Roshan - prolific

There in front were the stars,

almost at eye level.

Although the stars were there, so close to the touch,

they did not sparkle like her eyes.

They drew out, on the canvas of the black night sky,

her absence.

The flowers were lovely yellow yesterday evening,

and they grew wholly, like carpets of dreams,

but today, they were nothing in comparison to her.

Their yellows were duller and their stalks less turgid.

Below there were no roads to travel, that had not her voice

attached to the wandering signposts, as they whipped by.

Their wanderings were just a walk away.

What should i sing, or utter to stop comparing her to the world,

for she is everything in the world, nothing less.

Knowing her is almost like talking to the universe or playing with life,

until one sees the secrets all unfolding.

Passion is passive in this world, that so cruelly takes her away.

Aditi again - new poem sent to me after a long time

Silent whispers
Sniffle in nostalgia
Humming a familiar tune


The mind plays
Recklessly
With the heart,
Like the sadist wind
That ruffles up
Crisp raked memories


Every thought has an appendix
Of old habit and decayed love
Which it carries along
Like a vestigial blister
That refuses to be balm

Meandering emotions
Seek absorption
To still the change
But they still churn
Like the frothing sea
Unleashing
Venomous nectar.

And endless war fought,
Sought not by me

Deliverance I beg for
From the battles of
I with Me

Roshan's latest poem that he showed to me.

I was touched by beauty today.

A soft fleeting touch of merciful beauty,

That brushed my hair, with soft fingers,

And drew within me, figures of naked beauty,

Drawing within me, exquisite ideas of conspiring get togethers,

Where there was only me and it, writhed in such ultimate pleasure,

That the moon paled in comparison and sun blushed,

Until under the stars (yet there were none, for we saw nothing),

Gentle breeze blew and far away a hurricane brewed.

It too conspired against others- but impersonally and unknowingly.

And yet we did not see time beyond the seconds that we breathed together,

Seconds that grew from our mingling bodies.

We created time, destroyed others through our thoughts,

Eliminating time that would too conspire against us,

If we had let it- but time too was powerless.

Without action there is no time.

And there was no action in me- just beauty that flowed through space,

Substituting time.

Without effect the action means nothing,

And there were no effects- just timeless beauty.

In that moment that lasted forever,

We created and destroyed the universe.

Breathing something that was not air,

Surviving without oxygen.

Update

The exhibition came and went.
Different people liked the books according to who they were.
No book went entirely unliked.
The compilation hasn't happened yet.
But Roshan still writes poetry.
Maybe the others too.
Arka is on the way to becoming a famous poet
Prerna has recently made a poet friend
Things keep happening
That's good enough, I guess..

the poetry makes nothing happen exhibition

ok, dear friends artists poets lyrcists designers or whatever else you'd like to term yourself, we're starting to roll on monday coming week 19th morning 8.15
the srishti library main shelf is our showcase
i only have eight books to put on show - as of now
the librarians have agreed to give us the comp for our use too
we can put the books on the shelf and ashwin's video on the comp, plus the books too in etext format if you have it...
to begin with i need from each of you is a poster to be kept in front of the library with your photo , a brief write up about you - two or three lines, only facts, no crap please, it's a public space, though fine humour can be allowed i guess, and one of your poems on the poster , preferably one written after the course - like pratap's cube cube, aashim's prayers and aditi's later ones, roshan's lace etc...
each day i want to try and keep each book open on a new poem
the books will be a accompanied by a feedback book so that readers can put in their comments
so please gather by eight in front of srishti library monday 19th to do the needful
once we kick it off we will get new ideas and can better the exhibition which should run at least for two weeks
remember the plan includes soon making a book of twenty poems at least - 2 from each of you minimum - designed by all of us together and perhaps getting the newspapers to write on this exhibition... if any one shows interest...
please acknowledge receipt of this mail - the main ten participants especially
vaibhav and ashwin put your poems into exhibit mode
samia, shyamli, sorry i couldn't get in touch with you yet but here is the gist of everything...
take care, all of you

pratap's beautiful delirium continues

( )3
Gullible savage
Fall.
Stumble into your own
TRAp
Fal l.
F all
.
For we wer e
Doomed
T o be doomed.
Suck ed through
The one-way valve,
Trapped in this ( )Reinforced
br eak-proof.
Rubber balls, we bounce
Her e inside
Happy, unassuming-
Healthy wealthy wise
Fr ee. Do as we please. And
Never stop bouncing -
Because we love bouncing
Keeps us sane, safe, happy
Inside .
bounce
bounce
bounce
bounce
bounce
bounce
bounce
bounce
bounce
bounce
bounce
bounce
and
and
and
and and
and
and

And don’t forget
T o tak e us down with you.
TRAp
But I will not bounce
I will not be fr ee, wise or healthy.
I will sit her e- still, inside . I will be sick.
For my sickness can tak e me
Wher e you could never have.
And my horrible sickness
With its toxic acid ooze, will
Eat up these r einforced walls.
I will escape this
This I didn’t volunteer for.
And I will fly
Through this acid-ooze-eaten-through window
Ther e, outside.
Truly fr ee, I will fly. And
Never stop the flying-
Because I love flying
Keeps me on my toes
The uncertainty-
The adventur e-
The wonder -

( )Reinforced
br eak-proof.
fly
fly
fly
fly
fly
fly
fly
and
and and
and
and
and
f l y
f l y
f l y
f l y
f l y
I will be sick.
I will be sick
- inside outside.
design: dayglocrazie
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3

Aashim - Prayers: a very cool poem

Prayers.



High in skies

far above the blue,



air surrounding me,
transparency wafting through


this fire,
stretched red on
my sentient desire.


traveling unseen
water
spills this gullible green.


beckoning mirth

a shadow of yellow

upon this

enchanting earth.