Growing Pains

Seems like yesterday

that I first saw you

dangling upside down, by the legs

as the nurse held you.

Your tiny fists, clenched so tight

your eyes screwed up, your face turning red

as you bawled with all your might.

How helpless I felt, not knowing why you cried

and wondered how to cope with a tiny life.

Slowly, I got used to looking after you

Slowly, little by little, you grew

Your first words, your first smile,

and your first steps

all cherished with a fierce joy

and a pride so bright

How the years have sped by,

and now when I look at you,

I marvel at how you've changed

Baby fat melting away

chubby limbs growing tall and strong

That sweet little mouth

set in a stubborn pout

That gentle voice

now always raised in a shout

Those huge eyes that glare at me

And I wonder, where's my little baby?

But you're a baby no more

You're growing up fast, that's for sure

But as you discover yourself

and the world

And as I watch you become brave and bold

That foolish pride returns

and the joy I gain

fills my heart with a sweet piercing pain


© 2013 Uma Venkatraman ~ All Rights Reserved

Did you hear?

Did you hear

A heart break?

Splintering

Shattering

In the quiet

Of the night

Did you hear

A heart heal?

Softly

Gently

With a touch

It mends

Did you hear

A heart cry?

Sobbing

Wailing

In the dead

Of the dark

Did you hear

A heart sing?

Sweetly

Freely

With wings

It soars

Did you hear

A heart hate?

Squeezing

Twisting

In the grip

Of pain

Did you hear 

A heart love?

Madly

Deeply

With joy

It beats

© 2013 Uma Venkatraman ~ All Rights Reserved

Dreams

Dreams coloured pink

from the flush of youth

when the heart was strong

and the mind willing

Dreams that turned gold

when love coloured it so

Dreams took the light of day

and brightened my life

Dreams that began to fade

like the setting sun

the gold lost its lustre

the future not so bright

Dreams now a memory

of times when 

impossible was unknown

To dream was to live

Now I reach for the palette

to brush some colour 

back into my life

and some meaning into living

Red to give me strength

blue to soothe my fears

silver to remind me

the darkness will melt one day
and my dreams will glow again

© 2013 Uma Venkatraman ~ All Rights Reserved

Why I love Facebook

A visit in the morning

A quick peek at lunch

There will be something new, I know

It’s just a sort of hunch.

Sometimes it’s just a little joke

Sometimes it’s a profound thought

Whatever it is that I get to read

It really matters a lot

To know that out in the wide world

There are friends who care about you

Who laugh with you when you’re happy

And lend a shoulder when you’re feeling blue

It makes my day when I check once again

Before the day is done

When someone says something

That makes life a whole lot of fun

It’s become a lifeline of sorts

A haven in times of need

To talk about what’s bothering me

I know there are people who’ll read

They look at my tales of trouble or woe

And offer a few wise words or advice

Or even just say something funny

And bring a twinkle to my eyes.

But when there’s nothing new 

That’s when I feel very sad

I hope it's here to stay

Not just a passing fad


© 2013 Uma Venkatraman ~ All Rights Reserved

Alone

You lived a life you did not want,
And nobody ever knew
All the tears that flowed

were shed only by you

The world kept turning

in its own merry way

Blind to your sorrow, 

and the price you had to pay.   

A broken heart and shattered dreams
Pave the paths you walked
You saw the ship of happiness sail away
And envied the people at whose port it docked

And yet if you speak of your sadness      

All you get is blank stares
Nobody understands your struggles
And nobody really cares.

You know its too late,
you cannot turn back    
To make a fresh start
Find the fulfilment you lack

So you look ahead with a heavy heart
As life keeps turning the screws
And hope for some happiness
To help get you through


© 2013 Uma Venkatraman ~ All Rights Reserved

Let's not...

Let's not speak about love
What good will ever come of it?
All it does is raise your hopes
Then smash them bit by bit

Oh, it starts off with a mighty high
And you feel a rush when first you fall
You float as though you're flying
And it makes you feel ten feet tall

Flowers bloom and birds chirp
Everything seems so fresh and new
You smile, you laugh, you skip a beat
And look at life in a rosy hue

Time flies when you're with him
And crawls when he's not there
People think you're losing it
But you really don't care

Will it last, you ask yourself
And you tell yourself that it will
But once you are at the top
Do you know it's then all downhill?

You'll see the blossoms wilt
You'll hear the laughter die
You won't feel so great anymore
When all you can do is cry

Love is but a fleeting pleasure
which brightens up your day
And just when you can't live without it
It all just fades away

So let's not speak about love
What good will ever come of it?
It's a flame that will burn your soul
You'll be safer if it's never lit


© 2013 Uma Venkatraman ~ All Rights Reserved

Homage

In the blink of an eye can things change

Go from light to darkness

From life to death

One moment, limbs moving in gay abandon

Moving to the rhythm of music

In the next, limbs lie scattered on the blood-splattered floor

Torn apart by a blast that halted the song and dance

A momentary burst of sound that silenced hundreds of lives

And those that they left behind

Can only hear the deafening silence of loss

Can only feel the deadening weight of pain

Can only wish for what might have been

They hope the fragrance of flowers

will mask the stench of death

and the power of prayer will help heal their wounds

and that reason will prevail over madness

and innocents not sacrificed at the altar of terror

How long will this madness go on,

How many more lives will be scattered?

There's no end in sight

And all we can do is hope

Hope that tomorrow there will be peace.

NOTE: This was written after the Bali bombings in 2002.


© 2013 Uma Venkatraman ~ All Rights Reserved

Thoughts

The cup of life 

drunk to my fill

Searching the dregs 

to find some meaning

in the life I've lived

In the muddy, murky depths

I see only darkness

No light is shed

the picture stays unclear

I give the cup a shake

but no shape forms

Maybe that's how 

it’s meant to be

Don't look back
at what's been

What happens next
remains to be seen

There may be darkness ahead

But there's still a glow

to show me the way

It comes from within

The cup of life
will fill itself again

and maybe the next time

I'll find what
I've been searching for

in the dregs


© 2013 Uma Venkatraman ~ All Rights Reserved

Friends

I met many people on the road of life
Not all walked along with me
Some stayed for just a few miles
Others soon parted company

Some were like ships
That cross each other at night
And then sail away
with a glimpse of twinkling lights

Life is lonely even in a crowd
We all need a friend
who understands our dreams and fears
and is there to lend a helping hand

Such special people are hard to find
and even more difficult to keep
Those who will share a laugh with us
And wipe your tears when we weep

Many friends I have gained
and lost along the way
I wish now I had done my bit
To stop them from going away

There still are a precious few
who've always been there for me
I hold them close to my heart
Meeting them was my destiny


© 2013 Uma Venkatraman ~ All Rights Reserved