Wings

Free as a bird

            I spread out my wings

Skimming the clouds

            I rush by the wind

Left all behind

            I set out in search

Of things unknown

            To know in good time

To breathe in the spray

            Of salt laden waves

I soak in the heat

            Of the sun on the sands

But I stop not to pause

            For fear I get burnt

Or buried beneath

            The warm golden sand

To live as a worm

            The rest of my life

Buried in gold

            In the warm lovely sand

Much rather I would

            Rush into the waves

Swim far as I could

            Then get carried away

Drift on ashore

            On to gold or to rocks

Or drown in the waves

            That rush all around

To live as a bird

            With freedom on wings

To fly and to choose

            Above destiny’s design

To feel in command

            Of atleast one life

The life that belongs

            To this pair of wings.

Finding Grounding

There is a distant star far above
It is smiling down at me
It is calling out in a tender tone
And touching my heart so softly
And when I look up to catch its shine
That penetrates my eyes and gaze
The message come though clear and straight
"You're not alone out there"

"Millions of eyes look up to me,
And another millions look right through
And adding to them the third million
Who never knew of my existence.
Six million legs are walking each day
Six million hands are working by the hour
There are half this number of minds that can think
And half this number of voices afloat"

I look down now at the ground
That is supporting me steadily
This porous earth where rabbits burrow
Where channels are cut by fast flowing streams
Cant believe its round all over
With each one of us a tiny speck.

I turn now to look within
Oh I'm a lonely loner there
The sole master and sole servant
The sole competitor in a sea of races
Sole judge, sole criticizer,
Nothing to fear, nobody around.

Yet unsurity and hesitation prevails
Discontentment and dissatisfactions lurk
Boredom and loneliness are taking their toll
As they gradually reduce me to a wreck

Arise, awake, I'm the captain in charge
The crew and passengers are screaming
The waves are splashing, my head is reeling.

Alas,  I cannot let this ship sink
Because I am not only the captain and crew
But also the trusting passengers
And I owe it to them to keep us afloat
Till we have the confidence to resume our course
To take th battering storm fearlessly
When we are assured of our own stability

For then I'll look up to my star
And return his patient steady smile
Not just to him, but to nine million
Who shine on contently, assured of themselves

Then see the ground below my feet
And kiss the earth that stands me upright
Experience the quivers that rock me through
While one part of me deep inside
Wont rock
 It smiles at the stars.

Inspired by Mumbai Monsoons

I wonder how it would be to evaporate into air like water, formless, ...identityless, ... keep drifting somewhere and then suddenly come down as rain - hitting all the people scurrying thru the streets, tearing through the rooftops, flooding streets and drains alike!
If I had a choice though, I would like to fall in a rain forest where there are big yellow butterflies and for a while I'd ride on a butterfly's wing, like a dew drop on a soft petal. When it shakes me off in a colourful flutter I'd flow into a rivulet, get carried through mossy rocks, and cascade down a precepie to swirl in winding circles in a deep green pool.

Death

Time has stopped, the wind has stilled
The falling leaves just halted in air
Oh sweet flower that ceased to bloom
Do not fret, do not fret, do not fret

The tide came in, the waves rose high
The spray froze up in mid air
Your sail is right but you will drown
And stay that way, that way deep down

My heart has stopped, my mind goes on
My brain is consumed in figuring all out
Oh life without a soul, body without a heart
You will cease, you will cease, you will cease.

Depression

Time has stopped;the wind has stilled
The falling leaves just halted in mid-air
Oh sweet flowers that ceased to bloom,
Do not fret, do not fret, do not fret.

The tide came in, the waves rose high
The spray froze as bubbles in air
Your sail is right, but you will drown
And stay that way deep down, deep down.

My heart has stopped, my mind goes on
My brain is consumed in figuring all out
Oh life without a soul, body without a heart
You will cease, you will cease, you will cease.