A TRIBUTE

On this occasion there was none waiting to receive  me in the station,
I took a taxi for my home unmindfully, dolefully without exhilaration.
I got into your room neither hesitantly nor fearfully as earlier,
Because I know to my ill-luck and agony you are absent this time there.
My eyes got attracted towards your garlanded portrait hung on the wall,
You were silent but speaking through your unblinking eyes and unmoved smile.

Your authoritative but soft and tender voice echoed in my ear,
To which I was accustomed, "Welcome home Dhuna, my beloved brother."
"Certainly my days are gone I am here no more in the act,
But I am still the king around here and you are my darling subject."

"Oh! No you are not gone, this is not true, a man of your stature can't  die,
You live at least until I am alive on this earth, with me, for me in my life's sky.
Yes I was, am and will always love to be your  much adored public,
Its my pleasure and privilege to be captivated and ruled in your love grip."
You never forced me to do anything but conquered and occupied my person,
And succeeded to be my Rama whereas I always struggled to be your Laxman.  
You had never roared and threatened me as an elder with your teeth of anger,
Rather you delivered the messages of your heart through your smiles or stare.
I never cared to take decisions regarding my academic-lines or preference of career,
Or even choosing a life-partner for myself, such was my trust on you as an well wisher.

You hold the responsibilities of my father, our household after his early death,
Then I was a small and helpless child but you never made me feel his dearth. 
You supervised and guided me in all my ways through my academics to secure a job, 
And gifted a satisfactory life, a humble life-partner no less than what I deserve.
Even after my marriage whenever I was to take a train from the station,
You accompanied me, lifting my luggage and never listened to my protestation.
"You still are a child to me, while I am here why should you be lifting in your tiny hands,"
In your words, your love for me, your greatness and a beautiful heart in you stands.
A lot of petty happenings but pretty memories haunt me when I am in sense,
My heart refuse to believe you demise, bleeds every now and then in your absence.

Now when I am penning your affections, actions, memories tears interrupts my sight,
For I know no words of appreciations, comparison can ever reach your height.
A wish comes to my mind, "If I ever born again to live on this earth I wish you be my elder,
Occupy me, rule me with the same intense love, or else I be not born again here," 

QUERIES

She was stunned to witness his humbleness, patience and dedication,
His incredible straightforwardness, adoration and open confessions.

Her psyche got laden with suspicion and confusion about his intentions,
Hence she came out blasting all cylinders with some down-to-earth questions.

"Why do you love me so much? Why you opted me to shelter in your nest?
A lot of them are there in the sky for your aspirations, choice and quest.
Is it not childish to fall for me knowing pretty well who and how am I?
Is it not silly to expect a bond from the free birdie of the blue sky?"

Bearing a broad smile on his lips, to her queries the bird replied,
"Yes childish I am and my love too is innocent, honest and forthright as a kid.
A loving heart is always babyish, may you call it an immature decision: yes it is so,
The great feelings called love comes from the heart and not from the brain, you know.
I didn't love you: rather it happened that the passion for you germinated on its own,
Now I am helpless, it is all on you to accept me, my love, my emotions or disown."

"You are free to fly as high as you wish in your dreamed sky, I imposed no bar,
However, I firmly caged you in the cave of my heart fully, finally and for ever." 

THE FREE BIRDIE

I was nest alone but satisfied, contended within my borders,
You, a free birdie of the blue sky took asylum in my nest,
Maybe exhausted of flying continuously or frightened of the hot air,
Or to avoid threats from stalker-birds or pestered by loneliness.

You pecked me in adoration, tweeted the melody of your heart in my ear,
Assured me of the partnership and showed the dream of a future together.
You openly appreciated my nest, my feather, my beak, my tone,
Acknowledged my gesticulation, devotion, dedication for you.

I noticed you stealthily watching those wildernesses,
Even while playing the love-game! Singing the rhythmical tone!
Is in the back of your mind the past pleasures of that blue sky?
Will you flee to the wilderness of the atmosphere someday?  

If that is your state of mind to resign from the union,
If you want to flee from me and feel free yet again,
Then start digging a pit for my burial right from today,
Or leave leaving an ember in my nest while I am in deep-sleep.  

THE FLOWER AND HER PRINCESS

The princess abandoned the garden abruptly,
Throwing the flower on the ground, dismantling its petals,
After playing with her, inhaling her fragrance,
Touching, feeling and enjoying the softness of her petals,
But didn't pay heed to her cries, her pain, her wishes,
Even didn't look back to see what happened to her.

Tons of questions raised in her dissipated little heart,
"Where I went wrong? What more was expected of me?
Do I deserve that rudeness? Is it my destiny?
Who is at fault? Who is fake, unreal, dodger?
Myself? My emotions, devotions? Or the pleasure I delivered?
Or the princess? Her intentions, attitude? Her disposals?"

"I procure color from the sun, fragrance from the nature,
And thus I am natural, pure, pious and decent.
God designed me by assembling simplicity, beauty,
Softness, fragrance and sweetness as ingredients.
Maybe I was wrong taking for grant the princess,
As a goddess who deserve my beauty, aroma and bounty.
Maybe I wrongly preferred her to be genuine and great,
Who would assess my worth, respect my soul.
Maybe I was erroneous in my perceptions, selection of her,

As a divine recipient, a noble and adorable heart."

"I am certain now that she is not a princess or goddess or angel,
But just a mistaken identity who was roaming whimsically.
Or maybe she is an actress carrying out character of princess,
In a theater who trespassed into my life to create turbulence
Or maybe she is a whimsical who visits the garden regularly,
To pluck flowers indiscriminately, heartlessly for her appetite, pleasure."

"But nothing unreal, artificial in my appearance, approach,
Intention, devotions, dispatches and sacrifices for her,
For I know I had one short but glorious life to live,
One great responsibility of fulfilling His divine orders,
To devote, sacrifice my life for a sacred and divine cause."       

Mowgli

Dishearten Mowgli got back to the jungle,
As activities of a negligible few terrified his naive brain,
Shocked his innocent heart, shattered his expectations.
His encounter with some beastly and unemotional people,
Gave a bitter experience of the darker side of the society.

Supremacy race, ego-clash, greed, chauvinism prevalent in the society,
Hurt his soul as he was dreaming of a better picture of us.
Memories of love and care of his wolf parents Akela and Raksha,
Haunted him, as he did not get that affection here from anyone.
He missed friendship bond of Ballo(the bear), Bagheera (the black panther),
And Hathi(the elephant) all his stay in the society with strangers,
Because none knew the language he was used to in the jungle.
He was shocked to see Sher Khan(the lion), King Louie(the orangutan),
And Kali(the snake) present in the society in disguise of civilized men,
But he didn't notice the authorities and administrations curbing their act,
Law and judiciary assessing and punishing their misconducts.

Mowgli failed to visualize the pleasure and glamour of human life,
Peaceful coexistence of various tribes, unity at times of natural calamities,
And their concerns for the sufferers ignoring disparities.
He overlooked credibility of charitable and humanitarian organizations,
Like the UN, the WHO, the UNICEF, the UNESCO and many more.
He unnoticed charms of the Olympics, various other sports meets, 
Significance of science seminars, cultural gatherings and global health summits.

I trust my Mowgli will be back to the human society the day he will learn,
That life in jungle is no more than fight to survive and live for the day,
Whereas life here is civilized, varied, colorful, plentiful and enjoyable.
The day he will realize that affections of animals are less significant,
In compare to their inherent instincts of kill to survive.
He will be back that day, the day he will look up and positive,
Witness the stars, instead of looking down and seeing the mud.
He will be back with us the day he will recognize that, 
We are the best creation of God under the Sun.   

MY FATHER

That was an inauspicious winter morning thirty-seven years ago.
But for me it is only recent past as the events never fainted of my memory.

A car intervened my sight and stopped in front of my home,
While I was basking as well as studding on the courtyard,
Also thinking about visiting my ailing father in the hospital.
I was chalking out algebra, hence did not pay attention to the incident,
Also I was not expecting anyone to visit my place that morning.

But a loud wail distracted me and I peeped through the door,
 It was my mom, who was getting down from it crying,
I speculated the matter, rushed home without seeing who else was in the car,
 Spread myself on a bed crying aloud, as I was his darling son.
   
Ask him about the significance of the  term 'father' to understand my pain,
Who lost patronage and affection of his father in his childhood,
When he was yet to understand the meaning of life at the age of twelve,
When his shoulders were jerrybuilt to lift the burden of a household,
Along with the load of books to ensure a secured a  future for himself.

A bold revolutionary communist ended his glorious journey,
Inscribing his name in golden letters in the history of Indian freedom struggle,
After fighting and winning the prolonged armed war of freedom,
Against the British rulers and the native kings who supported them.

The schools in the periphery voluntarily declared leave for the day,
And arranged a vast procession of students and teachers in his respect,
From home to the funeral ground with flowers, drums and bands to pay their homage,
To their loved a freedom fighter, Sanskrit scholar, teacher and homeopath.

I was sitting still near his lifeless body until he was carried in the procession,
My eyes fixed on his earthen lamp lighted calm and contained face,
Mind got busy in imagining his hardships in guerrilla warfare in Nilagiri hills,
Risking and sacrificing the golden days of youth for our motherland.

I feel proud of him being his son, when I think about his not accepting,
The travel passes, the pensions, portfolios and privileges offered to him,
For his contributions towards the struggle of independence,
Saying, "I have not done this to enjoy the fruit,.it was my duty towards my mother"
That too when we were penniless as he had resigned from his private teaching job,
In order to serve my old and bedridden grand father.

Also his words I remembered and materialized in my life,
I don't know in to what extent, "Speak the truth, you will never need,
To remember what you said yesterday and will never be ashamed of that."

I must confess he was atheist only reading and writing patriotic songs,
But never forced anyone about it, never he interfered or argued or discouraged 
Belief, worship and rituals of my mother or of anyone else in the whole household,
If life be, hopefully be it like his, if death be today or tomorrow,be it like his.
   

ASYLUM

            I lost in the wilderness of her deep blue eyes,
                In her sweet, humble words of affection,
   Who when heard this says,"No, no its not me, don't blame me,
           I did nothing to to grip you in my enchantment."

    "Hey, who blames you? Only a foe blames and we are friends,
      Acquisition by no means has any place in a good friendship,
         You need to know the facts and I don't know to hide."

           She refuted,"Is it true, do you really..............."

       "Facts can only be right or wrong, never false or fake,
   I may be wrong, but my confession is true like my heartbeat, 
           Bright like sunlight, transparent like morning air."

         She paused for a moment and replied, "Lo, behold!
               But why did you do that? It is silly man!
           You want to cage a free birdie of the open air?
          Confine a bee to the charm of a particular flower?"

      "It's not done, rather happened the strong feelings for you,
      I know I am helpless, but its no silly to worship someone,
      You are no bee or a birdie, rather a love-thirsty soul as me,
       My heart is no cage, nor a flower, its rather a decent home,
               For your homeless, restless but beautiful heart,
                A soothing, pleasant, safe and secured asylum."