The presentation

The presentation




Intense was the preparation,

For the all important presentation,

That art of collecting argument for selling a point,

To create a illusion of wealth, health or viability of the joint,

O for how long will you , O mind ,the confused association make,

Between a single event and the passage,

Not distinguish wedding from a marriage,

Or the stature of a person, from the poise of their carriage,

The poetry, from the inspirations' source,

The illusion,that is this world, from its' sustaining force,

How much disappointment, disillusionment and heartache,

O gullible mind ,will it take ,

To learn to differentiate,

Between the substance and the package ?




--shubha

Defiant

Defiant

In the middle of the busy construction site
A lone tree stood, Defiant against Man's mighty machines,
And his unbridled want,
As machines rumbled slowly
Clearing away the remains of his fallen brethren,
To feed their insatiable desire for growth
And warm their hearth
But as I watched men work to plant saplings
In a nearby site,
It renewed hope that in this cycle of
Destruction and creation
Balance will prevail.

--shubha

My Quarrel with Mr.Squirrel

My Quarrel with Mr.Squirrel

Would you like to hear a tale
Of my quarrel,
With Mr.squirrel?
My brand new tomato plant
Grew tall and green,
And a little green tomato hung where the flower had been,
Along came Mr. Squirrel
With a flash of his bushy tail
Plucked my poor tomato
And vanished into thin air pale,
And that was the beginning of my quarrel,
With pesky Mr. squirrel
Next day I put up a fence and a wire mesh,
To keep out Mr. Squirrel and my tomatoes fresh,
But the naughty little squirrel was not to be beat,
He clambered, climbed and scampered,
Until he achieved the feat
Very quickly did my anger rise,
Until I looked into his innocent brown eyes,
And consoled myself that although,
There may not be any garden salads that year,
Perhaps I had raised some goodwill,
And spread Mr. Squirrel some cheer.


--shubha

Eyes

Eyes

Ecstatic eyes shining with joy , happiness spool,
Yearning it creates, to drown in those liquid pools,
Embers of coal that smolder with passion sure,
Shining with love all enveloping and pure

Is that their allure?
Or can the magic ,of these windows to your soul, be,
That these windows reflect me ?

--shubha

Rag Doll

Rag Doll

Squinting in concentration, after many futile attempts,

She threaded the needle,in triumph,

Selected the pieces from her work basket ,a few

And with trembling fingers began to sew

A snip of gingham,a calico or two

Perhaps a little muslin too,

Watching her every move,

A little girl sat beside,

Her eyes ,expectant and wide

"What do you make grandma ?",in a hushed whisper she did ask,

The old lady ,slowly looked up from her task,

Looked into the bright eager face and smiled

"Magic my child , magic ", she replied.

--Shubha

Heart journeys

Heart journeys

Swinging by my arms, my delighted squeals mingling,
My parents laughter free,
I must have left my heart there,
Or perhaps, it followed me,

My brother, in my mothers lap ,
Cousins riding one cycle in threes through gaps,
Gossiping  in whispers through the night,
Surely there ,I left my heart light,
Or perhaps ,it followed me,

Tempestuous youth, among the  first crushes' sighs,
Towering aspirations, sifting truth from lies,
I lost it in your melting brown eyes,
Or perhaps ,it followed me

Duty bound in sacred wedlock,
With you ,a home found,
I know I gave my heart away then ,to grow and abound
Or perhaps ,it followed me,

Left my land much loved,
Said goodbye to her sunrises,her twilight and her sounds,
I know my heart stayed around,
Or perhaps ,it followed me.

My child, my pride and joy,
My very reason to be,
My ecstasy,
I gave my heart to you, surely,
Or perhaps,it followed me.

In a strange land , between ours and theirs,
We built bridges between them and us to share ,
Found friends ,people that care,
I must have left my heart sprinkled there,
Or perhaps, it followed me.

Every time in every stage
In every role for me,
I wonder, if I followed my heart,
Or if it followed me.

--shubha

Cradle

Cradle

Late for a forgotten morning meeting,

I raced along the highway, trying desperately to be on time,

Past the blurred trees in hues of orange, yellow and red ,

While my panting thoughts raced ahead of me,

And suddenly I saw a tree-top glowing a perfect orange-red,

Peek out from a cradle of green,

And there among my frantic thoughts chasing each other in circles,

And guilt and panic bubbling up,

I found a cradle of peace,

To exhale, to breathe , to simply be. 

--shubha

Eons and Moments

Eons and Moments

In every moment dwells an eon,
A eon flashes by in a moment,
The perception of time is muted,
In the meeting of hearts, in love, rooted.

--shubha

The scribe

The scribe

Hastily I scribble my name at the end,
Claiming for my own,
This gift bestowed,
That almost everyday ,
You send my way,
This new pattern in a kaleidoscope,
How You toss up the words
And let them fall
To reveal new patterns and hues,
To answer many a unspoken call,
I gather onto myself each design
Tack my name onto them and creativity feign,
To furtively claim as my own,
And not give credit where it is due,
And all glory onto You,
Who am I , to deign to describe,
Your beauty, Your creation,
I am, but, your humble scribe.

--shubha

Alarm clock conversations

Alarm clock conversations 

A shrill insistent call cut though the clouds
Climbing up the golden steps in tranquil serenity, disturbed by this sound, loud,
Suddenly the clouds seemed to part
And the steps disappeared
Making me start,
And as I began falling,
Consciousness seemed to drift in,
And replaced the clouds, the steps, the soft golden light,
With a pillow, a warm bed and eyes shut tight,
And from that world to this ,the only thing that did follow,
Was that loud insistent call,
Let me lie here some more, I did plead,
I am so tired,
I want to escape to my world of clouds and see where the steps lead,
Replied the clock, I am time's servant and so are you,
I am duty bound to tell all too,
That the hour has struck,your day begun,
Wake up now, there is work to be done,
Yes duty bound , am I to announce to all,
Wake up now, you cannot ignore the master's call ,
So with a sigh, I stretched and stifled a yawn,
And opened my  reluctant eyes to a new day's morn;
Wondering where the short night had gone
Obeying this stern master that waits for none at all  .

--shubha

Melting snow

Melting snow




Little bits of ice , floated down the river with glee,

Light, buoyant and free,

Their last joy ride before the melt into her,

And disappear,

A revelation, or the mystery?

The wet ground flecked in places with snow,

That soon must melt and go,

Into that life giving sponge of earth,

That holds buried in her heart the secrets of birth,

Or run in little rivulets to the mighty river below,

The end ,or the beginning ?

It is hard to know.


--shubha

The Chalice

The Chalice

As the chalice fills to the brim and spills it's intoxicant,
To wet its' lovers' lips and slake his thirst,
So too a heart so filled with love is willing to burst,
To pour into another it's nectar first,
Until no vessel or heart can contain,
It overflows all boundaries and returns to its' very source that sustains,
Love.

-shubha

Remember Why

Remember Why

On this Valentines Day,
That celebrates, love , romance or its expression in every conceivable way,
Remember why you stood there, yesterday,
To vow to love and cherish each other,
In the sight of God and all your loved ones
Remember why, when the blush of the first romance fades
Remember why, when you don't see eye to eye
And have to negotiate and re-negotiate boundaries and chores
And as your love grows and matures
Let it waft like fragrance and envelop
All that are close to you
Your future, your past, your compatriots
Your neighborhood, community, city and the world family
Remember why ,even when you wonder why
For when all is done, all you will have left is the shared love,
The satisfaction that you tried,
And the remembrance

--shubha

Where is our romance?

Where is our romance?

I have looked for it everywhere,

In the usual places , even under the expectations stairs,

Perhaps it got shredded with last months' duty bills,

Or thrown out with those expired affection pills,

I checked the chore list and the appearances cabinet,

Could not find it under the  accusation rug or behind the resentment sofa set,

Perhaps it just fluttered away,

To those happy couples by the bay,

Or just maybe ,it did decide,

To lay buried ,in our hearts, frozen by hurt and pride,

To wait for that day ,now,

When they thaw with the warmth of love,

Maybe it is waiting for the chance,

To shower in the rain of acceptance,

In that loving spring ,to bloom and dance

Is waiting, the remnants of our romance.

-Shubha

Cold reminders

Cold reminders

What is about the snow,
That bewitches so?
As benignly it dots the landscape
In shade and glen,
Or blankets entire regions in white akin,
It draws the eye,

Perhaps it comes with the cold that beset,
To remind us of the things we forget,
To serve us visual reminders,
Of each exhaled breath,
Visual reminder of the gift of the heavens to the thirsty earth,
That lingers as white sheath,

The icicles clinging to gutters and cars,
Serve as a reminder of how water flows,
That otherwise would have disappeared,
Before they could register,

A reminder to still the heart and mind,
That in that frozen stillness,
We may find,
The Omnipresent,
Who although always there,
Sometimes does not register,
When the mind is caught up in the world's snares.


--shubha

Snow

Snow

Shaped by the play of warm and cold, miniature monuments in ice flit softly to the ground,
Nestle on the roofs, nooks and crannies and in the upturned leaves all around,
Ocular delights it creates swathing all surrounding in uniform white,
Winter's calling card, it's hallmark, it's delight,

Snow, that stylish diva, quietly steals the stage,
Stops life in its' track, forces it to do a double take,
And in the sobered solitude applaud ,her show stopping performance,
Quietly pulling all under her hypnotic trance.

-shubha

Filigree

Filigree

As I walked to the trail today,

The wind whistled around my ears and chilled them,

In places of shade, the mist curled from the rivers surface,

The river broad reflected the tall stately trees on either bank,

And patches of blue sky 

Through the filigree of the bare branches,

As I paused a moment and tried to etch in memory this beautiful scene,

Which seemed to disappear like the curling mist

-shubha

Color of pain

Color of pain

Surely, the color of pain must be red,
Like the welts, bruises and wounds that bled,

Or perhaps it is an icy blue,
That makes one question if there is anything true,

No,no,that cannot be right,
It should be black, like the cold dark night,
That subsumes any ray of hope or light

Or just perhaps, it is white,
Like that shroud that enveloped you, in its embrace tight,

But then again perhaps, it is colorless,
This harbinger of cold emptiness,

And although the color of pain I never did find,
Pain ,that old friend ,is a kindred kind.

-shubha

Fall Finery

Fall Finery

The leaves started turning color and the trees pirouetted their fall finery,

And put on their last show before the long sleep of winter,
The early morning rays touched the treetops turning yellow and burgundy to copper and gold,
Suddenly a flock of geese few over the treetops and lent my heart flight,
As my eye followed theirs over colored landscapes .


-shubha

Spring

Spring

Sound the triumphal horn,
Partake in the joy,
Rejoice for each tender sapling that finds a place,
In mother earths' thawed heart, rooted stays,
Glory in the hope for a new start, the heady fragrance ,says,

Spring, that innocent child, dances in her own mirth,
Rejoice , rejoice in this season, of rebirth.

-shubha

Renewal

Renewal

Against a dark stump,
In limpid green,
A promise of that to come,
On the foundation of that which has been,
Life begins again, to cast a momentary spell,
In promised renewal.

-shubha

Spring Love

Spring Love


Love, all that is

Life , its expression

Spring , the celebration

The resurrection of Life

The jubilation of Love



-shubha

Scent of spring

Scent of spring

On yet another cold,gray day in February,
I longed for some warmth and days not so dreary,
And around me noticed little tell tale signs of coming change,
In The little birds and beasts who more freely did range,
In the trees their deep sleep seemed to have lost,
In the tightly closed buds covered in last nights frost,
In the song of the little birds, sweet,
In the scampering of the squirrel's feet,
In the bright red cardinal, that stood out ,among the branches brown,
The barely noticeable fuzz on the tall tree's crown,
Yes there were many quiet signs of Nature stirring
Quietly preparing herself for the changes to begin
That to my cold, stuffed up nose did bring,
A whiff, a trace, the scent of spring.

-shubha

Inspiration

Inspiration

Blank page, emptier mind,
Inspiration it seems,is hard to find,
She lives in the hazy mists,
Behind the mountain of tasks and to-do lists,
Until suddenly she bursts forth, to grant new sight,
That can appreciate a flower, a bird, the beauty of the night,
The power to describe,
The pride of a stately tree,
Standing tall,bare and free,
And the beauty of the sky through the branches' filigree,
To feel the pulse of a heart that throbs,
In love ,pain ,joys or between sobs,
A brief moment,a shower in light
And then she disappears from sight,
Retires to her realm of mists,
And leaves me bereft with a mountain of to-do lists,
But as I set about my chores,
Feeling that I may write no more,
Glimpses of her come to me,
In a child's laughter pure,
I will come when the time is right,
She seems to reassure,
And fleetingly, her, I do sight,
In a look askance, a play of light,
In delightful  sounds,
Inspiration, it seems, abounds.

-shubha

Evening Star

Evening Star

Yesterday as I drove home,
The sunset behind me,
The blushing sky glowed,
And the scattered dark clouds were tinged purple
As they parted to reveal a window to the cyan sky,
Wherein shone a single evening star,
Revealing a moment filled with the sadness of parting and pregnant with promise,
Just like every other .

-shubha

Illusion

Illusion

I searched for elusive peace all around,
In the world's bright lights and returned disappointed,
I caught glimpses of it in other's faith,
And experienced it briefly in  Mother Nature's Mercy,
But like trying to hold moonbeams in ones hand,
They slipped past and left me searching,
Fool was I to look for You, O all pervading One,
Not realizing that it was You that are
And i that wasn't.

-shubha

Rapturous dance

Rapturous dance

Under the cloudy gray sky I stepped,
The ground wet with rains past,
And the air cool with those yet to come,
Watched the great loblolly pines stretch,
Deep dark green against the gray,
And sway to the melody of the wind.
And my heart leapt,
For a moment , one infinitesimal beat,
Freed of form and flesh
And joined in their rapturous dance.

Fool's gold

Fool's gold

Fools are we to go to the jeweler's store ,
To haggle over grams of gold,
When every morn and evening it is gifted free,
If only we would stop and see,
For each day blessed with life and sight has more gold than we can ever collect,
In every sunrise and every sunset,
And if we could learn to treasure this creed,
And use it to gilt with kindness our words and deed
We would be richer by far, happiness bold,
Than with many tolas in the bank untold.

-shubha

Courage

Courage

Calamitous is the storm ,
Our own that threatens to harm,
Until all around troubles beset,
Resolve is put to the test,
As every attempt proves wrong,
Greatness follows those that press on,
Embrace trouble, toil ,triumph and glory

Courage , that coming of age ,of a heart that has listened to its own story,
And learned that it must toil ,through tribulations that test,
And unto that great decider, leave the rest.

-shubha

Beauty beyond description

Beauty beyond description


As I walk my favorite trail,

Following the familiar windings and turns,

In my Mothers comforting cocoon,

Words come unbidden and coalesce into meaning,

As I vainly try to put into verses the beauty before me,

But they can be , but a poor reflection,

For Your all encompassing beauty is for all to experience,

But beyond any description.


-shubha

Distraction

Distraction

I met an errant thought today,

As she peeked playfully around my preoccupation and beckoned me,

I followed her as she tread softly though the clamoring din of my most pressing concerns.

I trailed her as she shimmered over the mists of my gloom,

Almost caught up as she darted through the cobwebs of old memories,

Watched in wonder as she danced through the resplendent hall of happy thoughts,

Until she suddenly disappeared in the vast nothingness,

And left me wondering if it was she that was alluring,

Or the promise of the journey


-shubha

Tranquility

Tranquility
This morning on the trail, I watched the falling leaves flit soundlessly to the ground,
A bird's insistent call rent the air until it was answered by its' mate,
The river flowed silently as my eye followed her gentle meanderings through the almost bare trees,
At places she seemed almost still,
Like the blue heron standing in silent meditation, in her wading pools,
As I watched the trees shed their old leaves,
In preparation for life anew,
My own petty cares and annoyances fell away from me,
And I rediscovered tranquility

-shubha

Sun's Alchemy

Sun's alchemy

Today I was blessed to walk along the lake shore at sunset,

To see the light spill over and caress the tree tops to bid them goodnight,

Everywhere the light touched the trees glowed red , gold and green,

I watched a stately beech raise her white limbs in gay abandon,

To twirl her yellowing leaves in the fading light,

Until the sunbeam kissed her very top to crown it gold,

And I thought to myself,

If this is not alchemy , then what is?


-shubha

Renewed

Renewed

The sun came out from behind the clouds after many days,
Bathing the surroundings in brightness and warmth,
Giving light and life to the turtles sunning themselves on rocks  and all living things,
The cool breeze rustled through the trees bringing with it a touch of autumn chill,
As the river continued her steady journey to the sea,
And as I stood at the water's-edge, I let flow all my little troubles and sorrows into Her,
That she washed away with the dead leaves and debris
Constant in her journey towards her goal,
And lent me courage to continue my own, renewed.

-shubha

Serene Solitude

Serene Solitude

I stepped onto the trail, one gray laden morning,

The clouds hung low and I could feel the invisible raindrops against my cool skin,

The river flowed gently, gray-green under her thinning canopy,

The rustling of fallen leaves, birdsong and chirp of crickets filled the morning air,

And there for a brief moment, I met with myself,

In serene solitude


-shubha

Morning Fog

Morning Fog


The early morning fog arose,
Shrouding the surroundings,
Enticing me to walk just a little bit further...
And rediscover mystery in familiar surroundings,
Until the sun arose to dispel all doubt,
And laid bare the beauty within and without.


-shubha

Comforted

Comforted


I carried a troubled mind and a heavy heart to the trail,
But the wind whispered solace through the falling leaves,
The river gurgled with mirth and reminded of happy moments past,
And the last golden rays of a setting sun, kissed away my tears with the promise of a brighter tomorrow,
And in that still split-second, encompassing eons,
I sought and found refuge in you, O Mother
And returned home comforted.

-shubha

Golden sun

Golden Sun

The sun peeked from atop the tree tops aflame, 

And the river flowed gold ,glowing in giddy exuberance

Ephemeral, transient, 

And yet burned into the beholder's  dissipating memory for time 

Where impermanent splendor lasts  just a little  while longer.

-Shubha