Odysseus

Why thou pine for Penelope,

When Calypso, thy love, sings soulful notes?

In tune with weaving on her loom

‘Wine and dine’ and grieve not

As long as thou stay by me here

‘Tis too short to breathe long

Go and shake thy legs in midst of nubile gals

Forget the past around a blazing fire

High upon a hill top against the bay

At the mouth of a dark cave

Which go mesmerizing the passers-by

To die for a merry-go-round.

Acontius

A roaring thunder heard

With a new lightning flash

An azure sky opens up

For all thy delight, yet

A Delphic oracle to thy surprise

Remember, how thou, once

Bewitched by thy maiden

Cydippe, a svelte Athenian

At the temple Delos

Amidst the hanging flowers

Sprinkling perfumes all thy path

A sweet, gentle breeze

Lifts thee for a touching treat

An apple being set to roll down

The smitten eyes not fail to catch up

At the very close of my feet

‘I swear by Artemis

That I will marry

Acontius’, it goes

A solemn, thus declared

How foxy thy role played

In the game of life,

Where the trapping of hearts

Be the custom of the young.

Tantalus

Why ‘re thee like Sisyphus

Rolling a rock to the top

Of a hill non-stop?

Would it not be alluring

To see the low-hanging fruits?

Water recedes at thy thirst

And fruits climb up, when hungry

Why are thee in a lake?

The world, where the wickeds rot,

Gather thy spirit

And ask the Gods for reason

What mistake is thine

To steal the manna for the world?

There were feasts while thy meet,

There were secrets at thy greet,

Let them not punish thee in thy court

For the undaunted spirit

To help and be helped,

Where a real joy stays in.

Orpheus

Play thy lyre for the third time

As thou did in the case of monsters,

When they plotted to wreck a ship

And don’t kiss thy defeat so gentle

‘Tis not easy to play thy lyre,

When thou heart fight with thy mind

To explore the mind and catch the spirits

Play thy lyre for the third time

As thou did like Apollo

Oh, my love, blessed art the souls

That hear thee make a soulful rendition

Will thou make the beasts move

As if engrossed in thy emotive territories?

Play thy lyre for the third time

To stoke my dying fire

Will thou recall thy words?

And say, ‘come here Euridice’,

I lost thy grip twice

‘T was a second death

Yet, if I get one more chance

To lure the world….

Play thy lyre for the third time

Will thou hear a call from Nether world?

‘Tis utopia, where thou live in

Tread softly on thy path

I follow thee at thou call

To make a journey thro’ caves

Of darkness to touch the light

Amidst a killing silence

‘Tis a joy walking with thee by my side

To explore the dulcet tones

That enthrall the ghosts into tears.

To Cyrano

Here is Roxane addressing

From the balcony to a handsome devil,

When fog strikes the eyes

And verses speak to heart

Curse cupid for the cause

Eyes and heart can’t part

Yet mind has the power to trawl

Love doesn’t see an art in parts

‘Tis crime in bartering arts

For beauty starts only from thoughts

Words doth have the power to extol

Like the creepers that grow tall

The tongue goes against the norm

And breaks my heart to face the storm

Will you gather your Chutzpah

To dote and quote from stanzas?

For expunging and re-writing our history

Not to extend a life of mystery

‘Tis a challenge standing

Face-to-face planting a kiss on

And to draw hearts on a stone

That stands tall for eternity.

Hi Dhola,

The clouds of colours billow up in air,

Do you know, how my emotions tear

on watching colours of every hues?

Red, pink, green, blue and yellow –

Will they paint colours into life?

Oh parrot, will you let me see my love?

The prince of Narwar, who

made vows to fire, holding hands

of mine, when we were small

and now I regret for his absence

Oh parrot, will you meet him

and ask, why my messages

are left without any reply?

‘Tis a thrill to colour and be coloured,

While celebrating the end of Winter gloom

And rejoicing the spring bloom

Oh parrot, will you demand justice

from my Prince for my plight?

Tell him, what does the custom say?

Remind him of his duty,

if he doesn’t know what’s next.

Oh parrot, will you tell him

the tales of the famous couples?

Who share both their joys

and sorrows under one roof,

Where the bliss of marital life lives in

Oh parrot, tell my prince

that this is Maaru,

The princess of Poogal

Who pines for her love

and love only from her husband.

Dear Petrarch

Laura, Oh Laura

I hear a call

A voice, not familiar,

Shudders me to a halt

Anxiety grows –

Let me know who you are

A shifting breeze lifts me high

I go hither and thither

Like a feather in air

‘Tis a journey on clouds,

Counting stars makes me proud,

The wind of change drives me far

And left by a window

With no curtain drawn

I crane my neck for full view

‘Tis not an old wive’s tale for you

A sunny look with

A bunch of curls on

Laura, oh Laura

Echoes thro’ parted lips,

The aquiline nose

And dark black hair

Is it Petrarch, my love?

How blessed, I’m here

Watching you slumbering

Don’t draw a veil over

Your small speaking eyes

When will you welcome me?

With the dark pink lips

That hide the dancing tongue,

That steal the hearts of young

Who beg to smile and befriend,

Uf! Let me part with a kiss

For, it is Heaven’s call not to miss

Oh, Leander

Do you know, how your

Hero is smitten with your golden locks?

Pointed nose, arched eye brows

Angular jaw and high cheek bones

That add Zing to the ruddy skin

You seem not to be far from me

Why ‘re you gone with a finger’s touch?

What harm did I do to you, mirror?

Not showing me in my presence

For, I can’t stay here for long

Why is the day standing long?

And the night falls too short

To be like a wind-driven cloud

That moves swiftly across the sky,

The long-lone hours that warn me of

To the lane, in a hurry to light your way on

'Tis too late to make my way

For, you are from Hellespont to the Tower

With your long breath and sticky curls

Alas! My tension knows no bounds

If I don’t see you here by me

In darkness, with the silver moon light

Uf, what has happened to your sunny locks?

Let me towel them down from the salt

‘Tis painful to feel your smelly brawn

‘Tis painful to stand long for you by the lawn

With a long drawn face

And wrinkles pronounced

Hoping against hope for a nightly glance

Oh God! When will you answer me?

Qixi Jie

Why thee call me an ox, Niulang?

Taurus, a star in the sky,

Disclosing a secret unto thee –

Wheat straw, corn and alfalfa

Gracing, feeding and ogling at

Not knowing the rest by the pond,

Giggling angels unfurling fun

Indeed a breath taking spectacle

A new chapter for thee Niulang,

To be under the spell of fairies

An idea dawns on for

Weaving a new yarn

Perestroika to win thee

Stealing the robes left for drape

Against the choppy waters

Playing hide and seek

With the rainbow clouds

An emotional articulacy

Exuding jealous in air

Frothy waters do magic on pair

Standing dumb for long

It’s Zhinu’s turn forlorn

Breathe a dawn, thee Niulang

Why challenging thine eyes

That mirror thy hearts?

A love blooms in the pond at last

And grows tall to smooch eternal home

Hugging glory defying Nature

A call for a Prelude to Happiness.