Rippling through my heart

When did this all start

this heady rush of feelings so stout

rippling through my heart

Waves of hope peeping out in part,

hidden behind veils of doubt

when did this all start

Time tries hard to thwart

cascades of joy that pour out,

rippling through my heart

Gushes of pain ink life's chart

even as peace surges in to ease bout,

when did this all start

Like a colorful work of art,

emotions seem to swirl about

rippling through my heart

To revel in the ride and steer the cart;

I just need to find out -

when did this all start

rippling through my heart.

P.S - This poem is my first attempt at Villanelle. A Villanelle is a nineteen-line poem consisting of a very specific rhyming scheme: aba aba aba aba aba abaa. The first and the third lines in the first stanza are repeated in alternating order throughout the poem, and appear together in the last couplet (last two lines).

Picture is  from Google images

Content.

Eyes closed and neck craned;

drinking to its heart's content-

doe suckles her fawn.

*********************************

Ouch!! slurp-fest begins,

drinking to their hearts' content-

merry mosquitoes.

*********************************

Glances turn to gaze,

drinking to their hearts' content-

eyes thirsting for love.

*********************************

This post is shared with Haikuhorizons and this week's prompt is CONTENT

Driver's license

A battle of nerves,

wield double-edged sword called mind,

drive away your fear.

******************************

The end or onset,

starring rosy dreams, real life

drive into sunset.

******************************

You have the power,

driver's license for lifetime,

steer safe through life's roads.

******************************

This post is shared with Haikuhorizons and this week's prompt is DRIVE

Drift

Trinkets lose their sheen,

flowers wither, time trudges,

scent of love lingers.

********************************

Man ambles bee-like,

seeking elusive quiet,

loud ego buzzing

*********************************

This post is shared with Haikuhorizons and this week's prompt is DRIFT

Fly past.

Whiz, whoosh, zip or zoom,

life rushes by in a blur

needles of time fly.

***********************************

Wings clipped and hopes caged,

trapped by illusions, man craves-

flights of fantasy.

***********************************

This post is shared with Haikuhorizons and this week's prompt is FLY

Present.

Past, present, future-

perfect or continuous,

tense grammar of life.

This post is shared with Haikuhorizons and this week's prompt is PRESENT

Rings of joy.

Bells of laughter ring,

circle of joy gets bigger,

children holding hands.

***************************

Gleaming rings of gold,
dipped in sweet syrup of love-
yummy jalebis.

***************************

This post is shared with Haikuhorizons and this week's prompt is RING

Pictures are from Google images

U for undo

'Undo' is a command in most computer programs that allows the user to erase the last change made to the document and revert it to an older state. It is a very useful command for it allows us to rectify the mistakes we make. I have wondered many a time how would it have been if there was a undo button or command for our lives. At first thought, I would have wanted to undo many many things, but on pausing and pondering if I really wanted to undo, I honestly feel I would rather not undo anything. I owe what I am to all those moments and events in a way, for they have shaped my thinking, moulded my perspectives on life, toughened me, softened me, sharpened me, changed me. Basically they have influenced me in many ways to make me a better person and helped me evolve into the unique person that I am.

I cannot imagine the confusion that it would cause with each of us trying to undo a different aspect of an event that has already unfolded. No wonder, life does not have a 'Undo' command.

This post is shared with April A-Z blogging challenge and today's alphabet is U

Picture is  from Google images

L for light of life

Bright diyas amidst colourful rangolis

bring in joy dispelling melancholy .

Tiny lamps brighten the world,

so do the little pleasures of life;

inundating minds with zest for life,

lighting up faces with joyous smiles,

bracing us up to conquer darkness-

the darkness of gloom & ignorance;

sprinkling the colours of cheerfulness,

leading us towards delight &radiance.

To revel in this essence of life

share the light of knowledge & joy.

Spread laughter & sunshine

to experience serenity divine.

This post is shared with April A-Z blogging challenge for alphabet L

Picture is  from Google images

F for fairness creams

'Fair and lovely' is a name of a popular fairness cream that promises lighter skin with regular use. There are a dozen other fairness products all of which strive to provide its customers with "fair, blemish free, glowing, beautiful skin".Over the past decade, fairness cream advertisements have attracted a fair share of criticism for promoting the idea of fairer (lighter complexion)skin-tone being the key to securing a job or a much-sought after affection and interest of the most eligible bachelor in town. If a girl is slightly dark or dusky, it is the end of the world for her, her future is a million shades darker. Funny thing is nowadays even the men have been sucked into the black-hole of "fair skin". There are a bunch of fairness products for men and equally ridiculous ads where Bollywood actors and cricketeers endorse a xyz brand and advise distraught, love-lost young men that they too can win the affection of the girl of their dreams by dabbing themselves with a cream. After all life is all about glitz and glamor, and hogging the limelight, right?  Ridiculous claims and rubbish advertisements aside, I often wonder what is the connection between lighter skin tone and beauty. Does merely lighter skin color make a person beautiful? What of the dark thoughts, cruel intentions that lie hidden beneath the layer of "fair" fat? The obsession with fair skin borders on the ridiculous in Indian mindset.

Fairness also means being free from bias, dishonesty or injustice. Will people ever realize that there is more to fairness than just complexion? Beauty is not just skin-deep. Real beauty lies hidden deep within, visible only to the hearts that realize this subtle truth.
I want the whole world to be fair and lovely, give me a cream that can turn the world fair and make it a lovely place to live in.


This post is shared with April A-Z blogging challenge for alphabet F

Chase

Fazed mind chasing peace,

gazes into roaring sea,

 odyssey begins.

**************************

Chasing illusions,

silly heart trips, falls in love,

bruised knee, broken heart.

**************************

This post is shared with  Haikuhorizons and this week's prompt is TRIP

B for baggage

All of us have used some kind of a bag to hold and carry our belongings at some point in time. Whenever we travel from one place to another, we carry one or multiple bags of various kinds such that all that we need is accommodated in a manner convenient for us to handle it. In case of air travel, there are restrictions on the type and weight of the luggage allowed per passenger and even on the contents allowed to be in the baggage. For an additional fee, a passenger can take along extra baggage but even that has limitation.

If we consider life to be a journey, what about the baggage we would like to take along? While we should be carrying our hopes and dreams, we should pause a while before carrying along worrisome thoughts and fears. We should not burden ourselves with misgivings and grudges. Instead we should just take the lessons learnt from each experience along with us.  While some memories are harder to leave behind,  most of the time it is no use lugging around memories that pull us down with grief and sorrow. In fact some of the thoughts in our minds fall under the prohibited luggage category, toxins of all kind are banned on flights, similarly negative feelings have no place in our lives. It is only natural for negativity to creep into our lives but like a smart traveller we should take care to check what we carry in  our hearts during the journey of our lives and weed out unnecessary thoughts. Of course, this is easier said than done, but a little conscious effort will go a long way in making our journeys meaningful. Traveling light is the smart way to travel and enjoy the beautiful journey of life.

This post is shared with April A-Z blogging challenge and today's alphabet is B.

Picture is  from Google images

A for Assorted

We have all come across packages labeled "assorted" be it a gift wrapped box of assorted sweets or assorted chocolates. I still have most of the crayons from the assorted color set I used for drawing class during my school days. When I first saw that word on the crayon box, I did not even know how to pronounce it or what it meant, but I just liked that word. 

Over the years I understood that assorted means a collection or a group. According to Oxford dictionary, the word assorted means 'Of various sorts put together; miscellaneous'. I feel it represents the variety that is a feature of everything in the world around us. A bouquet of flowers put together in a vase brightens the room it is placed in, a string of notes played by a collection of instruments makes us tap our feet in delight. A spectrum of colors makes the world visually appealing. The food we eat is a combination of nutrients like carbohydrates, fats, dietary fiber, minerals, proteins and vitamins. It is also an assortment of flavors i.e., sweet, sour, salty, bitter, hot or spicy and astringent much like life. Life is a blend of delight, despair, dreams, doubts, trials and triumphs. This blend is as unique our DNA strands and so each of us have our own unique identities and life stories. Each day we come across a variety of people who differ in their appearance and attitude. Each one is different in their own way yet similar in a peculiar manner. This seemingly different yet similar nature of the world around us is what makes life alluring and interesting. After all variety is the spice of life.

This post is shared with  April A-Z blogging challenge and today's alphabet is A.

Golden gravel

Bouncing up and down,

through sea of golden gravel,

ship of desert sails.

Winds of change at work,

never-ending draft of life,

puff of golden dust.

This post is shared with  Haikuhorizons and this week's prompt is SAND
Picture is  from Google images

Color craving.

Her black eyes gazed out of the window,

painting colored dreams on white snow.

frigid air seemed to echo her pathos,

outward calm cloaking inner chaos.

Tiny white specks flitted, listless

much like her thoughts, restless.

She yearned for warm, soothing rays of sun

would it ever tint her life golden,

would her heart smile, eyes twinkle for no reason,

her dispirited eyes beseeched the horizon.

No longer dreary looked the sky,

artist's palette had taken it's place;

pink-purple patches amidst ochre spray,

shades of delight to erase her dismay.

Her worry laden mind unable to see clearly,

had mistaken resting happiness for misery.

A simple prayer had lifted clouds of doubt,

her faith triumphant in this invisible bout.

A content smile luminous on her face,

enigmas unravelled to her mind's eye.

Picture is  from Google images

First steps.

Bells chime, lesson time,

treasure trove of ABCs -

first year of marriage.

********************************

Tiny feet totter,

pride, joy light up mother's eyes,

toddler takes first step.

********************************

First kiss of warm love,

last embrace of pleasant dreams,

horizon of hope.

********************************

This post is shared with  Haikuhorizons and this week's prompt is FIRST

Winter tales

By the flickering winter fire,

wrinkled eyes caught glimpses of yore,

childhood chases, make-believe games,

carefree days and rosy reveries.

In the crackle of golden flames,

she heard tinkles of innocent laughter,

snippets of silly squabbles, candid chatter.

In the warm glow of the hearth,

she felt her mother's affectionate caress,

her brother's hug, father's reassuring clasp.

By the flickering winter fire,

wrinkled eyes caught glimpses of yore,

colorful wedding, promising hopes,

grueling trials and gratifying triumphs.

In the crackle of golden flames,

she heard sweet nothing whispers,

prattle of her offspring, friendly banters .

In the warm glow of the hearth,

she felt the loving support of her spouse,

her children's cuddles, plentiful and playful times.

By the flickering winter fire,

wrinkled eyes caught glimpses of yore,

wheels of time frozen no more,

unearthing bygone dreams and desire.

Picture is  from Google images

Braving the tide.

Like rain from the skies above,

trickling along like creeks,

depth of parched earth as it seeks;

priceless jewels glistened a while,

fore running dry on her cheeks,

leaving behind salty streaks...

She had showered pristine love

seeking delight not dejection

yet met apathy not affection;

False was her fervor, fake her smile

mask of ebullience she wore with poise,

life was a blend of heart-breaks and joys...

Her deepest feelings poured out,

her dreams, desires and doubts;

pearls of her soul, it's semblance,

gems they were of her essence.

Her heart lightened, she sighed,

she was ready to brave the tide...

Picture is  from Google images

Elixir of life

The rustling leaves & the bumbling bees,

the chiming bells & the gurgling streams;

even the silent shadows seemed to whisper to me. 

Colours of joy I saw all around,

Aromas of delight left me spellbound.

Even the mundane chores seemed heavenly; 

The real world juxtaposed by dreams 

brewed a heady concoction of excitement & ease. 

Smiles abound at heart, I waltzed through my way,

Weaving around rosy dreams even during the day. 

The bright days evoked the free spirit in me,

The cool evenings kindled in my heart – poetry.

I knew not if this was freedom or love or success, 

(but) I had tasted the elixir of life I guess.

Picture is  from Google images

Ties of blood.

Gore behind glitter,

wars waged, lives lost, dreams shattered -

blood diamond tale.

**************************************

Blue-blooded or not,

her child rules her world always;

mother's heart - child's throne

**************************************

This post is shared with Haikuheights and the prompt is BLOOD