‘Abre Los ojos, open your eyes,’ she said, ‘rise and shine.’

Another day, another day with coffee mug and news paper
slowly I pulled the drapes to the sides
horizon, the dawn gracefully matures to an exquisite sunrise

Another cup of coffee maybe, but, she would say,
‘don’t drink too much coffee in the morning, take tea instead’
tea pot warmed up, sweet aroma of Darjeeling filled the room

shower, shave, toasted bread, butter and sunny-side up
while tying my shoe laces, asked her gently
‘Baby, is the color of my tie okay with this shirt’

she didn’t reply, and…

Whiff of fragrance passed by and I started drifting, I started, I was, I’s …

She strode into the golden sunlight, the rays falling on her soft naked skin turned so pure,
I heard her asking if I could remember the day we met, and I said, ‘it was the night, I am so sure.’

She smiled; the pearls shimmered between her lips, and in her deep still eyes the twinkling shine,
And I, I could die a thousand times, but, not to see her again send chills down my spine.

Sunshine still dripping from her skin; close came my…

Rickshaw at Sudder Street…

Met him for the first time when I was 5, or may be 6 years old. He was a dehati(1) from Bihar, in a half folded bluish dhoti/lungi(2). The sweaty, almost discolored (or white turned into dirty cream color), and loosely worn fatua(3), was sticking to his skinny torso and a checkered gamchha(4) rested on his shoulder. He played his sweet melodious ting-tong tinkering bell , while dragging his cart called rickshaw (a.k.a. tana-ricksha) barefoot. He , immediately , became my man of the honor, the skinny Hercules, the (5)shaktiman-the-savior.

That’s how I first time saw…

My brisk walk along the pier
tenderly interrupted with the glistering shine
in her unsettling sparkling eyes …

Shivering cold, chilly night, and
the moon lit up mysterious on her face
I stood there, with my feet glued to the sidewalk …

I could have said
you are the one I was waiting for eternity
Just stood there, silent, enlightened; and everything illuminated …

— at The Piers, San Francisco.

Let not tonight’s tranquil embrace you in slumber,
Go to the rooftop,
stand there with your reflection
listen to the silence of your breath.

How far is it?
someone is above this floor
another above that
and so on…
Going through all those stories, it would be dawn
to reach the rooftop.

Instead,
go out to the river bank
and listen to the moans of the ripples.
Stand there,
under the darkest sky
reach out to the stars vanishing far beyond like a fireflies …

(inspired by words, thoughts, visuals, perceptions and feelings )