Tremors

Do you
Hear the tremors-
And shame!
Tell me,

Do we play games?
Go I said, go poetess, enjoy
Those voyages

As only you can wish
And you asked-

Where goes the kiss
Into the trousseau
Or did I know,
It was
Missing with the Snake of Eden
That called Eve from slumber,
You do remember?
When I called the leaves-
Of Autumn- too late
To cover naked love
The prelude to disaster
And songs of the tides
That wish – you, me and us
Just share
With the hand
Held on your heart
Sooner than Nemesis...

Before we stop
The waves of Time
Bring
Beyond everything
The tremors of Chaos
The wild roses of Tindalos
And undreamt dreams
Like a stiletto heel
On the snows!

Intimacy

You know…
.
.
.
You are now with me,
And want me to write of intimacy?
Intimacy…
Well how did we begin?
Almost unknown to each other
May be those persistent questions you asked
And the odd things
In gardens and pavements...
Yes, it may have begun in a party
Or, was it then
Someone helped with the cooking
Or washed your dishes
It may have begun in those office meetings –
Violent opposition and agreements
Or in the elevator, later-
When we made up with politeness
Simply through nervous staring
It begun in mood swings
And
Just anywhere
With any trigger
From anyone
Even when the mahout,
Went to the bushes
On our trip to Bandhavgarh
Intimacy came to us…
With an earthshaking feeling
With anything
And everything
It was just the in thing!
You know!
.
.
.

Rain...

Rain!!

That cold fire
Hits hard
The ice in front
Races the lava
Avalanche like
Traces of cold fire
Trying
Melting
Your heart
Let the cold fire spread
Asking for little excerpts
Of desire
That cold fire
Burns everywhere
You want to run-
Was it raining there?
I remembered you
Perhaps you too
For it is still raining-
The air has something to tell
The rivulets
On the pane
All wet outside
And inside
It was cold fire
It was raining in the morning
And I wanted to feel you
The cold fire
Crackled,
Just try,
To yourself don’t lie,
Hard rain, but... it smoked and told
Stories in amber and red
So I called
And the thunder replied
So I called
And there it was
Inside
Just a heart
Melting
Whimpering in the cold fire
Called in desire
And it just cried
Kiss me on my lips
And touch me with your finger
On the tips
Of wherever

Love is

Cold fire

Inside!

Hey!!
Stop that rain…
Let it be just dry,
Snug like the winter
Yellow hearth
Breathing
Seething
Crackling hazelnuts
Popcorns
Afire!

Just Another Day

I know, coming home
Every evening,
Till I am afraid
And beg, why
My home-
Is a four poster
Dinner
With a mongrel
Seeking favors before
I scratch him to sleep,
And in turn rewarded
With powder and nails
A touch before
The routine that tired souls dread...

I always wondered,
About that measured quality-
You seek in me-
That just begun to burn
A vapor cloud
On my clothes
Dripping erotic sweat
That came from thoughts
That rained
On a summer day
At 120 degrees Fahrenheit
And claimed
Bull’s eye
At six
Walking the streets
Hoping that the soot
Would go away!

Home is too far away
Kiss my sweat
Like you always did
Before the roses
Fade
In the vase
Overdosed
In aspirin
And elixir
From the remnants
Of despair!

Flight!

Don’t call me tonight- the dream is hard, graphic and rather bright in the sense- it deals with everything that would raise hackles- so don’t, there is nothing I can do- call 911, you would get your breaks and a fancy flight…

Don’t call me at midnight- I sweat, rather shocked and uptight at the bizarre things that go on, there! You see there is someone I just met, and I am looking into her eyes, wondering… about what- nothing but the flights of fancy and blight!

Don’t at all think that we have had enough- yet!

A flight of cranes
Would stalk soon-
On long legs
A peck
A peek-
A give
A take
And the unhappy worm
Squirming
With the tuna
In the beak!

Imagine
The sober facts
An archer firing a blowgun
The zodiac man
Bear hugging
An assassin of snakes
Fondling the dean’s wife
Past her prime
And sublime
Malignant desires
On fancy’s flight

Don’t call me- this dream is what keeps me alive!

Don’t you see, tonight there is a tryst of morbid interest, what scares you is my delight! I look for the things that are- well why should I trust you tonight? It is a chance encounter, in a bed, in an oblong spread in a cubicle, snug, chest to breast- and deeper in cushioned sweat… and spite-

Flight!

A Chance Encounter!

This happened long away- I was about 17, happy and about to make many decisions in life- including a career in writing poetry. I was walking through the lakes in Southern Calcutta, when something drew my attention... arghhhh!

The Sad Poet from Ballygunge Lake on a Bad day!

Bonolata (Pronounced: Bow Noh Law Ta)

Poet Horse-Face, our neighborhood one
Wrote poems under the evening Sun,
But one day, his pen went dry,
Sensing the presence nearby,
Of lovers in utter bliss,
Sen, Bonolata, forty, but still, a Miss,
With her handsome bashful beau,
Lahiri, Laltoo, the bald Romeo!
The breeze was so inviting
Wafts of tulips on the wing….
The duo, oblivious of all others there,
Broke status quo and shattered the air!
Bonolata did the banal thing,
Tone deaf, she began to sing-
But Horse-Face, the neighborhood one
Missing the point in his rhyming run,
The miserably irate bard skulked away,
Wishing the offenders would no longer stay!

Somewhat later, the said song waxed,
The duo appeared very relaxed,
Bonolata asked “How was it”,
Our Laureate offered “Horrible shit”!
A bit too loud, the lovers were hurt,
Disheartened by this ugly spurt,
Hand in hand they walked away!
Horse-Face finally had his day,
Reinstated in his regained seat,
Horse-Face was in domain legit!
Two seconds later he wrote an epithet,
Ecstasy in four letter words- you can bet!

Ballygunge Lake,
Kolkata
May16, 1966

Fading Away

In the beginning
A single voice
And the light and shade
Played naked
Ruinous games
In torrid dampness
And sweat!

Far away from the cicadas
I lay down
Myself
On the marbled floor
Gasping-
The touch of ice flakes!

Time
Once again
Had fled-
Memories in their rhythmic walk
Ebbed
And the stars
Closed in
On my lake!

Sunrise-
I am dead!

Untruths!

I asked you

As I played -
Your head nestled

On my chest

And I stared

At the eyes, whose voids

Made a patterned snare

Was it Venus at her best?

I asked you
As you peeped
And you murmured
Squirming
In sweetness
Like always
Or may be
You put me to the test
Tangled at last
In the transparent cords
Tendrils and fingers spoke
Softly in a tryst
I always believe you
Knowing some words
You speak
Are true
And because
Only half of my lies
Are untrue
As much as a laced web
Without threads!

False Promise

Sometimes I drive by her lane
And ask her to hop in and chat-
She stares hard at me and yells
Shoo- you aint getting that,
But yes, she is my friend,
Also that I must make some amends!

Sometimes ago she had climbed in
Into the car, admiring my things,
And did that too, you know what
When I asked, happily she said yes,
She liked to be with her friends
But my car was a thing she always

Craved to be in, for she stood
At the corner, forever waiting
Looking for someone to do it good
For this, and more of that thing
Every time at the back of the car
I guess I had to take her a bit too far-

I guess she had taken a fancy to me
My waving at her, and she was happy
Obligingly she would get into the car
Asking to be driven quite far
Leaning into each other, of ecstasy
And that glint of desire I could see-

You know my car is usually dirty
She would stare at the dirty mess
She would clean it up, and the popcorn
Made me a little full of happiness
And snuggle closer, without preamble, before long
And she sang sometimes, a dreamy song

And then one day, as I passed her by,
Not really meaning that, not really knowing why
I looked away and did not wave, I never cared
I knew she looked my way and hard she stared
With a bit of the tears I had never seen
It was just that my car was new and clean!

So now, when I drive by her lane
And ask her to hop in and chat-
She stares hard at me and yells
Shoo- you aint getting that,
But yes, she is my friend,
And also that I must make some amends!

Oh yes, this is like
Missing out on the turn off in the day
And driving into the sunset
Alone
In the loser’s highway!

Urgent Thoughts

A year before sixty is the best time to go-
I am alive, fully functional, and all know
That a time like this never comes
When you have had three large
And then, there is the splurge
Two more, ah, yah and oh,
Ah got to go,
Got to go
Or do it here!

Urchin Land

Between here and nowhere
Through the land of the coal rich terrain
The urchins ran in
Wherever it was, the train had stopped-
And there she came
A young leader
Hardly dressed
Transiting between
Child and woman
And her band
Three siblings, perhaps
And they sang their toneless song
Spread their hands
And danced to Bidi Jalaile!
And the gents
Baring their teeth
Grinned-
Her dress had holes
And torn patches showed
Anatomical details
And how the black dust
On her feet
And dirty hair
Called for lust
In the eyes of the traveling males
So I puffed away,
Dazed
The pennies given,
The eyes knew
What they wanted
The urchins stood ground
And the guard
And the engine blew
Whistles of jeer
All aboard
The sad girl stared
Darkness came
And the men continued their card game
One club
One heart
Three no trumps
And they all thought of the thighs-
And the hand pump
They left behind
On the platform!

Bidi Jalaile is a popular song in Hindi- rather lustfully done in celluloid and video!

Wordplay

Rippling sunbeams on a wall!

Words that sigh- I wish you were here!
Words that burn like sizzling affairs
Words to scent like a fragrant rose
Words throbbing when you get so close
Words to brood when not in the mood!
Words to cool like a randy dude!
Words like elfin smiles bind
Words that simple reflect the mind
Words lie like a one night stand
Words in dance like a jazz band
Words to risk like taking a chance
Words that feel like an ogling glance!
Words to say finally- supari- it’s a deal!
Words that seal- kiss me hard!
Words that frown like an upset clown!
Words that run down memory lane
Words that chill- I am insane!
Words that dare like Hips don’t lie
Words on a dead end never reply
Words that pair the two of a kind
Words like affection turn one blind
Words of desire to just turn me on!
Words to mow lie on the lawn!
Words elope when lovers flee
Words of the devils- fiendish glee!
Words that touch the lovers’ lips
Words in autumn -some faint nips
Words that stop don’t go tonight!
Words of spooks to give you a fright!
Words on a roller coaster ride
Words! Things that one tells his bride!
Words to pare- choppers and knives!
Words of cheer to brighten lives!
Words wear like raindrops on sandstone
Words that tease like my girl’s moan!
Words that leer- Tweet! Tweet!
Words are kisses, just cho chweet!
Words to stare at like cleavage lines
Words predict like zodiac signs
Word that snarl like I hate you
Words that snare like I love you!
Words that thrill – a skating rink
Words that kill- broken hearts
Words to cheer- Ole! Ole! Ole – O!
Words to fear when the boss says go!
Words upstairs- promote or simply- fire!
Words to the ex flame- fading desire
Words that just kiss and make-up
Words yelp like one-day old pup!
Word of depth- buried six feet under!
Words as big as the Himalayan blunder
Words to count- twenty toes!
Words that bring peace like a vanquished foe
Words that bleed like the pound of flesh
Words to eat like humble pie
Words of admiration- Sigh!
Words that flare like old flames
Words play like blame games!
Words on a roll- haystack!
Word that hunt like a wolf pack!
Words, words say it all!

This is an old post from my blog elsewhere!

Camp Fire For Two!

Show me your heart
A poem of madness
And a dream in your smoky eyes,
Breathing
Oh yes
What would you do now?
A hand on your hand ...fingers lock

Within lies the hope that the evening fills
With deep desire,
Torrents of fire
A torrent
Tormenting
Torrid
And a wandering slow rhythm
Probing!

And the song begins...
A dance of touch...
A dance of swift thrusts
A dance of deep lust
A dance of poems
On bare skin
A dance that sizzles!

In cabaret
Bare steam and brazen scents
Tied in a thin string
A dance to the banjo on my lap
Coming alive
Wanting more
Too good-
In the flicker of candle lights...

Dream dream dream...
A dance beyond time
Climbing high...
Claiming
Give, a little more
And cries
Beats...
Timpanic beats
Rhythms of Zeus
Wanting wanting wanting
Wanton desire
And a roaring fire
Just dreams
And open, bare breasts
With beads of sweat
With abandon
Swaying with the beat
And cats walking
On tiptoes
Swing in the heat
And the beads on hips of a maid
And the lovely hibiscus garlands
And the pearls of smiling teeth
Lips, lips lips...
Can you hear the song in my heart
Or is it the thunder in the rain
Of flowers, jasmine
This the song I sing,
Climax...
Falling
Ebbing
Just the song of lovemaking
And a piccolo piping
Lonely in the dark
And two
By the fire
Stark…

A tirade of dreams
Simply pink!
And kisses in the sunset
And asking

You can say yes,
And slip the dress
And show,
Show the shoulder
Tap tap tap...

Then?

Imagine
Turning
And walking to the camp fire
Shedding all
And calling
Fire, fire, fire!
Ooo yes!
Then?
And we gather each other
And hide
...
...

Torrid streams
Torrid dreams

How Sad

How sad
Once he, a mason
Now criticizes all
With passion
Four stones
Being together!

How sad
By the street at midnight
The cobbled stones
Ring with footfalls
Of footloose dolls
And doll seekers
Sharpening
Their memories
Of the bargain
And the whispering notes
That changed hands
Before the dolls
Became women
Alive
And strained
In torrid rain
Amidst the four stones
In the lane
Cobbled
With granite
Passion cement
Before the earthquakes
Waved
How sad
Cobbled life breaks!

The four stones...
Ambitions
Possessions
Affections
Self