A to Z of Happyness

Add smiles to faces around you,
Bend rules for the good of all,
Clap aloud at performances,
Dance to tunes even during freefall.

Eclectic is what life can be,
Fun-filled and enchanting,
Guffaws and hearty cheers,
Happyness unrelenting.

Invest in your future no holds barred,
Jump up in glory once in a while.
Kindness will hold you steady,
Longing also can make you smile.

Manage your time for work and fun:
Nastier the boss, bigger the gun;
Open happiness with him still,
Pour out oodles, refill after refill.

Quench the thirst for success,
Race harder each time you fall.
Stand up for mercy and peace,
Together we can, can’t we all?

Utter those magical words frequently,
Venerate the old, help the needy.
Work hard, play harder, steadily.
Xerox delight copiously.

Yesterday is gone, today is a gift,
Zeroes matter, but only after a digit!

Ode to a Motorcar Driver

The traffic snarls get nastier;
In an unswerving line I go.
But, perched in the middle of the road
Is an awkwardly big dumbo.

Lights red, engine purring,
It stands, assuming its right of birth,
Seeing a slight cranny to the right,
I duck in, underestimating the girth.

I back out and the stress eases,
Panting back to life, the monster moves.
With slight hesitation,
I resume my search for grooves.

‘Honk! Honk!’ goes the beast in front:
It’s another of my brethren…
The beast repays its debt with interest,
Hence, he and I get even.

The other animals part ways.
Now it’s only me and this oaf.
We go in blow for blow,
And he breaks like a roasted loaf.

Merry and contended, I race ahead,
But another fight is in the offing,
Dazzling my rearview mirror with luminescence;
Another fiend is in mood for some loafing.

Roadways drained, engines thundering,
A wild chase ensues—
Light and swift, I pass through gaps—
The trail goes cold, the thronging resumes.

The paths ahead converge into one.
Beasts pour in from the opposite direction,
High beams, high temper, high decibels—
All in mood for mad dereliction.

“We don’t want the whole path,
Just give us a tiny pass.
Use dipper at night, and…
Get your head out of your ass.”

Love,
A biker.

And the Kohl was smudged…

This is how it was going to be.
Now, this is how it will be.
Never in her heart she knew
Ever since her life started anew.

Words spoken in heat of moments.
Promises, made at drop of hats.
Lives turn at sharp right angles,
Turn, on top of their heads.

Love is a tricky notion—
She believed it not.
With stories and fairytales
Were her bookshelves stocked.

Butterflies and daisies,
Warm sun and playful rain,
Idle afternoons in cafés;
No tear, hassle or pain.

The pink diary knew all her secrets—
Who made her heart skip a beat?
What caught her eye in esplanades?—
All things lovely, all visual treats.

Hats at different, stylish angles;
Coats dressed with sharp elegance.
Ah those eyes! Those kohl laden eyes
Struck you with bizarre significance…

What this perfect picture craved
Was company, with smiles and hugs,
Sweet nothings and kisses;
And to ward off unpleasant thugs.

One monsoon day, the gloom was cleared—
Laughter and mirth filled the moist air.
The much craved for company,
At last, occupied the adjacent chair.

Days whizzed past, happy and fast,
Those eyes had found love divine,
Theatres, parties, drives and rides,
Only for her did the sun shine?

Happiness and Life seemed kindred spirits,
Even monsoon days lost their gloom.
Those eyes shimmered with brilliance,
And every night had a full, full moon!

Aching to be together forever, hastily,
The handsome couple tied the knot.
Sunshine held onto its gleam for sometime
But soon came the twist in plot.

Unaware of a lurking evil twin,
She went on with life with much joy.
But the company in spirit of youth,
Proved not more than a mere boy.

With the twin, he went abroad,
Leaving her behind in gloom.
No words spoken, promises broken,
Saddened cafés, lonely moons.

Twittering birds still raced her heart,
But she kept still in her chair,
All things lovely, all visual treats
Were to her no longer fair…

Sunlight danced around her eyes,
But those lustrous lips didn’t budge.
Her rouged cheeks pink, coats intact,
But the kohl was smudged…

And the kohl was smudged…