The Smell Of The Place... Part II

Much like Sumantra Ghoshal, I too have fall in love with the Smell Of The Place, the smell of Fontainebleau. And it's that's "smell" that drew back to Fonty's Grand Canal...

The neatly lined up trees show the foresight of André Le Nôtre, and Louis Le Vau, the designers of this place 350 years back...

The seductive charms of Nature,

...the rustle of the leaves...

...and the sound of the water flowing in the canal left me in a poetic mood. The Sounds Of Silence indeed say a lot...

The images will always be etched in my mind, even after we say Goodbye to Fontainebleau tomorrow...

The stunning clouds above make for a photograph perfect for a picture postcard...

And life on the Grand Canal will go on...

My idea of peace...

And my idea of rest...

The pretty flowers on the banks of the Canal seem to send a message...

...A message of love and harmony...

And so do these birds...

They seem like perfect companions...

That makes me wonder if companionship requires words to be spoken?

Or is the unspoken word that matters?

But humans are different...

We think we intelligent, but are we?

We crave company of others, but then we crave solitude...

Sigh! So many deep thoughts! Indeed, the Smell Of The Place, the magic of Fonty has grown over me. While I am sad to leave, I hope to be back, soon!

The Sounds Of Silence...

The rustle of leaves...

In the gentle breeze...

The birds chirping...

The sounds of water flowing..,

All in a melodious symphony...

And I listen to my heart beat...

I listen to myself...

All this while, did I forget myself?

In life....

Intoxicating, exhilarating as it may be...

But, I did leave a bit of "me", behind...

Lost, somewhere..,

In the cacophony of life...

Be The Rain.....

Don't be the storm,

That comes in all it's fury,

Devastates me,

Beats me,

Scars me forever....

Instead be the rain,

Soft, gentle and fragrant,

Be the rain that heals me, 

Caresses me....

Be the rain...

Be the life giver....

Be the joy...

Be the spring in my step...

Be the joy in my smile....

Be the rain in my life....

Soft, gentle and fragrant!

Horizons....

The Sun sets on the horizon,

It goes down in the distance,

And I look on...

Mighty waves break on the rocks...

Darkness creeps in on from behind,

The night is setting in...

I have indeed come far...

But the horizon beckons,

I have to leave the darkness behind...

And move forward towards the horizon... 

...where the Sun will shine tomorrow!

Always And Forever...

Miles separate us

Mountains and rivers separate us

But my heart yearns for you

For your soft hands that comfort me

For your big brown eyes that tell me how much you love me

Each moment doesn't pass without you in my mind...

So much I wish we could be together...

Right here,

Right now!

But surely,

You will be in my heart 

Always and forever!

हमेशा, हमेशा!

तुम दूर हो या पास, 

रहोगे हर ख्वाब में, 

हर सांस में,

हर धड़कन में,

हमेशा, हमेशा!

I Want to Fly... I Want to Soar!

I want to fly...

I want to soar...

See the world,

From the skies above...

It's a different world, up there...

Away from pain, deceit and despair...

The splendour of God's colours...

So pristine, so pure...

Are there to be seen,

To be cherished.

But it anguishes me, to think...

"What have done,

Down below?"

I want to fly...

I want to soar...

See the world,

From the skies above!

The Silent Cry

An old poem, written in 2003, picked up from my old "dusty" emails.....

She came into my life,
Like a dawn through the night.
The world all shone so bright.
Nothing mattered, but she and me.
A few joys, a few tears….
We had to share.

My heart jumped….
When I thought….
We’ll walk the trodden path….
Hand in hand.

‘I’ve someone waiting’ she said.
My achy heart trembled, skipped a beat
I gulped a tear and bid adieu.
The silent cry went unheard.

The Mirage of Love?

Through the sands of time,
Lonesome and weary,
The heart wanders…

The sun takes its toll…
Hungry, thirsty and tired,
The quest goes on…

Gusty winds take their toll.
Mighty dunes lie ahead,
But the elusive oasis beckons.

“There lies the oasis.”
The lonesome heart pounds fast,
Gets that will to go on.

But the mind wonders…
“Is it for real or is just another ….
Mirage of Love?”

Only if I had the words....

Who could say we could meet...

Despite the odds and the distances...

Yet we did...

Some call it destiny, some call it fate...

Only if I had the words...

To say what it is...

As I went along,

Feelings blossomed...

That intensity, the longing, the desperation...

To be with you, to talk to you...

Some call it love, some call it passion...

Only if I had the words...

To say what it is...

As I went along,

One fine day,

I succumbed to the feeling...

Decide to navigate life with you, together...

Through its ups and downs...

Through the storms and sunshine...

The feeling grows,

Gets so intense that it hurts,

Hurts really deep inside...

Only if I had the words...

To say what it is...

Whatever the world may call it...

I don't care, I don't bother...

All I know is she feels the same...

Feels the same, for me...

Only if I had the words...

To say what it is!

Hold My Hand

When it’s wet and dark,
When I’m down and out,
When I’m cold and blue,
Just Hold my Hand.

When it’s warm and sunny,
When it’s breezy and joyous,
When I’m happy and chirpy,
Just Hold my Hand.

Wipe my tears, trace my smile,
‘Cause hands that care,
Are hands that love.
Just Hold my Hand.

Hate to Say Bye

The sun goes down,
Darkness descends.

I hate to say bye.
But you have to go.

The warmth of dawn.
The bright rays of the sun.

They all come again.
So will you.

Dance of the Heartbeat‏

Days come and go…
The heart and mind…
Locked up in a conflict…
Reason and logic…
And convention…
These warriors, allied together…
Confront the heart.
With each beat, the heart seems to say:
"I beat for what I feel…
Should I accept…
Reason, logic and convention,
And then live to regret,
Not have done…
… what had to be done.
Not have said…
… what had to be said.
I’ll not live to regret,
I’ll go down fighting, but…
I’ll live to my beat.
I’ll dance to my beat!

The Love that Never Was

She walked into my life,
With a face that beamed with a radiance brighter than that of the sun.
With a warmth, that made my heart glow as bright as the sun.
She touched my heart like no one had.
Her voice soothed my innerself.

Together we moved a little while....
With that extra spring in every step.
It all seemed so bright and sunny.
The day would never end, it seemed.
'Till eternity, we'll walk together, hand in hand!'
My face lit up at this thought.

A moment later,
Vanished she was without a trace.
My lonesome heart trembled.
A tear-drop from my eye
Fell to the parched earth below.

I walked on.....
For life had to be lived.
Little did I know....
Where my tear fell,
There grew a shrub of red roses.
Red Roses of the Love that Never Was.

Death of Innocence

Does the city have a life?
The mad rush of day and night….
The stream of life….
The tempers, the trials, the tribulations.

The tears, the smiles,
Of loved ones and passers by….
All the little joys of nature….
Unnoticed, they all go….

The lure of lucre eggs us on.
But what have we lost?
The lust for life, the passion to be….
And innocence dies a death.

All that I want!

Up I go.......

on the long winding road.

The blue sky, the bright Sun,

The green hill, gushing streams,

All things big and small ...

Speak of a beauty....

But...

What use is all this

...... without that loving voice,

... those caring hands,

... that comforting smile.

To have her beside me....

Walk up, hand in hand

...... step by step,

... is all I want,

... is all I need!

(Dedicated, with lots of love, to Neeti)

A New Life

The blue sky looks down at the Earth,
Parched, lifeless, listless and barren,
Life on Earth looks up for mercy.
Little can the sky do to end its misery.

With each passing moment,
The fury of the Sun gets unbearable.
Phoebus laughs on seeing the agony below,
Oblivious of the invader on the horizon.

Trumpets herald the arrival of the army,
An army mightier than Alexander’s.
Splendid gray clouds come from all over.
Vanquishing the invincible Sun in no time.

The victorious soldiers invade the sky.
All over the sky – east, west, north and south,
Life is shielded from the fiery glare of the Sun.
The sky salutes the victors with darts of lightning.

The army pays its tribute to the Earth.
Drops of water rain down.
Lying dormant in the barren ground,
The impregnated seed comes to life!

Trumpets sound – A new life on Earth has come!

The Fury of the Flooded River

The flooded river flows down with all its fury.
No one in its way is spared.
Even the mighty rock is crushed to pebbles and dust.

There I am ......
Trapped in the flooded river.
Desperately trying to keep afloat,
My head above the water.
Battered and bruised I am...
My face cut, my body aches.

Weary I try to find my way to the banks....
I hope the woes would end soon...
"My feet will again kiss the sand on the bank"
I put in an extra effort at this thought...

The mighty river with all its momentum moves on.
It hits me back the harder I try to move to the banks....
I let out a cry of pain....
"God help me - Get me out of here"

I avoid a rock,
Pass by a whirlpool...
I heave a sigh of relief...
"Thank God I wasn't sucked in"

Forget all the pain and weariness for a moment...
I move with the flow....
Gradually, the force reduces, calmness and normality returns....
I begin to see the bright sunshine,
And hear the sweet song of the canary.

I make my way to the banks....
Once again my feet feel the firmness of the bank.
The warmth of the sand energises me.
I take a deep breath and bow my head in a Prayer
"God, Thanks for the strength to survive the ordeal"
I move on.....
For life has dreams....
Dreams to be fulfilled!

Footprints

The Sun rises, the Sun sets,
Seasons come, seasons go,
Years come, years go.

But….
The feeling is strong.
The longing is there.

Is it love?
Is it something more?
….. something deep?

I don’t know….
All I know is that….
The footprints are there….

Deep and timeless….
Sure they’ll stay on….
For years to come.

Who Am I?

Who Am I?

Puzzled am I,
When I wonder “Who am I?”

Am I the lonesome warrior,
Battling the mighty army ….
The army of time, fate and luck?

Or the ship,
On the stormy seas….
Being tossed up and down with the waves?

Am I the mind?
Or am I the Soul?

Am I more than mere existence?

Or am I mere existence?