The Poetry Marathon

At night, when you and I are sound asleep

The world changes around us

Gradually but steadily

New leaves turn

The old ones turn to soil

Insects come out and

Birds break out from their shell

Life and death is but a common occurrence

As Earth moves gradually but steadily

At night when you and I are sound asleep

That’s when life happens

Hic hic hiccups!

A lot of them too

Won’t won’t stop!

Oh what should I do?

I tried drinking water

Lots and lots of it

Hic hic hiccups

didn’t subside a bit!

I tried stop breathing

In hopes of getting better

Hic hic hiccups 

Still continue down to last letter

Hic hic hiccup-

Oh wait..  they stopped now

Maybe I only needed a rhyme

to make it work somehow!

Watering plants when sunset is near

is a blissful activity in Summer

the fresh smell of soil

the cool breeze the evening brings

brushing past, the colors are a delight 

too, You got green, bright and glowing

with red, pink and white of different flowers

all at the backdrop of orange sky

mingling with light and dark

Yes, watering plants when sunset is near

is a blissful activity in Summer.

I do

not have what it takes

I do

have what is important

I do

not think you would agree

I do

know that I am right

I do

because its me and who would know me better?

It was then that I realized

a bright light lay ahead of me

I felt cold and drowsy

but I kept walking

that day in April and when

I reached the end

the clocks were striking thirteen

to speak up

to stand together

to realize that we are one

and same, no matter what happens

because we are all humans

I have never been to sea

though I always wanted to see it

the vast ocean of clear blue

along the shimmering sand

and the breeze, offering a respite

under the Sun full of warmth

or so I have been told

I have never been to sea

only knew of it through words

and pictures and stories

of others

and I am lucky

finding something to look forward to

in a future where existence itself

is uncertain.

In the unending ocean

I send my song

my voice carrying

all my emotions

and pray that someone

would answer just once

at least this time

but no… my song

doesn’t reach them

No matter how loud I sing

Journeying alone

my heart withers

the dark ocean

is cold… and sad

So I sing still

knowing my voice won’t reach

I sing still because 

in the end here I am

Even if no one else is

I sing for myself

A firefly in a bottle

It tries it’s best

to fly and shine

in such a closed space

It makes me think…

Doesn’t it get tired

Seeing freedom through 

the fragile glass

but unable to reach it

It makes me think…

It would be strange if

the firefly isn’t sad or

angry or in despair

And maybe it just puts on a mask

Of hope and effort

A cheerful mask that hides

how tired it is

It makes me think…

Of the view before 

a cottage window

barely visible through the treeline

and an empty smile.

I am tired

of fighting my emotions

of discarding, suppressing

what makes a part of me

I am tired

of you telling me

my feelings are not right

Angry at you, at myself

for invalidating something

so true to me, to my story

But not anymore!

I am not the same as you

of incapable of speaking up

of voicing out what I feel

So listen now when I say

loud and clear

My emotions, my feelings

are not for you or anybody to judge

Good, bad, positive, negative

they are a part of me

Of my story

Of my heart

The proof that I am

Alive.