A Kindling Soul

Under the dark, blue sky, Under the dim lit stars That twinkled away, Far away. I met you, I felt you, I found you, I knew you. I shared my soul, And the darkness of my heart. Slowly, you became the darkest part But when did that start? The dew never settled. The scars of the thorns Never left my feet. Sometimes when the wind blows, I can hear you breathe. You found me, you held me. Never knew me, did you? Left me out, in the rain, To climb down, alone. It wasn't the nicotine That I got high on, That I craved. Of which I was a slave. You, in turn, of her, her love. Still are, I can see. Only the smoke remains. And a lonesome me.

I spent the last 11 years outside of my hometown. So, the one time that I do decide to visit, Aunty Flow decides to accompany me. Well, no thank you. Oh, but I don't have a choice, do I? Over the years I have come to not loathe my periods. Well, as much as one can, anyway. But as soon as my flight landed at the airport, a reminiscent dread started creeping over my body. I started panicking. Emotions aren't my best friends during my 'time of the month'. Or anytime, really. But that's a different issue. I couldn't recall the gazillion rules that I was supposed to abide by while I was on my period in that house.  Not walk in front of the tiny temple we have at home. Not touch anything in the kitchen. And, what? With every stair I climbed, another rule would pop up in my head. Don't touch the water container. Don't touch the jars and jars of namkeen set on the table for everyone to eat whenever they please. Except a bleeding, extra-hungry me. That'...

Not your perfect body, Nor your hollow soul, Not of that darkness, of being under control. Not your strength, Nor that smile shaped trapdoor. Not of you, you don't scare me anymore. No cringing at the scars. Of those chaffing grips, Left by you and your blasphemous whips. No staring into the chasm of the dark. No nightmares, no silent tears. No shivers, no more of your fears. No waiting for a glint of light, No more watching my back, For the fear of your spineless attacks. Not scared of the water pouring down. Nor of the silent, unhinged door. You don't scare me anymore. So, come, stand before me again. I won't back down, I won't sway. This time, you won't have your way. You've had it, too many times, anyway. I am strong, I bring with me, might. It won't be fear that you'll see in my eyes. Give your best shot, I'd like to see you try. You may have won, many times before. But you see, I am not fragile anymore. The woun...

Do you remember me? I remember even the smell of your breath. The way you would move, and around you, the air, Somehow, always, caught in your hair. How my heart would skip a beat When I would see you. Only, just, see. A kiss would take my life, then hand it back to me. You told me there was no love there. But there was spark. There was volatility. There were explosions,so many; uncanny. Do you remember the night sky, the stars? The silence that you hated? The questions that I asked? A weak moment has me running through the past. Do you ever think Of the silhouettes and the shadows? The dew, the stones, the weed? How our breaths lulled us to sleep? Yes, there was love there. It's just that you never knew. I caught on, but, a tad too late. The only thing you couldn't satiate. I would listen, as you would talk About the others that ruled your thoughts Do you know how many times I died? Parts of me even your kisses didn't revive. You ensure...

As her arm slid out From under her pillow, And reached A cold and rather Biting bed sheet, She froze, And pulled back Her arm, still reaching, Unsure, And fell back to sleep. While she dreamt Of sunshine, And red Calla Lilies, And hands intertwined, Succinct and lithe, A smile returned To a face that'd forgotten What it meant to be Sunny, And irrationally blithe. But a dream is a dream, How ever hard you try It ends, Whether twisted Or sprayed in calm, Eyes to the ground, She walked in the rain No surprise when she found Fisted, Her heart and her palms.

There is this ache That starts at the bottom of my neck And ends at my heart. But the pain never ceases. I remember my head on your shoulder. Watching your chest rise And in perfect rhythm, fall. And fall. I wait for your warmth To engulf my being again. To hear your laughter. And fill my heart’s hollow silence. Oh what would I give To watch you bury your face in my lap again. To feel your smile reach my face. And wish good riddance to these tears. Hold me, from a far. Lie with me. Close my eyes, and put me to sleep. And wake me up only when you’re here.

They screeched They scratched At the windows, closed,  At the curtains, well juxtaposed. The dim light that seeped, The light music that bled They clawed,and mauled and snapped At that, which they had not had. Turned and twisted Their necks and heads, and minds. Desire and envy were never in short supply In the green monochrome of their tinted eyes. Every lithe tread was a threat. Every word whispered a writing on the wall. They eyed the house, every look a stone What holds up the structure? Does anyone know? They waited for the rains. They begged and begged for slaughterous storms. They prayed hard for hard hail. But to no visible avail. In the cold winters, the house glowed with warmth. Summers seemed brighter in its proximity. In the rains, it smelled like wet earth. Oh, what has given to this magnanimity birth? At the slightest tremor, they ran, Galloped, to watch the carnage; But its unassailability brought to...