Dreaming

Your gaze falls on me

like drops of rain

on a parched earth

Your voice

plays my senses

like a finely tuned violin

Your touch is as soft

as the silken petals

of a rose

Your kiss as sweet

as the nectar
of blossoms

I reach out
to hold you close

and find only air

I open my eyes

You are the dream

that dissolves

every day

© 2013 Uma Venkatraman ~ All Rights Reserved

Portrait Of Pain

Dipping a brush
in my pain
I paint it
in bold strokes
on a blank canvas
Aching swirls
indelibly stain
the pure white

A splintered
portrait
bleeding emotions
empty words
cannot express

If a picture
is indeed worth
a thousand words
what price
should I put
on this
unabashed display
of a wounded heart

Agony stripped
of all artifice
hangs unnoticed
on a bare wall
No takers for
so worthless
a masterpiece


© 2013 Uma Venkatraman ~ All Rights Reserved

Aspirations

New hopes, new dreams

new aspirations

as a New Year dawns

No looking back

no regrets

no thoughts of
what might have been

Wipe the slate clean

You have another chance

to set right what went wrong

Look ahead to good times

You can make them happen

if you try hard enough

Tell those you love

how you feel about them

don't hold back anymore

If the words are in your heart

just bring them to your lips

say them out loud 

A new year is here

fresh, bright and pristine

Paint it in colours
you want life to be

Add a lot of yellow

to bring sunshine into your life

Throw in a dash of red

for energy and vitality

A touch of blues and greens

for serenity and peace

Orange to make it vibrant

white for purity, pink for love

Steer clear of

blacks and greys

for though they exist

they'll add themselves

to the palette

just so you can know

the pain of loss and sorrow

and rejoice all the more

for the good things

yet to come


© 2013 Uma Venkatraman ~ All Rights Reserved

A Taste Of Life

Take a teaspoon 
of joy
A tablespoon
of sorrow
A cupful
of family
A handful
of friends

Add the 
sweetness
of success
the bitterness
of failure
the spice
of danger
the sourness
of fear

Whisk in
some memories
good and bad
Blend it all
into a smooth mix
Serve it up
garnished 
with love

Savour the 
rich tastes
of the feast
that is life

© 2013 Uma Venkatraman ~ All Rights Reserved

Loneliness

Sparkling lights 
sharpen the edge 
of melancholy 
cutting cleanly through 
the veneer of joy 
laying bare 
the loneliness within 

Celebrations 
ring hollow 
festive bells chime 
a forlorn tune  

Pack up 
the baubles 
store them 
in the dusty closet 
of bitter memories 
for happiness 
has forsaken 
these abandoned streets 
for the sunny climes 
of a brighter world

© 2013 Uma Venkatraman ~ All Rights Reserved

Beneath the lights

A grey sky sheds 
never-ending tears 
it weeps for 
homeless bodies 
huddled together                  

Rain streaks down
the cheeks 
of a cold city 
uncaring of 
ragged street urchins 
Santa has again
forgotten        
                                    
Festivity wears 
a skirt  
of bright lights 
that does not hide 
the darkness
underneath                                 

Is this
a celebration 
of failure?                

© 2013 Uma Venkatraman ~ All Rights Reserved 

Homeless

Shivering in her ragged dress 
the cold creeping in 
through her tattered shoes 
she walked the bright streets 
with tentative steps 
her awed breath 
puffing out in a white cloud 
Jostled by teeming crowds 
she plastered her nose 
to the window 
and peered into the shop
A big fat man in a red suit 
with a smile as wide 
as the chair he sat on 
Boys and girls 
in smart coats and pretty dresses
lined up in front of him
They sat on his knee 
whispered in his ear 
he patted them on the head 
gave them a brightly wrapped parcel 
and they left all smiles
She stood there 
till she was a block of ice
then felt a tap on her shoulder
What can I give you, little girl?
asked the jolly fat man
She looked up at him
with big sad eyes
and said, I want a home

© 2013 Uma Venkatraman ~ All Rights Reserved

Crossroads

I’ve tried to reach you

in so many ways

but you’ve retreated

into a world

I cannot enter

A world without
words I can use

to explain myself

A world of silence

that suffocates me

where even my screams

cannot be heard

It was not this way

when we first met

When I spoke

you listened

Though you didn’t say much

I knew you understood

Though I learned to listen

you don't say anything

I’m tired of guessing

and my tears have run dry

We have reached a fork

in our journey together

and our roads now lead

in opposite ways

There’s no point

in lingering here

any longer

All that is left

is to say goodbye

© 2013 Uma Venkatraman ~ All Rights Reserved

In The Morning

When they come for me
in the morning
I will be dressed
in white lace and tulle
with flowers in my hair
My feet will be 
shod in silk
I’ll be enveloped in
the scent of roses
you loved on me
I’ll wear your ring
on my finger
My hands will hold
a pretty bouquet
of carnations
you always
used to bring me
There’ll be a smile
on my face
as I lie peacefully
in my coffin
waiting for them
to come for me
in the morning

Haikus

To live a lifetime
In these moments snatched from time.
It's all I ask for

******

So fine a line drawn
between friendship and love. I 
don't dare to cross it. 

******

I try not to think
of you. My foolish heart has
a mind of its own

*****

The harsh winter of 
loneliness chills my bones. I 
long for love's fiery heat

*****

Even an ocean could not
keep me from you, but you are
safe. I cannot swim

*****

A few moments with 
you is all I ask for. In
them a life is lived

*****

Lend me your shoulder 
to drench with my tears. The rain 
wants some company

*****

Your silence says more
to me than your words ever will.
So keep your lips sealed

*****

Your touch sears me like
the summer sun. If this is
passion, let me burn

*****

Warm hues of your love
colour the cold tears I shed 
when you break my heart

*****


© 2013 Uma Venkatraman ~ All Rights Reserved

Footprints

Life is a pristine beach    
for feet to leave an imprint                                
on the untouched sand 
swept clean by the waves

Treading gently 
to not leave a trail 
only rendered you invisible 

It's still not too late 
to stamp your mark 
and be noticed
before the high tide 
of death 
rushes in 
to wash away 
any trace 
of your existence

© 2013 Uma Venkatraman ~ All Rights Reserved

Trapped

Your day my night
you don't give me a thought
I dream about you
                              
Your night my day      
you sleep dreamlessly               
I think about you

Our paths don't cross
Our thoughts don't merge
Our lives don't touch

I still can't let go

My heart 

closes all doors
so you can't escape
but I'm the one
who is trapped

© 2013 Uma Venkatraman ~ All Rights Reserved

To My Friend

We've shared
fun times
you and I
Giggled
over boys
Cried 
over them
Celebrated
the present
Anticipated
the future

We grew up
but never
grew apart
Even now
though we live
thousands 
of miles apart
you sense
my despair
My silence
speaks to you
An unerring instinct
tells you
I need
a shoulder
to cry on 
You reach out
and pull me
out of the shell
I retreated into
to nurse my grief
At your urging
I pour out my woes
You bear
the burden lightly
To you
my troubles
are not trivial
My dilemma
is not delusion
I tell you things
I hide
even from myself 
You are the mirror
in which I see
hidden facets
of myself

I remember
all the good times
we shared
all the bad times
we helped 
each other
through
To have you
in my life
is a privilege
so rare
I thank
the heavens
for creating
the day
I met you
my friend

© 2013 Uma Venkatraman ~ All Rights Reserved

Rhythm Of The Moon

Sunlight glinting off the water 
is the twinkle in your eyes
The wind in my hair 
is the caress of your hands
The swell of the waves 
is the desire your look arouses
The clouds skimming the sky 
are your kisses on my skin
The foam crashing on the shore 
is the beat of my heart
My love for you 
is as deep as the ocean
And hope rises and falls 
like the tides
for you're the moon 
to whose rhythm 
I'm forever bound

© 2013 Uma Venkatraman ~ All Rights Reserved

Is This, Then, A Poem?

Looking for words to
fit images that haunt the
mind. Does the heart know?

Emotions spill out
on to the page like blood from 
scalpel-ruptured veins

Pictures on the page
reborn, drift up to eyes that
seek a new meaning

The mind thinks thoughts, 
to which the heart adds feelings. 
Is this, then, a poem?



© 2013 Uma Venkatraman ~ All Rights Reserved

A Turtle's Tale

Inch by inch she crawls out of the sea
It's so dark she can barely see
But this is where she's meant to be
She has come home

On this beach she was born many years ago
Wriggling out of an egg buried deep below 
It was imprinted on her mind, she knows
she has come home 

The little hatchling was watched over by the gods
For she has survived all the odds
Out of a thousand, she got the nod
She has come home

Now she does what others have done
Painstakingly digs a hole under the moon 
Lays her hundred eggs one by one, this is why
she has come home

Year after year she will return
To continue what nature's begun
It's not something she needs to learn
She will again come home



© 2013 Uma Venkatraman ~ All Rights Reserved

Between Something And Nothing

What I feel for you falls
somewhere
between love and hate

Something
that pulls me to you
Do you feel it too?

But you say
nothing
when we meet
It tears me apart

This strange bond
that ties us together
Should I give it a name
or let it fall
between something
and nothing
and pretend it never was?


© 2013 Uma Venkatraman ~ All Rights Reserved

The Price Of Freedom

It is not easy
to walk on a road
soaked with the blood of sacrifice
paved with the bones of martyrs
drenched with the tears of loss

This road 
is carved by
millions of feet
marching for equality
millions of voices
demanding to be heard
millions of hearts
beating in hope

This road
is pebbled with the dignity
of those who would not be broken
tarred with the pride
of those who would not bend
smoothed with the endurance
of those who suffered

No, it is not easy
this long walk to freedom
But men and women
have walked this walk
and this road
is a shrine
to those who gave their lives
so we may live free



© 2013 Uma Venkatraman ~ All Rights Reserved

The Dress

Sometimes
her dress
is blue
sometimes grey
to match her mood
But always edged
in white ruffles

Under the azure sky
it ripples gently
as she sways

When storm clouds gather
it heaves heavily
as she rolls and crashes
on the black rocks

It tears apart
only for the sea
to pick up the tatters
and stitch it together

An endless ritual
played out for eternity


© 2013 Uma Venkatraman ~ All Rights Reserved

Shooting Star

I sit on a deserted beach in the dark 
listening to the waves relentlessly pound the shore
Much like your thoughts that batter my heart

I grip a fistful of sand in a nervous hand
Trying to hold on to my life 
Much like your love it silently slips away leaving me empty 

I decide not to think about you anymore
My mind commands my heart to cast out your memories
Much like the waves blanket the ground with shells

But my eyes search a glittering sky 
looking for a shooting star to wish upon


© 2013 Uma Venkatraman ~ All Rights Reserved

Creation

Nature dipped 
her brush 
in a fiery crimson 
and painted 
bold strokes 
on a deepening blue
Dabs of 
pink and purple 
gave it depth 
Flicked flecks 
of gold and silver 
added sparkle
Streaks of 
yellow and white 
made it glow
She called 
her painting 
a sunset 
then slowly drew 
a veil of black 
on the sky 
wiping out 
her creation
only to do it
again tomorrow 


© 2013 Uma Venkatraman ~ All Rights Reserved

Faith

Ravaged by nature
raped by man
rivers either run dry
or run red

No peace to be found
on trembling earth

Escape from the fury 
of the storm
only to face the wrath 
of furious men

beleaguered people
look for succour

When all seems lost
and no answers given
despair seeks solace
in blind faith

We can pull through
if only we believe


© 2013 Uma Venkatraman ~ All Rights Reserved

Compassion

You're the tall glass
of compassion and warmth
into whose silken softness
I release my bitterness
Like a bottomless well
you absorb my grief
and wash me clean
of the anger that threatens
to seep into my veins
and corrode my heart
You're the nourishing oil
that prevents the rust 
from clogging my sight 
blinding me 
to the joys of life
When frustration 
begins to boil over 
and scald my hot skin
I sink into your cool arms
and peace envelops me 
in a warm embrace
Let me nestle in your love
and drown in your depths



© 2013 Uma Venkatraman ~ All Rights Reserved

The Act

No stage 
no spotlight 
not even an audience 

yet she continues 
to play her role 

The mask she wore 
to keep out the world 
has now become her face 
The lines she spoke 
to hide her feelings 
are the only words she knows 
The smile she carved 
on her lips 
has locked the sorrow within 

No curtain 
no bows 
not even any applause 

yet she continues 
she is now the role


© 2013 Uma Venkatraman ~ All Rights Reserved

Reaching out

Staying when I should go
Loving when I should hate

Paralysis of indecision
Numbs my mind 

I ask why happiness 
eludes my grasp 
But I fail to see 
My feet, rooted too deep, 
limit my reach



© 2013 Uma Venkatraman ~ All Rights Reserved

Sweet Pain Of Love

A heart full of love
keeps me whole
though it beats
in fragments
you left it in

Each shard
pierces
my thoughts
with an
exquisite agony
I cherish

This sweet pain
is all I have
left of you



© 2013 Uma Venkatraman ~ All Rights Reserved

Walking away

I smiled and laughed 
with nonchalant ease 
I even indulged 
in witty repartee
You were amused 
It made me proud 
You nursed your drink 
I was reckless 
I teetered 
as I rose to leave 
You put out your hand 
I clung too long 
We went 
our separate ways 
I waited 
for you to look back 
but you kept going 
Your brisk steps 
trod on my heart 
breaking it 
into a million pieces 
once again


© 2013 Uma Venkatraman ~ All Rights Reserved

Emotions

Some emotions
are claimed by silence
falling between heartbeats
embedded in the flesh
becoming part of you
                              
Some silences
speak louder than words
echoing in your ears
till they drown out
sane voices of your mind   

                

Some voices
whisper through 

your senses
speaking a language
only the heart understands
changing your life
with their meaning

Some hearts
stop beating
betrayal breaks
their rhythm
throwing them
into a vortex of despair
Spinning them
into a world 

without emotions


© 2013 Uma Venkatraman ~ All Rights Reserved

Stolen Moments

The clock ticks
inexorably towards
the the time that
we must part
Relentlessly moving
hands of my watch
tighten their grip
on my pleasure
turning it to pain
as I realise
you will soon leave
and I will again
count the seconds
till we can be
together

I have never
been good
with numbers
yet I know
exactly how
many minutes
must pass before
we meet next

(10,080, that's how many)

They add up
to one week apart
One week
full of minutes
I would give away
for free
if it could buy me
more hours with you

And yet
I wonder
sometimes
If I had
those hours
I want
so desperately
what would I do
with them

These treasured
moments
precious
because
they are
stolen from life
But if they became
life itself
would they lose
their lustre?


© 2013 Uma Venkatraman ~ All Rights Reserved