I see

In eyes dimmed with age 
         I see the lustre of love
In skin wrinkled with time 
         I see soft folds of pleated silk
In hands gnarled by years 
         I see the strength of experience
In a voice trembling with fatigue
         I hear the words of wisdom
In a face marked by sorrow
         I see the reward of peace
In a body bent by toil
         I see the value of effort

I wonder if the world is blind
         or if it is what I wish to see
when I see beautiful things 
         in humble places 
where others see nothing

© 2014 Uma Venkatraman ~ All Rights Reserved

Wise Words

I imagined 
golden fingers 
streaming down 
to touch 
my upturned face
I felt the warmth 
rise as a blush
staining my skin
I longed to see 
the radiance
that lit me up
from within
But Momma 
always said 
not to look
into the eyes 
of the sun
So I looked into
yours instead

© 2014 Uma Venkatraman ~ All Rights Reserved

Love and I

Love and I are no strangers 
My life bears her fingerprints
left on fleeting visits
Chance encounters
enriching my life
 never blossoming
into a lasting relationship

Love and I are no strangers
but she never became a friend
I knew she could spread joy
as easily as sorrow
but always in extremes
She was not one for balance
it would seem

Love and I are no strangers
but she always left me in the dark
never explaining why 
she sometimes gave generously
then abruptly took it all away
as though she felt 
we ought to know
the sweetness of pleasure
the bitterness of pain

Love and I are no strangers
So if we met on the street
we'd have a chat over coffee
It would begin cordially
but probably end in acrimony
I would ask why she never stayed
her only answer would be
an enigmatic smile
and her silence would tell me
Love and I are strangers, after all

© 2014 Uma Venkatraman ~ All Rights Reserved

Seeking The Universe

Chimera shimmer 
in your gaze
Is that a wraith 
of hope I see 
glimmering 
in the 
bottomless depths 
Searching for a     
spectre of desire 
manifest in 
a boundless orbit 
eternally spinning 
seemingly an illusion
in your vision
If it is the universe
you seek, just 
look into my eyes

© 2014 Uma Venkatraman ~ All Rights Reserved

On My Hands

Lines
quavering on palms 

bisecting
crisscrossing 
running paraĺlel 

A map to help 
you find your way 
to a life 
imprinted in grooves 
hidden in folds 

Faint
Spidery
Deep

Trace their story
with your eyes
Feel your face
sketched 
on my hands


© 2014 Uma Venkatraman ~ All Rights Reserved

Let Me Off

Sweat rains down the face as feet pound the treadmill 
Seems I'm at a standstill only when i am on my back 
A glance at the calendar tells me half the year's gone
I don't even know when the months flew past
I dream of getting off, taking it slow, to just
lie on my back on sun-warmed grass
in the fragrant shade of a majestic tree
gaze up at the clouds drifting ahead
let all thoughts drain out of my mind
empty the stress out of my body
hear the occasional chirping of a bird
or just feel the silence seep through my skin
Stop time from hurtling on relentlessly
Spend an eternity in every moment


© 2014 Uma Venkatraman ~ All Rights Reserved

Lines

The lines I stroked 
on your face 
the wrinkles 
I smoothed 
write their story 
on my hands 
for you to read 
if we meet again

© 2014 Uma Venkatraman ~ All Rights Reserved