come, say, leave
it would be different
if you knew
i was deaf.

stay, look, love
it would be the same
if i knew
all the reasons

How Odd

From the first time I saw you
I have sown seeds each day
and connected
the dots our way.

From the last time I saw you
I have dreamt of an elevator
hung midway waiting
for lights to go out.

Since then

Every time I have seen you
I have plucked out one key
from the piano I wrote songs for.
.....................................................................

To Lies

This intricate mesh
of patterns
and floral trails
silken wefts
of exquisite colour
now only paler

has forever hidden
the undyed brown warp
the vision sharp
the pleading eyes
the clear skies
and your deceit
the shock of a memory

and the story
of one weaver or many
who wove this lace
but in time
only dust
showed  face.

unknown land
be kind
find fire
find water
find food
make way
tell tales
find fairies
play wind
move feet
bring dreams
bring him back
home

29

................................................................................................

Another 29th
will bring another time.
without your footprints
replaced by the same day
the same hours

and another face.

29th
will never be important.
It never tried to be.
It was me who kept count
the times it threw a pebble
and skipped the waters
It was 29.

This last 29th
is made of mirrors.
Songs of the river
sung outside a theater.
You will be a part of them now
and I will count
beyond 29.

Vidrohi's

मैं किसान हूँ
आसमान में धान बो रहा हूँ
कुछ लोग कह रहे हैं
कि पगले! आसमान में धान नहीं जमा करता
मैं कहता हूँ पगले!
अगर ज़मीन पर भगवान जम सकता है
...तो आसमान में धान भी जम सकता है
और अब तो दोनों में से कोई एक होकर रहेगा
या तो ज़मीन से भगवान उखड़ेगा
या आसमान में धान जमेगा.

letter 3- To Happiness

Happiness!
I have watched you sleeping
your breath floating
with the rhythm of your dreams.

Somewhere around you are stories
guarded by wizards,
dragons and time machines
The first story you read to me
was of a Chinese magician in an Indian book

Somewhere around you kittens play
and a betel nut rolls
They attack old strings,
large shoes and the flying curtains
It is said cats know where secrets are kept.

From somewhere around you I watch.
your fingers sometimes twitch
sometimes silence wakes you
the noise of my fears, of a blind heart
the fear of going blind!

Frame

The pictures

that you took last winter

and the years before,

I left my

fingerprints on them,

All this while

did you happen to notice?

that i haven't rubbed them off!

There were some pictures

that I stole

from your neighbours,

some I stole from stories,

In all

you searched for me.

Still

there are others

that you put on your walls

many swaying under weight

Of them

some I had played with once.

In this

museum of memories

I have often mixed my pictures

and left them alone to speak

Only that, they

never heard from you.

Letter 2

Dear dream

still everyday

i kiss your eyes

then the corner of your lips

and talk to you of my shades.

I come to you like salt

with lust

and find you in blurred colours.

I come to you like silver

with truth

that pierced my skin as well.

I come to you as milk

innocently trying

to find a heartbeat in your core.

I come to you as moon

naked with my flaws

to be perfect in you.

I come to you as satin

just plain

choking million breaths

Dear dream

I come to you in a white shirt

wrinkled

and several sizes large.

Put me to sleep, now I am only white.

Win

From between
a handful of people
you watched

I watched you
through the tiny lens
and swayed drunk

Drunk in your pride
the yellow lights look green
like jealous green

The green stayed out
for we both wore black
and our insides were full

Our insides have pride
pride and pride
i wish some of it was just you and me

You could smile then
i could find several reasons
for a silly grin