Category: Poetry

I brought my heart

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I brought my heart, with me here today
But I don’t know why I’m feeling this way

The moment I saw you walk in through that door
A beacon of beauty like a light off the shore

I didn’t believe in love at first sight
But one look at you made this feel all right

Our eyes; they just met, locked into a gaze
I’m lost and confused, stuck in a dumb daze

No words are exchanged, our heartbeats communicate
The sound of our breaths just fills in the wait

Well, I brought my heart, with me here, today
And I don’t know why I’m feeling this way

Because when you walked right out of that door
I didn’t have my heart with me anymore.

Inspired by this week’s writing challenge.

April 9, 2013

The scent of freedom

A thousand suns may have come and gone
A thousand moons so brightly shone
But the lone warrior stands tall and taut
Stronger than ever, its metal wrought

For eons it stood the test of time
A mute spectator beyond the line
With blood and sweat and tears withholding
It bore witness to the events unfolding

I stand here with my head held high
My heart swelling, my breath alive
I’m proud of the legacy they left behind
Iconic; truly one of a kind

It was here that our fathers from days of yore
Their blood was seed, a fruit time bore
The sweet and fleshy orb that grew
Was freedom; a spark; an idea anew

And they lay this flag to symbolize
That truth prevails over a bunch of lies
A gift of sorts for the coming generation
Still a unique reminder; some gentle inspiration

The flag flutters in grace to this very day
The winds of change are blowing this way
It gives me hope for the days to come
For the air is pregnant with the scent of freedom.

© 2013 Mihir Kamat

Inspired by this week’s writing challenge.

NOTE: I took this picture on top of Shay Palace, Leh, on my recent trip to Ladakh. Ladakh is extremely beautiful, picturesque, and one of the best places to visit in the summer.

Image copyright of Mihir Kamat.

April 2, 2013
Stateless

Beware, O keepers of this fine state
The pot has begun to boil, its contents steaming
Waiting to overflow and consume everything in its path
Like a rabid volcano awaiting climax

These people, your people; the very same
That voted you in have now had quite enough
For when I stare long and hard into those quiet eyes
I see discontent seething in the cold abyss

Their eyes are filled with great expectations
And fabulous dreams; dreams of a better future
Than what their past has had to offer them
Each day their confidence in government shaken.

I sense fear in their demeanor;
Fear of not knowing what tomorrow holds
Fear of living each day as it comes and praying
That they can just make it through the long, dark night.

The days and nights alternate endlessly;
They come and they go like the soft touch
Of a light wind blowing, unable to make its presence felt
But still fueling a fire that burns brightly within

And as the mercury rises, the heat unbearable
A day will come when they would tear down the facade
Of your false promises, and expose your decayed core
Mocking you for your inability to provide for their simplest needs

I warn you, open your eyes now and smell the coffee
For the day is not far when the people, your people,
Would turn your scepter, your symbol of power
Into a mere piece of firewood, vulnerable to a naked flame

And from its ashes, like a phoenix will emerge
To spread its wings like never before;
A mind that is free and one that always will be
Stateless.

© 2013 Mihir Kamat

Inspired by this week’s writing challenge.

Image courtesy of csmonitor.com.

March 26, 2013
The wheels are in motion

It’s quiet outside
Maybe too quiet
The mind is restless
It won’t go to sleep

It seeks answers
To a million questions
Solutions to problems
Searching, waiting, and watching.

The heart joins in
Beating slowly, in a deep rhythm
Music that pushes the mind
Forward on its unknown quest

Yet there is something missing;
The mind knows it is alone
But longs for something more
Than just the ordinary

The body can’t take it anymore
It craves for a piece of the action
It twists and turns
Spinning out of control

The wheels are in motion
The quietness all gone now
The fire burns brightly within
A spark is all it took.

© 2013 Mihir Kamat

Inspired by this week’s writing challenge.

Image copyright of Mihir Kamat.

March 12, 2013
The hangman

A wintry day, not so long ago
Amidst the falling flakes of snow
A man was taken to the gallows
His lips were pale, his skin was sallow

But no sign of fear; no glint of sweat
No show of remorse, no hint of regret
For he was proud of what he had done
If it were left to him, he’d watch them all burn

He sneered and hissed and laughed aloud
And pointed fingers at the crowd
He cursed, he bellowed, “I will rise again,
I will be back to cause more pain!”

The hangman, he was brave and tough
Made up his mind; he’d had enough
He shouted, “Quiet, now this must end
To hell’s dark depths you must be sent”

The mad man looked him in the eye
He knew he was about to die
But he laughed away with merry mirth
The blood-curdling sound seemed to shake the earth

The noose tied tight around his head
With one fell swoop the man was dead
His legs flailing with the wind so strong
A quiet end to a life of wrong

Another year; another night
Through the darkness pierced the light
The sun brightened up the early morn
While a woman screamed, her baby born

And as the wall clock counted five
His promise kept; he was alive
The man had risen from his tomb
He made his way to her tender womb

The baby laughed; it did not cry
You could see the evil in its eyes
His promised revenge had just begun
The hangman was now blessed with a son

The baby, his child; his son indeed
Poisoned fruit born of his own seed
The years went by; the day had come
The child knew what he needed done

The child was stronger than before
The hangman could not fathom what was in store
The child went about his killer spree
The father hung from atop a tree;

Then the child laughed; without rhyme or reason
The madness evident in its ghastly completion
There was no remorse; no place for sorrow
A dystopia in the wake of tomorrow.

© 2013 Mihir Kamat

Inspired by this week’s writing challenge.

February 26, 2013
The plot of land

The welcoming earth lay vacant in the spring
Untouched, unkempt, with wild flowers blooming
With the sunset in the eve its beauty would peak
A dazzle of golden with bright orange streaks

A pool of water so silent and serene
A spectacular dimension to the surroundings so green
And a large oak tree right near the edge
Towering over the little shrubby hedge

The emptiness begged for fruition so much
A blank canvas it was seeking an artist’s touch
Like the surge of the sea the ideas were flowing
With every great thought the excitement growing

Would it play host to a home cozy and small
Or give children space to play with bat and ball
A perch for lovers to rekindle the fire
Or a place for old folks to relax and retire

But how could I take away the beauty that existed
Replace it with concrete; the idea seemed twisted
How do I steal it from under nature’s caring hand?
What was I to do with this plot of land?

The answer was clear, it began to make sense
It was so simple, nay just commonsense
A beautiful garden, the plot would remain
A place for nature to blossom again

The birds and the butterflies would flutter once again
The grass would look greener when bathed by the rain
With the cool summer breeze calling out as before
To see man and nature together once more.

© 2013 Mihir Kamat

Inspired by today’s Daily Prompt – A Plot of Earth

February 21, 2013
Worth waiting for

A gentle rose
Waits for you
Your touch, your caress
Your gentle care

Its scent intoxicates
Mesmerizes
Throws me off balance
Just like you do

It asks to be placed
In your hair so silken
It begs to adorn
Your radiant beauty

The rose is simple;
It wants to fulfill
Its purpose in life
To be an object of beauty

But it cannot wait longer
For it will die;
It simply cannot live
Staying away from you so long

But I believe, against hope
It would live till you came back
Because I know for a fact
You’re worth waiting for.

© 2013 Mihir Kamat

Inspired by today’s Daily Prompt – Cupid’s arrow

Featured image courtesy of Google.

February 14, 2013
Second chance

I lie here wide awake yet
I feel like I am dreaming
All I can hear outside are
Loud wails and excess screaming

I see death smiling in the corner
He’s waiting at my door
He says he’s here to take me home
To offer me much more

He says I lived a mediocre life
A life full of plans and caution
The life I lived was not worth much;
A life easily forgotten

He promises to take me to heaven
He appeals fervently to my heart
He offers me a brand new experience
He paints pictures of a fresh new start

But then I see all the faces around me
Loved ones gathered, saying their goodbyes
And while I was taking my last few breaths
I looked into their eyes

I made my decision; I wanted my old life back
I made a difference to all these people here
So what if I lived a mediocre life
I must have spread some cheer

This was my world; this was my heaven
This was where I was needed
My life may not be worth much
But it looks like I had succeeded

Death admitted defeat and walked away
He left me to my fate
I had just received the gift of life
With death walking out the gate

And with that I snapped out of
My stupor; my deathly trance
It was my time; my fresh new beginning
My second chance.

© 2013 Mihir Kamat

Inspired by today’s Daily Prompt – Karma Chameleon

February 9, 2013
My happy place

I wished for a place, my happy place
A place where I’d be myself
Where I’d be alone, yes all alone
My mind left to itself

My dream came true, and one fine day
I had my wonderful place
It feels like my cocoon, my bubble
Yes, my own happy space

I have a desk, a chair, a lamp
My books, some paper and a pen
A cup of coffee, pictures on the wall
To look at every now and then

Add to that, my comfy bed
A place to take my beauty nap
Where I’d be one with my dreams;
My fantasies I’d unwrap

The view outside is breathtaking
And the clear cool air feels nice
The peace and quiet make a perfect mix
Like a mix of sugar and spice

I love the fact that it has a lot of light
It keeps me thinking good
It simply keeps me happy all day
And brightens up my mood

And I love to be there all day long
Not a second left to waste
I thank my stars for letting me have
My own happy place

© 2013 Mihir Kamat

Inspired by today’s Daily Prompt – Writing Room

February 3, 2013
Lost in the ashes

A horrific blaze
Engulfed my home
Reducing my life
To ashes and dust

Those ashes were once
Things that meant the world to me;
Memories of childhood, now
Reduced to cinders.

In the smoky haze
I search frantically
But all I can see are embers
Part of a horrific design;

Burnt pictures lying everywhere
Pieces of my childhood lost
Half burnt faces lie around the floor
Smiling no more

The fire lay waste
To all my belongings
They were simply objects, insignificant
Never meant to last –

Like the pieces of broken glass
Now crumbling beneath my feet
They were made to be destroyed
They were made to be replaced

But in the blaze that night
I lost something more
That I could not find in the ashes;

It was irreplaceable;
And more than just my belongings,
Much more than memories,

I lost something dearer –
A part of me.

© 2013 Mihir Kamat

Inspired by today’s Daily Prompt – Burnt

February 1, 2013