is wiped out?

What if the violent winds never cease?

What if the ship changes its course?

What if God’s own creations revolt against him?

What if they rise in mutiny and unleash the beast within?

What if they change the nature’s course of action?

What if they tamper with the fundamentals?

What if people forget how to speak?

What if they forget how to love?

What if they forget how to care?

What if you realise they are no longer there?

What if all happiness is gone?

What if all the stars burn out?

What if the world becomes flat?

What if the old run and kids pant?

What if the universe goes back to a nutshell?

What if the devil rings everybody’s death knell?

What if the world ceases to exist?

What if Man still doesn’t cease to persist?

What if all these questions are never answered?

What if all the seas can never be harboured?

What if all the ships can never be anchored?

What if the sheep lose their shepherd?

What if victory changes into defeat?

What if we can’t feel the ground beneath our feet?

What if the King suddenly drops dead?

What if these feelings are never stemmed?

What if?...