Give and take

Strictly business

Giving and receiving

Love? Maybe.

In the fields
of the Netherlands
Tulips of different hues
are in full bloom.

An open invite
to all the butterflies and bees.
Watching them play around,
what a delightful sight
to the eyes of the beholder.

A moment of joy
for all nature lovers.

What makes life meaningful?

Understanding another's

pain and suffering–perhaps.

Not all rivers
end up in the ocean–
doesn't make their journey
less worthy.

Not all love
ends up in a lover's arms–
doesn't make it any less
worthy.

One can only give
what one has

Be it love
or
Be it hate.

You said I had
a diamond heart.

Is that why
you crushed it –
thought it wouldn't hurt?

I always loved blue–
the blue sky
the blue ocean
my little blue pen.
I painted oceans on canvas
in various shades of blue.

But today, I am blue with
every bitter memory I have
of you.

I never understood life.

Well, who cares –

Life never understood me either.

I love you enough
to give you my life –

but not enough
to surrender my freedom.

Loving you

was not my fault –

telling you was.

You gave me
all your light
so that I may
shine bright.

Now that
your light
is fading
it is my time
to give,
to reflect back
all your light
so that you
may shine again

For you
For me
and
For all who
seek your light.

You left,

but love stayed,

and so did pain.

The more it hurts

The more you realize

The depth of your own love.

I want to break
all the shackles
that bind my heart
to you.
I want to break free.

Take away all the hurt.  
Take away all the pain.
I want to breathe.
I  want to break free.

If humans had no emotions,

poetry wouldn't have existed.

Loving you was my crime.

You punished me for life.

Love is not a poem
written on paper
that someone can tear
and throw away.

It is a spark that
once it touches
the heart,

it keeps burning
in the heart
for the entire lifetime.

Sometimes it appears
on the lips
as a smile

and

sometimes it appears
from the eyes
as tears.

When my eyes met yours,
my heart felt a unique feeling.  

Is this the feeling
that the world calls love?

It was my love
that gave you
the power to
hurt me.

तुमसे जो नज़रें मिली,
दिल को एक अनोखा एहसास हुआ|

क्या यही वो अहसास है,
जिसे प्यार कहती है ये दुनिया ?

I know not what you seek.
Don't understand the language
you speak.
All I know is,
you  possess a heart of gold–
a precious treasure
that cannot be sold.

Your kindness is like,
an unending river.
Wherever you go,
you spread love
and pleasure like a gentle breeze.

You are bound to no one,
yet you belong to everyone
whomever you touch.
Who are you,  
an enigma that I seek?

In the silence of night

wounds of the heart scream.

Meet my new friend,
her name is Pain.

She always stays by me,
never leaves my side,
no matter what.

She promised to stay with me
my whole life long
until it is my time to go.

So we both wait patiently
until that day arrives,
when she will hold my hand
for one last time,
put me to my grave and
bid her last goodbye.

In a faraway land,
there was a place
called Forgetland.
It was a place where
people could have their
memories erased.
Many people,
burdened with sad memories,
went there.
Among them were
two friends.

When they reached there,  
they were called
one by one.
One of the friends
went first, and
returned after a while.
He looked happy.

His friend was happy
to see him happy too,
and went to greet him.
He asked him how he felt.
He replied, "I am feeling very happy,
but who are you?"

I can always
forgive you.

Just tell me
how to forget you?

A reminder of an ex-lover?
An unstitched wound?
An uninvited guest?
An unbearable pain?

All the unanswered questions
haunt me now day and night.

Life is given to us,
it will be taken away.
When and how,
we won't know-
till it is our time.

A disease or disaster,

road rage or domestic violence,

war or Mother Nature's fury,  

                     or maybe
                    
                       just love.

When there is a storm outside,
you take shelter in your home
till the storm passes.

What do you do
when there's a storm
inside you?
How do you run away?
Where do you hide?

All you can do is
stay in it-
let it tear you apart.

चाहत कागज़ पे लिखी कोई कविता नहीं
जिसे फाड़ कर फेंक दे कोई |
ये वो चिंगारी है जो
एक बार दिल को छू जाए तो
सारी उमर दिल में जलती रहती है |
कभी मुस्कान बनके होठों पर नज़र आती है
और कभी आंसू बनकर
आंखों से झलक जाती है|

Like a bus stop,
my heart was
to you.

You came,
stayed briefly,
then left -

like it was nothing,
as if it were
made of concrete.

It's not the fall,
but how you rise
after the fall
that defines you.

Silence is not
a weakness.

It's only an act
of non-violence.

If you're not beautiful,
be thankful -
for beauty is a mask
that hides the real you.

People who love you
will always see the beauty in you,
no matter how you look.

Love will not survive
if not accompanied by trust.

I never needed you.  

I only wanted you.

You are the sun,
I am your mirror.
I reflect your light
back to you.

Your rays touch me -
mine never reaches you.

Words cut deeper

than the sharpest
of knives.

One day, I was sitting idle,
feeling so lost, so lonely,
wishing for a friend
who would sit by me,
listen to me and make me smile.

A thought crossed my mind-
why not create a new friend?
So I decided to create one.

I took out my paints, brushes,
and a pristine canvas.
I painted a portrait of a girl.

Flowing hair, gentle eyes and
a beautiful calming smile.
I named her Ayliz (The Moon).

Now, every time I feel
lonely and sad,
I speak to her,
and she silently listens.
Her smile has healing power -
it makes me feel better.

A man, dejected
with a broken heart,
snapped all the ties
from his world,
roamed about places
one to the next
in search of peace.

One day he found himself
in a distant Fairy Land.
The fairies were surprised
to find him amongst them.
One fairy asked him
what he wanted.
Taken aback by the question
he said ,"A new heart."
The fairy said,"Don't worry, we do have a heart shop."
She took him there.
There he saw all kinds of hearts-
Some made of gold, some of silver,
and some normal too.

In another corner he saw
a collection of broken hearts
beautifully kept.
Out of curiosity he asked the fairy
why they kept those broken hearts.
She smiled and said,
"They are the epic story tellers."
Amazed by her words,
he left with his broken heart
back to his world.

Perfection is-
an imperfect word
in this imperfect world.

I will live on
with or without you.

I won't cry,
I  won't die.
I will live on
with or without you.

With you, life can be
a smooth journey.
Without you
it will be lonely,
but
I will live on
With or without you.

My life is not mine alone -
It's tethered to my family and friends.
For them,
I will live on
with or without you.

The storm has passed.  
Now there is silence.
Pain is silently sitting
in some corners of my heart,
waiting to drift into a deep slumber,  
never to be awakened again.

What will tomorrow bring?
    
           Joy
           or
        Sorrow?

        Hope
          or
       Despair?

Will the sun smile tomorrow
            or
will the clouds cry?

Will someone find love tomorrow
          or
Will a heart break?

Let's hope for the best
      but
prepare for the worst -

     because
No matter what,
Tomorrow will come.

Sorry doesn't change a thing

what's broken
remains broken.

The walls that are
invisible to the eye
are the hardest
ones to break.

When I was alone
in my world.
Alone, but never lonely.
Colours and canvases-
my only friends.
With no one
to care or bother.
You came along,
changed it all.
Now gone.

My life was
an open book.
You just forgot
to read a few chapters.

Every morning I wake up
feeling a void in my heart.  
I stare at the friendly knife,
wishing to soak it
in my pool of blood.

The people we meet in life
always stay with us -
some as beautiful memories,
and
some as ugly scars.

A shelter in your heart I seek,  
to hide from all the miseries and grief.
I will wait for the day
when you reopen your heart for me.