Struck

And it struck. 

The palm across the face,

Flesh on flesh,

Stinging.

It struck,

A massive blow

Straight to the heart.

Tearing, pulling away the veins.

Blood gushed,

Pouring all over 

Red and gruesome.

Pain. Numbed in pain. 

Darkness, as the blood thinned.

Light faded and pain over powered. 

And, death struck. 

         - Robes of a Muse

Candle lit nights

Candle lit nights emerge

As we plunge into darkness once more.

Memories from a distant past

Of mosquitoes and sweaty eves creep.

Computers and virtual gatherings end,

The mobile, our best friend, 

Till the battery lasts. 

The yellow rays of this artificial sun

Shines, sending loving shapes on walls.

It's calming. 

A sedative to the chaotic mind.

Faces come together, shadowed.

The mind stills, it calms,

Sitting in the candle lit night. 

        - Robes of a Muse

Love in Times of Corona

I long to hear your voice now

And feel the warmth of your touch.

I am lucky to see your eyes 

But once a week,

Thanks to innovative technology.

How I long to kiss you,

Wrap my fingers in yours

Feel your body, next to mine

Just for a little while. 

Many miles separate us

Yet corona makes us far apart.

Meet you when, I do not know

For now, 

I wait with memories. 

       - Robes of a Muse

The Lion's Gate

The stars shine bright

Waiting for the sun and moon to align.

Energies are strong tonight

As our world's collide.

The countdown has begun

For the live show of hearts.

No clowning around for fun

As does come the round of darts.

Come together,

We do in our hearts and mind.

Love, as gentle as a feather

Cradled to our bossom and kind. 

- Robes of a Muse

The Albatross

Perched on the high mountain

On an isolated rock,

Sat he.

Watching the world beneath him,

Eyes, attentive to activity. 

Planning his next meal.

The water flowed

Smoothly down the slope,

In a cascading waterfall.

What a breathtaking sight,

The mountain, the waterfall

And the Albatross. 

         - Robes of a Muse 

The Giver

Money, time, space
It mattered not.
The giver did face
In this thickening plot. 

As the moons fade,
And the giver aged,
She grew somewhat afraid
That she would be forever caged.

Time and again,
The angels reassured
That it wasn't in vain. 
Through these words, the giver was cured.

- Robes of a Muse

Power Cuts

They have recommenced,
Forced to immerse ourselves in darkness
Sitting under starry skies,
Enjoying the Indian Ocean breeze.
I reminisce times, two decades ago,
When this was the norm 
Sitting in the dark,
Taking notes in the candlelight night. 
Or rolling on the cool tiled floor 
To keep the heat at bay. 
Power cuts, what memories they bring
A shared tale between my generation and the next. 

Hope: A New Lease of Life

Hope,

This is what I received

As I walked out the door.

For the first time in many years

I dared to look towards the future;

To hope for better days,

and a better life.

I wasn't merely existing.

I was going to live!

Hope,

I dared to believe in the future,

Dared to believe in the wonders of life

Of the many things that are to be explored. 

Hope,

I grinned from ear to ear

As I was given a new lease of life.

Thirty-two floors above

I realised how insignificant life could be

As I watched you walk about, 

Yes you, the one with a full-blown ego. 

You think you are important. 

Ruining other people's lives, their dreams. 

You don't care, I thought, as I watched you walk by. 

I was watching the bus, yellow, with its tiny wheels rolling. 

Ready to take you to work or wherever you want to go. 

Thirty-two floors above,  seated here near the window, 

I felt I was almost touching the heavens. 

Yes, I was near the clouds. 

I wondered what your life would become,

As you flow through life, and what you would do, away from your suit. 

But I decided not to worry, as I was thirty-two floors above. 

- Robes of a Muse

You lingered

I didn't ask for much.

That was the bitter truth.

I gave you my time,

I gave you my love. 

I didn't ask for much,

You see.

You lingered,

You still do in a way,

That peripherial manner

You dance around 

The boxing ring.

You lingered.

I see you,

Quite frequently, at that 

And stop myself feeling,

Walking down the memory lane.

As I am a witness to your beauty. 

  - Robes of a Muse 

For the ungrateful

I cannot let this cancer grow
any longer. 
So, I must speak. 
As my spirit grows stronger.
You never cared, 
pretended to be there.
But,
You cut me behind my back.
Your blood was all a lie
Not thicker than water or wine.
You are a swine,
A canker in my mind.
Stink.
Profound! 
Spreading in the midnight air.
I dare say, I no longer care. 
I let go,
Release the bonds,
For I must find
My peace of mind. 
So, go.
Go out of my mind.
So, go.
For I mustn't let you grow.

    - Robes of a Muse

Oh privileged one!

You sit at home
feeling sorry for yourself.
A comfortable home,
with an AC, a fridge and online shopping. 
They still toil in the sun,
sweeping and cleaning,
harvesting their crop;
feeling responsible for what they do.
Others at home, unable to feed
children lay hungry, weeping daily. 
Do you still feel sorry,
Oh privileged one!
You have more,
what they have none. 

  - Robes of a Muse 

Working from home

What day is it today?
A Monday, a Tuesday or a Friday?
I no longer feel the days go by.
The week, feeling like an eternal blur.
The weekend came and I didn't know.
The clock stopped striking
And the sun, forever glowed.
The koel coos,
Perched on the mango tree.
Leaves rustling
Ever so softly.
What day is it today?
I have lost count. 
I no longer know.
I no longer know...

  - Robes of a Muse

The Poor Family of Four

It was curfew again.

The tenth day in a row. 

Food was fast dwindling,

Savings he had naught. 

Cabbages and pumpkins,

Some rice on the shelf too.

What to eat tomorrow, 

Was on his thoughts more.

Wife and children he had to feed,

Job was no longer a hope. 

This Corona came 

and messed his world

Just as it became heavily pearled.

He looked at the starry sky

Questioned the gods above

Why are they doing this to him,

His poor family of four. 

    - Robes of a Muse 

The Attack

I crumbled.
The Shangri-La had been attacked,
I heard.

I pictured us,
Seated near that window seat,
Staring into each other's eyes,
As the golden hues of the sun 
set over the Indian Ocean blues. 

A part of me broke.
No one I knew was injured.
But the memory of the location,
that table, the place, of you...
It was ominous,
Symbolised where we were.
Apart. 

I was in turmoil,
Whether to contact you. 
I cried within,
Reminiscing that evening. 
A fire went out somewhere,
With that attack on April 21st,
and little did I realise,
It was within. 

      - Robes of a Muse

With Love

What do you do when you miss someone? 

Do you let your thoughts wander, 

Your feelings flow

Or let your eyes speak the words

You are reluctant to speak? 

How do you come to terms

With not being close to someone?

When their presence is what you yearn for

And their warmth your hearth.

When do you come to terms

With not being around your loved one? 

Is it through distance,

Or not having a piece of their love? 

What do you do when you miss someone? 

Tell me if you have a remedy, 

For my heart bleeds with love, 

And I dare not express these feelings of enormity. 

        - Robes of a Muse 

Destruction by Humanity

Cities change, buildings grow,
Roads widen and are straight.
Winds blow stronger, 
Nights grow darker.

We try to breathe,
Suffocate, holding our lungs.
Trees cut, flowers no longer bloom.
Butterflies die, and the colours erode.

Suffocate as the cities warm,
Shades of grey is what we see.
Rainbows, familiar no more.
Die, all of humanity in indecency. 

          - Robes of a Muse

Honesty

Honesty is the best policy, they say.
But people didn't read the fine print,
Or so, I would like to say.
To wag their tongues, with a fine pint,
Is not the way to feelings betray. 

Question why it is done.
All should say, no to you my son. 
You see, honesty is the valued policy,
Often sought alongside consistency. 

Tell the truth, 
Never a lie, 
For the latter is uncouth,
And you would look nothing more than a fly.

         - Robes of a Muse

Words

They are such powerful tools,
That can make us intelligent or fools. 
They can uplift or kill someone's mood. 
Words are real blessings or can be very crude. 

Words, I have realised,
Are actually characterised,
By the love and kindness
That we bring to it with mindfulness. 

Oh! Words, dear words,
The approach needs to be towards,
Transformation and forgiveness,
Not based on pure impulsiveness. 

- Robes of a Muse

Afraid of Life

Yet again you walked away,
Afraid to feel,
Letting your heartsongs pull.
You rush away,
Even though you say you want more from life,
You hide, afraid to show your true self.
You dislike being vulnerable,
To let your wall of solitude crumble. 
You cry for companionship,
But dislike partnerships.
Tell me love, do you wish to 
Always live like this,
Afraid of what the world has to offer you?

- Robes of a Muse