I love the word melange
It sounds not-so-ordinary  
Though not so extraordinary
But I feel a notch above the rest when I use it
So much so for being pretentious

And without being rambunctious
I’ll say that I find —
It describes, perfectly, the state of my mind —
Some happy thoughts, some with twists
Some clear ones, some fogged with mist
Some good, others amiss
A curious melange of thoughts
Of that and this
And that, I suppose, is also what life is.

Chocolate silk
satin  smooth
every bite
melts within

Finger licking
temptation
but a touch
I give in

Scent a taste
fills the head
feel the senses
reel and  spin.

But a glimpse -
happiness
all cream 'n  soft
I begin

Sweet trail
on the lips
on laughter lines
almond skin

Oh some more
the heart pleads
and there I sink -
in chocolate whim

Monsoon Rhapsody by Nishu Mathur

I am rain on a summer day
Drenching drowsy, lifeless buds
Stirring them to a dancing wakefulness
Washing leaves dull and dry with dust
Dousing fire in a desert ringed inferno

I am the drizzle on a pale moon night
Easing into the heart with music
The melange of water humming with the wind
The splash of puddles in fields of barley
Gently filling thirsty river beds craving for a flow

I am showers before monsoons
Impregnating the air with soothing droplets
The hint of life in an oasis of colours
Breathing moist on a farmer's bronzed skin
Tingling the world with shimmering emerald

I am sawan, the monsoons
Winding my way through a chorus of clouds
Thundering my presence into the sea of renewal
Cascading on sandy shores that glisten with light
Whisking away waves of gold with jubilant darkness

I drape the land in arrays of greens
Scent the soil in my fragrance
Dance with the rhapsodic dance of the peacock
Wreathe petals into flowers that vine
And curve in the soil of growth.

In the evening sky
he hung in celestial glory
I thought he came early

As the blue paled
he became brighter

Luminous, white and bold
I loved him dearly
I held him in my hands and heart
cupped his fullness
in my eyes

He moved with me
I watched captivated

I stood in his golden light
and beauty
soaking in silver slivers
into my soul from my skin

Now he lives in me
and I in him

On Loving You

I thought of a thousand reasons
why I shouldn't love you
I made a tally
a little score;
I thought and I thought
and I thought
only to know
how now I
love you even more


So Much Love to Give

A lifetime isn't enough for loving you
I have so much love to give
And if I could I would, my love
Just to love you
Another life I'd live.


Vintage Wine

Rich golden peaches
Bottled in a vintage wine
Heady
Sweet
Overwhelming -
This dear love of mine.


Like Chocolate

Gooey
Molten
Mushy
Warm

I melt like
Chocolate
In your arms

The copper bells glisten
Swaying in the sunshine
I pause as I listen
To the tinkling
Of the wind chimes

In the distance, they ring
A gentle melody -
I hear their songs
The unsaid words they sing

How sweet is their music
Sweet the joy they bring
Such is the wonder -
The magic of little things

Every time I’m happy, for reasons I don’t know,
Lights flash in my heart and it kind of . . . . discos.

Why not a waltz, polka, salsa, jive, tango or calypso?
Of all dances, I am not sure why it chooses to disco.

Perhaps, it’s a dance that it can dance on it’s own,
A dance in merry solitude when I might be alone.

Maybe, I grew up in the time when Saturday Night Fever was in tow,
When pop charts went tizzy with songs that’d make the world boom-boom go.

Maybe, my heart beats to the rhythm of life, at times funky, at times slow,
Maybe, it’s in tune with electronic sounds around me — that in a humdrum, flow.

The top left chamber of my heart, leaps, jumps and thumps so,
The bottom right chamber shakes a leg to a psychedelic-lights-show.
My arteries and ventricles throb and pulsate oh . . . OH!
Pumping blood in a sudden rush all the way to my toes.

And like the ever-glittering disco ball, I spin, shine and glow,
Every time I’m happy, my heart jumps . . . And a-dancing it goes

A calf is revered
A bird is cared for
The homeless have a bed
The wounded are nursed
The desperate given hope
A hungry child is fed

It is happiness
When a tear is wiped
And hands join in love
To erase slivers of
Sorrow and sadness
To hold each other up

That is to be human
Who we are
That indeed is to be
Forever, I bow to
And forever salute
The spirit of humanity

It is the same garden that holds,
Prickly rose bushes,
Healing basil and spritely marigolds.

It is here the bees fly, birds rest their wings,
It is here every morning the nightingale sings.
It is here the hare scampers, the squirrel scurries,
The snake slithers, the rodent hurries.
It is here the gecko hides, the worm crawls,
The bat flies when darkness falls.

In the mud and the dirt, the soil and the gravel,
In coarse little stones, smooth little pebbles,
In  topaz skies, in waters azure,
In a lotus that blossoms in a world impure.
In the siesta of flowers, the fiesta of leaves,
In the dance of raindrops serenaded by  a breeze.
In summer's golden glare, autumns russet finger
In the green breath of spring, the white hand of winter..

Beauty in His creations, in every season,
In every color for a rainbow of reasons.
Each special and each rare,
Each, in a bough or burrow,
Has a niche somewhere.

No shadows of yesterday
will cloud now
no clouds of tomorrow
shadow today
the sky may be bright or dark
I'll see what I see
without grey

Memories of the past
won't haunt
what future brings
I cannot see
but in now will I linger for today
yesterday and tomorrow
will have to be

Hands of time pull and tug
creating furrows
in the brow
but today I will not
be held ransom
for I must make the most
of now

Smooth or cobbled
petals or pebbles
all shall come my way —
but why should I let
a cobweb of a thought
steal my day
today

Every morning when I am making tea,
I wish most fervently,
To become an electric KETTLE.

It most certainly won't  matter to me,
I'll accept it most gracefully,
Be I of ceramic or METAL.

For one moment I'm dancing with glee,
The next sobbing most piteously,
These wretched hormones don't SETTLE.

Once I whistled so daintily,
Now I  breathe so monstrously,
No longer a rose PETAL.

I may boil, then boil most furiously,
Then click off automatically,
Before I sting like NETTLE.

Splutter, bubble, gurgling I be,
Then cool and calm..so peacefully ,
There I ..in fine FETTLE!

Don't judge me by my looks
And don't read me by the books
I am brash and I am kind
I am hard to define
I am bold. I am shy
I am grounded, but I fly
I love, and I give
I cradle, I forgive
Though soft I may feel
I am thunder, I am steel
I am smiles and I am laughter
I am happily ever after
I am tears and I am ache
I am a mess when I break
I hold tightly, but I know
When it's time to let go
I am dove, I am hawk
I am the rose and the rock
I am rain. I am sun
I am I. I am woman



Thank you all so much **

I made those paper boats to sail
Folded by hands eagerly  
Then floated them in streams of rain
Now, they come to float in memories

A splash of toes in puddles of mud
As heaven's water washed the eyes
A song on lips of clouds and rain
As I raised my arms to hug the skies

So free and wild those days of yore
Such innocence in  breath of dawn
Laughter lingered through the  night
Oh, how quickly have those days all gone

And stories that grandmother told
Weaves and yarns that life unmasked
Now come back to me in dreams that drift
Like paper boats of the past

No ode for you, periwinkles
No exalted verse or prose
No lover's gift you will be
Unlike the regal rose
Not placed in summer bouquets
In vases - never seen
Nor gracing dark tresses
Nor found in floats of dreams
Yet sweet you are to me
Happy in blue and white
With your merry little faces
Like fairies and lithe sprites.

If trees be poems by the earth
In avid joy I read each one
Florets writ in fragrant verse
Inked with beams of the morning sun
In shade, a fruit, a whiff of air
I rest beneath wide branches spread
A cavort of emerald canopy
Bestows comfort upon my breath
I lean against the bark, recline
And think of how it stands in time

Through tunneled years it's stoic trunk
Stands proud against frost and rain
Drops it's leaves to nakedness
Till spring dresses in green again  
On but an arm, the  koel sings
'Tis home to birds that weave a nest
Haven to sojourners ache
Clasp around, hold close to breast
I trace the names of love engraved
Now forgot; asleep in graves

On felled bark my soul I pen
On papyrus the past I feel
The murmured songs of sentiments
In susurrus as branches kneel.
Nymphs would hide or fairies entreat
With fireflies in silver light
Creatures tip toe on their feet
Lithe, in the darkness of the night
In engraved lines meaning I see
What better song, what poetree?



Trees are poems that the earth writes upon the sky -  Gibran

They say that poetry doesn’t sell.

But then is poetry ever on sale?
Is poetry a commodity?
Is happiness on sale?
Is hope on sale? Is love on sale?

A poem could be a chunk of reality. Ramblings of a broken heart. A slice of humour. A beacon of light.

In the darkest of times, I have found poems that in a few words, beam rays of sunshine. That soothe unknown aches and pains. That hold my hand and pull me up. Bit by bit.

I may remain the proverbial ‘poor’ poet with large empty pockets. But poetry enriches me.

It casts a spell.  
So what if poetry doesn’t sell?

And what do I serve with tea?

Of a cake layered with words - a slice
A croissant with stirring smilies
A quiche with quaint archaic spice -
Fresh from a poet's repository.

In the clink and chime of quills and pots
And spoons that stir the brewing tea
Dark or creamed, winter or spring
Here's to a cup of poetry.

The bakula and the madhumalti
Sway in the warm wind
Watching children play
In stained shirts
With mud-filled nails
Bare feet and beady drops of laughter
Unmindful of the heat
While a dog playfully rolls over
Trying to catch the sunlight
That falls through the trees

A white-eye flies low,
resting on the firangipani tree
Butterflies dance around the hibiscus
And bees swarm
Hedges have blossomed with flowers

And the mynah calls from outside—
To awaken the forgotten child in an older heart
And tell her that summer reigns

A journey from a city to a small town,
And I thought... I would go down,
(I was nervous, not too many adventurous  bones,
Not everyone, after all, is Indiana Jones..)
A rickety-rackety propeller plane ride,
Tossed and hurled me from side to side.

Amidst jets that sniggered and scoffed,
The propeller plane, nonchalantly, took off.
The gall of the small contraption,
Of their majestic magnitude, just a fraction.
A take off with a war  cry,
A noisy leap  into the sky.
And though perhaps lagging in the race,
He chugged at his own pace…
He rocked and he plunged,
He plunged and he lunged,
He  shuddered and he swayed…
Rather unsteady all the way.
Bullied oft, by  clouds of turbulence,
That looked menacingly dark and intense.
But all the while, in tune,  in sync,
With the wind beneath his wings...
And though I thought he would nose dive,
We landed and we arrived!

Interesting it was to see him share space,
In the hangar, in the sky, while defining his own place.

In a reverie of joyous thoughts
I take myself to other worlds
Where tinkling streams of crystal flow
And summer breezes gently blow

Where beds of darkness love to  bloom
Beneath the cusp of a crescent moon
And stars that shine their light bright
Silver the paling ends of night

And when at dawn, the sun rises
To write poetry with rays of quill
The hills come alive with the scented  ink
Of  sunflowers and daffodils

Here clouds at dusk touch the earth
And drizzle rain on yearning trees
Nature's rhapsodic songs
Sing in unchained melodies

In this world of happy thoughts
Such sweet and joyous visions see
I linger there, longer to dream
In the solitude of a reverie

I love the rain, but you dote on the sun
I sing for spring flowers and life-like trees
I gaze at the stars when the day is done
But you hide from the dusky canopy.
Your eyes are violet, but mine are not
Your hair is auburn, mine is like night
What I think each day are not your thoughts
Neither are we wrong, nor in the right.
Beneath the veneer, behind given names
I walk my walk and you do what you do
Despite the differences, we are the same
A heart beats in me as it does in you.
Together, let's revel in being alive -
Dance to the beats of the rhythm of life

Rise softly, rise gently, waking dawn
And let the drowsy sun yawn a while
Beside me, my love sleeps in peaceful bliss
With crescent eyes and a crescent smile
The morning breeze may tease the blooms
That wait to unfold with the sun's blush
- But softly, blow gently, oh morning breeze
Let the wind chimes be still, quiet, hushed

Rest your melodies, singing birds and bees
And cease the fluttering of your wings
The hum, the drone, the medleys
Quiet the rustling and the whispering
Why gurgle so loud - river- change your course
Flow far away, past the mangroves
For how lustily you gush, bubbles and froth
Shhshh...love sleeps - eyes closed

But alas - the river stays, making its music
The birds from their songs shall never cease
And the morning breeze breathes free
Tinkling wind chimes, hustling leaves
Rise - the sun shall and burst in gold
And the world'll be in daylight's warm embrace
My love will waken yet I still revel -
For sun lights the grace of my love's face

At one time
I would scour the skies
looking for the moon, the stars
and some odd galaxy

But now, distant as I am
And wont to hide
I wonder if they scour the earth
And look for me

I would be summer to your heart
And ochre autumn to colour days
Winter too, in all her mystic beauty
And spring in her glorious array

I would be the cool summer rain
That gently falls from an open sky
Or the winter's welcome mellow sun
That warms a face with a smile

I would be too, the heady breeze
That dances and sings melodies
The joy of all seasons that lifts the heart
And shields life neath its canopy



Inspired by -
Edna St. Vincent Millay -I know I am but summer to your heart.

I would love to be summer to your heart 
And autumn to brightly colour your days 
Winter too - in her graceful beauty 
And spring in all her glorious array 

I would love to be the summer rain 
That falls on you from an open sky 
Or the winter's welcome golden sun 
That warms and touches with a smile

I would love to be that blowing breeze 
That sings  the sweetest melodies 
The joy of seasons - that lifts the heart
Shielding you neath love's canopy

Blue skies call on me
Clouds float with a toss of their fluff
Ripples ripple in the lake
Birds pirouette to their own songs
The butterflies tango with the roses
The hibiscus sway
A million leaves sashay
The wind taps at my window
Seems to take my hand —
"Shall we…
Shall we dance?"

Sometimes - the universe comes to the rescue
On a down and out day.
Even when the world seems upside down
The sun shines from somewhere brightening the skies of the mind
The sun rays beam through the radio in much loved songs that play one after the other
Or a little surprise that draws a smile
A considerate gesture that gives wings
Signs they seem to be -
Coaxing us to look up
Lifelines of hope
And one holds on to them
With utmost gratitude.

Take your quill and pen some notes
Love lyrics in melody 
Songs of passion and romance
Write them, love, just for me

Strike a chord, hum a note
Give the words music sweet
Make my heart go flutterin' tappin'
Sweep me off my feet

Then sing them baby like you do
But sing them soft and low
Don't pitch a note too high, my love
For off key you do go

Clear your throat and gargle
Then sing a pretty tune
 Drink some honey lemon tea
Then smoothly you might croon

My hearts a buzz with throbbin' romance
But then it goes off course
Your love notes go all awry, sorry
And you my love sound hoarse

So sing me a love song baby
Try not to go off key
I'll waltz into your waitin' arms 
Love- dancin' you and me

you're lost in your own world
is that where you'd rather be?
step out for a moment
come walk with me

a hostage of your own thoughts
why don't you let them be?
think what I think for a moment
let go, breathe free

you won't look me in the eyes
see what I want you to see
stop for a moment and look
there's just you and me

I don't know where you're heading
you say it's destiny
slow down a bit for love
come walk with me

Yoke smiles
And twinkles from the eyes
Blend them together
Whisk, whisk, whisk
Till it all bubbles to
A perfect frothy fluffiness -

Heat some love
And tender words
Add fruit of human kindness
Mix, mix, mix
Some rinds of laughter
Blend it all well, in folds

Cup this
Into lightly buttered hands
Of giving

Then warm the heart
And put it in to bake

See happiness rise to a perfect gold

A simple recipe - the soufflé of life

Crisp outside
Molten and soft happiness within

Out-dated
Understated
Strange clothes and hair
That make some stare
Or all snazzy
And jazzy
Dressed to stun
For love or for fun

Whoever we are
And whatever we are
Fashion freaks
Cool and chic
Couldn’t care less
Overdressed

The one thing
We can all wear
Is a smile

Because a smile -
Is always in style

Hear the gentle summer breeze
Whisking through gulmohar leaves
In the music of wind chimes
Tinkling songs of summer time
Feel her quiet on the skin
Filling hearts imaginings
See her as the blossoms dance
In the cusp of dawn's romance
In saplings that take a bow
In wind blown hair tousled now
Petals touched by her stir
Silken soft in gossamer
Light and dark shadows play
On shrubs of green bunched bouquet
While butterflies and bees sup
Drink nectar from sun's molten cup

Summer moonlight that casts its spell
On beds of flowers and boughs on trees
That soaks the earth in ivory
Has spun a summer spell on me
For everywhere does beauty lie
With the moon aglow on the green and blue
Dreams cradle in rays that fall
'Fore dawn wakes with eyes of dew
And the stars scattered in the sky
That glow beside the sliver's light
Spin stories of worlds above
Down below in the heat of night
- Though sultry the summer air
Warm the breath of wind through trees
Yet the crest of ivory
Has spun a summer spell on me

Through the dancing leaves of the palms
And tufts of clouds that fill the skies 
Like a hymn, a song, a prayer, a psalm 
How beautiful is the sunrise
Curve by curve - gently rising 
The orb of pink, then orange glow 
Eyes like spheres hold the lighting 
Enthralled as the gold grows
Inch by inch, his presence felt 
The majestic sun - so bows the night 
Heating the ground - the day melts 
The breath of rays; the hope of life 
Sing the birds their morning song 
Spreading their wings to fly in bliss 
I too sing along 
Touched by the warmth -
And sun-kissed

I see it beaming through the windows
I see it slanting through the doors
It’s jiving on the ceiling
It's waltzing on the floor
It's smiling on the potted plants
On red flower beds and vines
It's quilting skies with gold
And lighting up wind chimes
A silken web is glistening -
The gossamer that's spun
I'll keep my share of sun shine
A pocket full of sun.

Don't wrap me in a hearse of gloom
When it's time for me to go 

Don't drape yourself in black or white 
But in the colours of a rainbow

Shed no tears of death in life 
Let your heart feel no  pain 

For I will be in a sky of blue
With sunshine in a frame 

Spread my ashes far in a river 
I'll flow and meet the sea 

On waves of moon bathed silver 
Sailing I shall be 

Leave me too with flowers 
With marigolds I will stay

A whim of floral frenzy 
Will touch the sombre  grey 

I, a part of earth and water 
Why mope and sigh and grieve  

Burned by flames of pure fire 
I'll float like a feather on a leaf 

Though with a cry we arrive 
There's laughter when we're born 

Let the smiles linger on
Why make it oh, forlorn 

No tears of death in life 
No crease, no sorrow's crinkle

Think of me with happiness 
And know me in a twinkle 

Don't wrap me in a hearse of gloom 
When it's time for me to go 

Don't drape me in black or white 
But in the colours of a rainbow

No floats of clouds in the sky
No clouds gather in the eye
An endless sky of cobalt blue
Stretches in leisurely languor -
Threads of gossamer softly gleam
In moments that time has spun
Besides them, like the smiling marigolds -
I soak up the sun

Red wine 
Dark chocolate 
A warm night 
Love and lust

The moon winks 
The stars hide 
The clouds pink
In crimson blush 

Summer breeze 
Candles flicker 
Flames dance 
All is shed 

You burn me softly 
With your love 
And fire me 
With kisses red

Sheets tangle
In silken passion 
There's you 
And there's me 

More than romance 
Is romance 
'Tis love in rhythm 
And sweet poetry

The red hibiscus bloom and beside them I see
The growing bark of the amaltas tree
That's slowly inching towards the sky
Eager to branch as time goes by.
Soon, it'll shadow the hibiscus and the grass
With its arms on the morrow, and roots in the past
And birds will gather on its golden boughs
To nest and sing their songs of now.