Rustling Protest

Rustling protest

In a raspy, scratchy voice,

The dry leaves, mumbled their protest,

Even as the breeze rustled them down the road,

With a sly, delighted mirth.

--shubha

Navratri

Navratri

Nine nights of festival bright,
A reminder to fight the good fight,
Vanquish the evil within ourselves
Rejoice in the good, help it triumph,
Allow ourselves to dance with joy,
To give in love, negativity destroy,
Remember the strength of Mother divine,
Invoke her blessings, grace in our troubled times,
Navratri, the festival of nine nights,
May it bring joy, grace, victories in our lives.

--shubha

A mottled story

A mottled story

As the days swiftly turned,
Ushered in a cool nip, where before it burned,
Her complexion turned mottled with age,
Those age spots,the story,of a journey,to the next stage,
Red, yellow, orange, she lay in pigmented glory,
Heralding the beginning, of another colorful fall story

--shubha

The butterfly

The butterfly

Lift up the mirror
See yourself in the light,
That surrounds you,permeates,
Let not the claustrophobic confines
of only your own concerns,
be your cocoon,
You were not sent to to shrivel
into your self and die,
But to break through,
bring light, laughter, color to others,
Like the butterfly.

--shubha

Storm

Storm


Last night it stormed
Both, inside and out

The wind blew,howled
my rage to the world

Clouds hung low
as self-pity, covered,

The rain, splattered
in torrents against
the window,
my wet face

The raindrops, splashed
in the disturbed pool
of my heart

Then it passed,
the fury, the drama, the disquiet

Left behind
crisp,clear, clean,calm
for a fresh, new start.


--shubha

Catacombs

Catacombs

You, who left me,

My shredded heart ,in my tear rimmed eyes,

To wallow in my grief,

To you , I owe,my gratitude,

For unlocking those catacombs of my heart 

That can,both bear great pain , great love

And yet beat stronger, evermore.

--shubha

Return to me

Return to me

Return to me , my innocence, my belief in happily ever afters,

Return to me, the magic of imagined travels on the light rays through the rafters,

Return to me, the make believe of a friendly world,

Return to me, the eyes that saw everything in rainbow colors swirled,

Return to me, the ears that heard the music in the songs of the birds,

Return to me , that bold naïveté,

Return  to me ,this inherent belief that this world would not hurt me,in anyway,

Return to me, my childhood, my delight in me,

Return to me

Or rather, return me to you.

--shubha

The bird in our garage

The bird in our garage

The bird in our garage, spires to the ceiling, in frightened frenzy,

While the garage door yawns, open, to let it free,

Why must it always spiral up, in flight ,

When the exit is plain, within sight ,

Still the heart aches, at your frightened plight ,

Why should the way out always be up, do you reckon?

Fly out lower , to the blue sky that beckons,

Try another route if this one does not satisfy,

Fly out little one, you belong ,with the clear blue skies.

--shubha

Onam

Onam

Overflowing with plenty , joy great

Netherworld visit of a beloved king, celebrate,

Adorn the path with flower designs, beautiful

Marvelous feasts ,fit for the king, delightful,

Onam , the yearly token of gratitude, marked by festivities,

Tiger dances, boat races, ripples through the villages, towns and cities,

May this new year, fill  our lives, homes with joy, prosperity.

--shubha

Who am I

Who am I

Who am I, do I exist?

Am I that flickering shadow,on the world's magical screen ,that persists?

This quest for self, the search for identity,

An exercise, in defining that shadows' form and boundaries?

Or can it be,just a little more?

Perhaps the search, for the lights' source .

--shubha

Guru

Guru

Gifts us love, light and knowledge
Use their skills, to help us ,blossom to the next stage,
Reacquaints us, with our potential, the story of our hearts,
Urges us , this journey of self discovery, to start,
Guru, the teacher,guides us to our path,
Rejoices in our attempts,in our journey, blesses with the lessons taught.

--shubha