Dream-Now

It’s raining outside

and inside too

My Stupid-Little Heart

torn between

“To be or not to be”

is dripping melancholia through the lashes

unchecked!!

Seeing the puffy red eyes,

and wet lashes,

My Ever-Logical Mind 

says objectively,

“Don’t dwell on dreams” 

as it burdens your heart when

unfulfilled!!

Silvery-white moon-beams

are now shining through the edges of the clouds

My Wonderful-Wise Soul

laughs with a tinkle,

“Curb expectations, not dreams

as expectations results in pain,

suffering”!!

Life without dreams 

is like birds without wings,

canvas without colours

and trees without flowers

Dream is the purpose of life

Life is a dream

Dream-Now!!

Copyright: Shukla Banik

Idea of Love

A lazy stroll hand in hand 

through the less frequented bylanes 

of a tucked-away sleepy village

Is my idea of love.

Covert glance, shy smile

And a romantic interlude

On a quaint stone staircase

Is my idea of love.

In midst of a downpour

Searching for a pair of dancing shoes

Instead of an umbrella

Is my idea of love.

To consciously ignore 

the allure of glittering baubles,

for the serenity of the vast mountains,

Is my idea of love.

Rising above the mundane to the realization 

That love is complete in itself

Instead of depending on a person or thing

Is my idea of love

Copyright: Shukla Banik

Being Youthful

Once upon a time

when I was in my prime

The mirror in the wall 

showed a gamine girl

clear skin, rosy cheeks, 

firm body, supple knees

boundless energy in every step,

juicy gossips with non-judgemental friends

Favourite book - Nancy Drew

Favourite sitcom - ‘Lucy, I Love you’

Loving skirmishes with opposite sex

nothing serious till I move on to the next

Chest full of treasured gifts

Chocolate, perfume which I cherished!!

It’s now a different matter

as I slowly loose control over my bladder

with sagging body, creaking bones,

crow’s feet,  freaking kidney stones

Poor eyesight saying goodbye to books

Eccentric lovers or just clumpsy groping fools

A gift of a cream, these days, to keep me wrinkle-free

Lits up my face with an impish glee!!

Sensing my frustration, wise quill says,

“Appreciate each moment, stop being a pest!!

Leave behind your vanity, try to be kind

Age is just a number, a state of mind”

I dedicate this poem to all those who think they are old

Let’s enjoy the moment before death sell our souls!!

Copyright: Shukla Banik

Chance Encounter

One hot summer evening

While crossing a busy street,

His eyes clashed with mine

and my heart missed a beat.

Was it an hour or just a fraction

that time stood still

Two halves of a soul rejoined

while old memories spilled.

That too was a hot summer, 

when we first met

Already a star by then,

his goals were set

What was I then?

Just a naive little girl

Buck teeth, big glasses

and thick bushy curls.

Different background,

different paths to chase

Yet we felt the magic pull

when our souls embraced.

We kept meeting afterwards

regularly, every day,

Sitting in awkward silence

searching for something to say.

Sitting alone in my room though

words often bubbled and danced

making me laugh or cry aloud,

with parents looking askance

Then came a time of reckoning

when suddenly it came to an end

Our romance, like passing summer,

had nothing more to augment

Years later when our eyes met again

while crossing a busy street

I wondered if it was love 

that made my heart miss a beat?

Copyright: Shukla Banik