Shooting Stars

Your breath on my skin
sparks through my veins
lighting a fire you stoke
with a gentle caress

Your lips leave a fiery trail
along my limbs, every inch 
burns with a thirst 
only you can slake

So come to me this night 
let’s set the dark ablaze
with the power of our ardour
steal the dazzle from the sky

© 2015 Uma Venkatraman ~ All Rights Reserved

No Damsels Here

Clinging is for vines

or creepers

which cannot stand

on their own

I have a spine

If you think

it’s made of steel

you may be right

I have learnt

the hard way

to depend only

on myself

Yes, it can be tiring

Sometimes, I wish

I was one of those

eternally-in-distress

(or pretending to be)

damsels

It must be great

to always have

a willing man

rushing to one's rescue

But I’m no

simpering beauty

And I don’t know

how to act helpless

I’ve been so strong

for so long

I’ve forgotten

how to lean

on someone

Sure, at times

it makes me

look too unyielding

But I have no desire

to learn new tricks

If you walk away

I may not stop you

But why would you

unless you want

to play at

being a knight

And if you do

I have no use for you

I want a man

who is my equal

who can quaff a beer

as easily as sip

a delicate wine

Who can laugh

and love openly

Who will walk

not ahead

or behind

but with me

by my side

© 2015 Uma Venkatraman ~ All Rights Reserved

Love's Journey

Love is first a bubbly brook
gurgling
tumbling
rushing to meet her lover
In her sparkling attire she glows
adorned by glints of sunlight
ruffled by wind

Frisky energy takes her far
before feelings
deepen
widen
and she slows
Her heart grows bigger
absorbing the love she receives
she opens her arms
giving generously

On she flows just a little weary
muddied by sorrow and strife
Differences stretch her wide
memories silted up on either side
Yet she cannot stop
even as her lover
turns away from her

Parting causes her to heave and roil
loss overflows to flood the world
In her misery and rage
she leaves a trail of havoc
wrecking everything in her path

Her anger spent
she quietens once again
somber
measured
She know her struggles are past
She has reached the end
She empties herself
in the vast ocean of acceptance

Love falls in love again

© 2015 Uma Venkatraman ~ All Rights Reserved

Lines & Lives

Sometimes parallel
divided by space
unfilled

Sometimes tilting
at angles
meeting at a point
moving on -- after a pause
&
sometimes retracing
familiar terrain
again
& again

Lives, lines
both the same
& yet
so dissimilar

© 2015 Uma Venkatraman ~ All Rights Reserved

Dear Dad

With each passing year, your absence 
makes its presence felt
Now I count your loss in decades

Many lifetimes have come and gone
since you left, yet I miss you more
each time this day comes around

Perhaps the older I grow, the better
I understand the void you left behind
Death didn’t seem a big word then

Perhaps I was too small 
to measure its significance
in the seconds, minutes, 
hours I now count

So I look to the heavens today
with tears clouding my vision
say Happy Birthday, Dad

I wish I could wish you back into this life
So you could see how I’ve grown
Perhaps that twinkle in the sky
is the one in your eyes, the one
saying you are proud of me

© 2015 Uma Venkatraman ~ All Rights Reserved

Ebony Lustre

When it comes time 
for the darkness 
to begin burning 
the night will light up 
in a blaze of glory 
&
the yellow moon 
will rival the sun 
to colour 
the sky crimson 
&
the rain will streak 
the earth 
in tears of red 
drowning us 
in scarlet hues 
of passion

© 2015 Uma Venkatraman ~ All Rights Reserved

Unseen Flames

There are many ways
to burn
I choose to sizzle
for love
until all that is left of me 
is a pile of cinders
still smouldering
with feelings 
not even your indifference
can douse

My skin is singed
where you touched it
your fingers left a blazing trail 
where they caressed me
Your eyes seared my heart
with your brand
I carry long after 
you gave up ownership

My memories are scorched
with your face
scalded by longing
charring me slowly
until I fear there will 
not even be ashes left
to mark my existence

Though I constantly 
fan the hope
of the fire 
eating itself dry
an errant thought 
is the match
igniting a hidden spark
sending flickering embers 
roaring again

And yet — I fail to fathom 
even as I am consumed 
by passion’s inferno — 
why the flames enveloping me
are invisible to the world

© 2015 Uma Venkatraman ~ All Rights Reserved

The Frog Prince

Mr Frog, that handsome fella
with his shiny green coat and melting eyes
could have had his pick of stunning girl frogs
who all thought he was mighty nice

But he wouldn’t give them the time of day
‘Cos he was aiming a lot higher
He had his eye on the lovely princess
Who lived in her ivory tower

He persuaded the wicked old witch
to grant him a magic spell
It would turn him into a handsome prince
if the princess kissed him by the golden well

So Mr Frog, who fancied himself a singer
hopped to the well every single day
Hoping to serenade the princess
if she chose to come that way

Then one day, his patience paid off
he spotted her skipping merrily along
He puffed out his chest, cleared his throat
and launched into his favourite song

Astonished, she stopped in her tracks
Picked him up and planted THE kiss
As Mr Frog swooned in delight
On her merry way went the pretty miss

When he opened his eyes
He felt a weight on his head
He flicked out his sticky tongue
and brought down a crown of red

Alas, he found he was still a frog
So off he marched to the old hag
What lousy spell is this, he said
and demanded his money back

The spell did work, said the witch
who was never among his fans
You are now a prince among frogs
I never promised you’d turn into a man

© 2015 Uma Venkatraman ~ All Rights Reserved