When the day is done
For the day
And the thoughts settle
In the quiet of the night
The thoughts find a resting place
Picking up the peculiar
And particular moments
The day had
When it had just begun
Rolling out the perfect hours
And those
Wasted, like an amateur
Trying to find the best time
Losing out
Swears by the alarm
At leisure
Counts the seconds and every minute
To cherish
Through the day
Together
The hands only met twice
Rest of the time, stretched wide
Apart
Running around in circles
Shrugging shoulders at ten past ten
The clock says
What is done is done

I had fallen in love with her at first sight
a six year old with eyes
moist with dewy tears
she stood among the other whining kids,
picked up from the compost heaps of life
her slight brown hair was tied
at the back into a ponytail.

in her torn pink frock and delicate frame,
she looked a fading rose.
on her face was the pain of desertion
with no Dad or Mom to kiss away the tears
or hold her close to the heart

the building with its cracked walls
had an aura of ruin about it.
everything, so shabby and stinking
and it was there that I met her

but among the many, locked up like caged birds
why did I single her out?
may be her cute look and seraphic innocence
made her so special!
even after I had left that place,
my thoughts kept returning to her
and I decided on making her happy somehow

the second time I went there,
i carried some knick knacks
and some sweets for the children to munch
also a parcel colorfully wrapped and tied with a ribbon
when I called her aloof
and handed that small gift,
i watched the twinkle in her little eyes

as she opened it with fumbling hands
curiosity peeked on her face and eyes
finally, when I took out the glossy frilled frock
she squealed in delight and clapped her hands.
saw her face aglow with excitement and joy.

into her bleak world I let out a flash of delight!