Love is

Love is

Love is, the store declared, the teddy bear in the window , gifts galore,

Anything that helps you spend on that special someone, more,

Love is, said the novel, the first blush,racing heart, entwined hands ,

As you walk together, at sunset, over golden sands,

Love is, said the lover, the way the moonbeam traces your features, asleep,

The tightness in my heart, the shortness of breath, in longing steeped,

Love is, said the harried wife, finding a clean sink, at the end of a long day,

The affection you feel for that man on the couch, mouth agape, snoring away,

Love is, said the old couple on the porch, to sit together, having nothing to say,

To revel in the knowledge that you traveled far together, until today,

Love is, said the bereaved, the memory, that veiled presence at bay,

The bitter sweet nectar that in our heart stays,

Love is,said the philosopher, not what you receive, but what you give away,

Through the gouged channels of selfless charity, is how love flows your way, 

Love is....

It just is..........

It is all that is..............

--© shubha

A Sunset Story

A Sunset Story

"Let's go, we need to get to sunset point , fast,"

"There it is said, we can see the most spectacular sunsets, memories to last", 

The sun will set soon, at quater hour  past,

Mother and son set off at a brisk pace, following the throng,

The little boy running, trying to,follow along,

Keep up ,with his mom's strides,long 

Till he slipped and almost fell, the mother turned with a frown,

"Come on, little one, we are very near the crown",

"Let's not slow down", 

"But mama, I am so tired, can't we stop?",

Said the little boy, the tears, threatening to drop,

 "I cannot keep up, all the way to the top"

"Just a little further, we are almost there",

 "Chin up, just a little more to bear", 

"But mama, aren't sunsets beautiful everywhere?"

The mother, stopped short,

Understanding, dawned, tears to her eyes, brought,

Turned slowly to the child, by guilt, wrought, 

 To value something that, by others, is sought,

To blindly follow the crowd , without a thought,

Leads to naught,

She smiled and said, "You are right, sunsets are beautiful anywhere",

"Particularly, if they are shared."

To know you were blessed with another day to love , to care,

So the mother and son separated from the tide,

Sat on a bench, side by side,

To the curious looks, of passersby,

Watched the orange and crimson bleed,

Through the filigree of the trees,

Listened to the song,that rode on the evening breeze,

Years later,looking back, at all the picturesque sunsets ,that had blessed,

This one, stood out from the rest .

--shubha

Teller of tales

Teller of tales

The wind blew by gently as a breeze, 

Whispered and gossiped to the trees,

Quivering excitement, it spread,as it revealed its mysteries,

The trees to themselves, nodded, winked, bent,

As they swayed with delight, merriment,

Perhaps the news that the wind brought,

Was the one that they eagerly sought,

Of a quenching gift from the rain gods,

That a end was nigh,for their travails,

Was that,the message passed,by this teller of tales?

--shubha

Journey to Freedom

Journey to Freedom

On this day of celebration, of remembrance
As we celebrate our independence,
As we look back on our failures, achievements,
Resolve to greater glory, improvement,
Pause a minute, to remember those, who made the great sacrifice,
To allow us, the choice of our own fate, paid a great price,
Let us not, this great opportunity, responsibility,in petty squabbles,lose,
Above our own gains, the needs, of this land,our brethren, choose,
Let not, this country degenerate, with atrocities, corruption, power fiefdoms,
Arise, awake, let us begin the journey, from independence to freedom.

--shubha

Lines of hatred

Lines of hatred

The bombs drop,

The shrieks , the cries, the violence never stops,

As people battle for control,of the earth, water, the skies,

The minds, their allegiance , powers' illusory prize,

Divide the earth over which they have but,little claim,

For in this strange world, where,by might, lands may be won, by a push or shove

They are only claimed by giving your all,in belonging in love,

And all that is achieved by these walls, fences, lines on a map, that part

Is to draw the lines of hatred in our hearts.

--shubha

Varalakshmi prayer

Varalakshmi prayer

Let us, enshrine, the goddess of wealth, in our hearts
Even as we invite Her,into our homes,

Let us,invite Her benediction, into our lives,
Even as we invite our friends to partake of her blessings,

Let us, fill our ears, let flow through our tongues, Her music, divine,
Even as we fill our homes, with hymns in her praise,

Let us, rejoice in the wealth, with which ,She enriches our lives,
Even as we realize, that true wealth is amassed,by its' distribution.

--shubha

Waterfall

Waterfall

The waterfall rushed headlong over the edge
Into the base reflecting pool
Hoping to catch a glimpse of its own beauty
In the depth of it's stillness.

--shubha

Creases

Creases

At the end of the road

Mountains rose

Majestic ,in purple haze

What beauty lies,in those creases,

On the earth's surface

--shubha