Sangeetha Kamath

                           RUBAIYAT  Her raven tresses billows in the air She waltzes and pirouettes with a flair Love seeks her out in the snow crystalline Tapestry of poetic motifs rare Flaming sunsets on canvas tangerine Deep in the autumn woods amaranthine Her love transcends all time, space and distance Songs of starshine and moonray opaline Diamonds on cherry-glow luminescence Faint halo of argentine radiance Stardust bewitches her, also dazzles It's sempiternal in it's quintessence. Art Work: Rashi Roy Pic Courtesy: Soul Craft  ©️ Sangeetha Kamath  RUBAIYAT, a Persian poetry format popularized by Omar Khayyam is a 3 stanza quatrain which follows a tetrameter or pentameter with a rhyme scheme of aaba/bbcb/ccdc. The poetry form essentially speaks about being in the moment and celebrating the little joys of life.

                  OH ME! OH MY MATHS! At the age of ten, Mid-term exams are nothing sort of a trial when expectations from your parents are more than that of your teachers'. You walk on eggshells when your father tests you during revisions. A simple calculation fails you when you see his stern, disapproving look. Your mind goes blank and you stare daftly, all the while hoping for a miracle, for the right answer to  thaw through your brain-freeze.  'Daydreamer', you're nicknamed just 'cause you go into a deep thought without blinking. That gives you a moony look and you shutdown totally when people fire away questions over your head. So, a simple question of 'How would you solve this problem if 20 apples are to be given away to 100 children equally' garners answers which are totally out of this world, and the whacks that follow brings you back to earth! The next day is the Big Day! You're a nervous wreck! The chatter in your head do...

                         TAUTOGRAM  Myriad musings muddle my mind Misunderstandings, misconceptions, misinterpretations Manipulative malpractices mastermind mischievous misdemeanors   Monolithic melancholia metamorphoses Magnificence momentarily materializes Meaningless, mindless, monumental miseries Masquerading mannequins, misguided millennials  Maddening merciless maelstrom  Mortgages mounting, multiple masks misleading Menacing matrix morphs madly Mega maws mince, munch Murky, muddy mania! Magic mirage melts…mourns… Pic Courtesy: Soul Craft  ©️ Sangeetha Kamath  A Tautogram is a Greek poetry format in which every word begins with the same alphabet. The length of stanza is variable. Rhyming and Meter is optional as well. I used the alphabet M.

                          BRAVEHEART Warm-hearted warrior, she defends and holds her family in place, Her womb was the haven where you once were, with love cocooned, Nourished and sustained Obscure she is, but observing your every nuance;  Possessing Olympian stamina and otherworldly charm like Venus and Athena Never one to complain but managing, maintaining, manoeuvering and multitasking; Yet, they ask the entire day, what was she doing ! Adjusting and adapting like a fish to water,  The house runs like clockwork--- her hallmark of a minister Nagging and overbearing she's always called,  But it's only her concern for you that she gives you her all... As the new day dawns, the golden rays shimmers through the misty blue She puts yesterday to rest and watches the sky turn a primrose hue She overcame her fears ,all the  naysaying whispers by telling herself--- "Life blooms where it's planted, even a lot...

              DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER  I sat on the shores, the vast Arabian Sea facing me. My mind was in a whirl and as turbulent as the waters whooshing on the sands. I wished the earth would swallow me whole or the sky to draw me in! How could this happen! How could I be so careless! I had lost the only souvenir and memento of my dear late maternal grandmother. A Teardrop-diamond pendant.  It meant a lot to me, not because of the material value, but for the fact that it held a lot of memories…and a story behind it. During the great exodus, my ancestors fled their native land, leaving behind all possessions and wealth. This was the only piece of jewellery which was shielded from the thugs.  Grandma would tell me how they had mortgaged this diamond over and over for expenses and survival, and everytime they regained possession of it. It was a lucky charm. As a newly-wed years later, she inherited it from her parents as a bridal gift. It b...

                          CLOGYRNACH  How time flies, they grow up too soon When they'd bawled you'd shown them the moon Your mirror image Feels she's in a cage Stomping rage! 'Teen Typhoon' Pic Courtesy: Soul Craft  ©️ Sangeetha Kamath Clogyrnach, Welsh poetic form is typically a six-line syllabic stanza with an ab rhyme scheme: Line 1: 8 syllables with an a rhyme Line 2: 8 syllables with an a rhyme Line 3: 5 syllables with a b rhyme Line 4: 5 syllables with a b rhyme Line 5: 3 syllables with a b rhyme Line 6: 3 syllables with an a rhyme.

                         PUFF & STUFF  " PUNNU! How many times have I told you not to spill droplets of water on the floor?!" Punnu, the househelp almost jumped out of her skin when she was caught unawares. "Memsahib, it's only a few drops from the spraying mist bottle. I was cleaning the window panes. "Few drops? What if I had slipped and taken a bad fall?" Ritu was flaming mad. "Memsahib, it's not even on your path. You aren't walking here..." Punnu was highly perplexed. Ritu wasn't going to be placated. "Well, what if I was? I could have twisted my ankle. How would I walk then? What if I was rendered cripple all my life?..." Punnu was getting exasperated and just looking at Ritu made her breathless. "Memsahib…Memsahib…listen to me…" Ritu was oblivious to anyone around her or that Punnu was trying to get her attention. She was into her own ranting. "Or worse still, I could have landed on my rump and fract...

                                    STRAMBOTTO  Up and about each day like a clockwork mouse Always In the mad rush and senseless rat race No moment for myself is my only grouse What am I pursuing?Is it worth the chase? I'm always on a mission, a powerhouse Pause and breathe,smell the roses, slow down my pace Meeting deadlines in a tizzy and touse Find myself some solitude and some solace. Pic Courtesy: Soul Craft Poetry  ©️ Sangeetha Kamath  A Strambotto is an Octave (8 line stanza) with a Hendecasyllabic ( 11 syllables per line) Rhyming scheme: abababab.

  THE NEGOTIATOR Rathod walked briskly in the sun-caked alley of a hamlet in Rajasthan. His footsteps spoke of authority and urgency. A team of armed men followed close behind him. The village folk parted to make way and stood on the sides with folded palms…almost pleading with them to get them out of this ordeal.  " How many people are inside?", Rathod's voice boomed. " Sahib, there's an entire family of 4…2 children and a stranger with a menacing look. Never seen him in these parts." " Okay, let me handle this", Rathod reassured them. He rapped on the intricately designed door. " Rathod here! I heard you have some demands. I'm here to make the deal. Are you listening? " Footsteps shuffled inside and inched closer. " There's no bargaining. Get me what I want or else I'm going to horrendously execute these people one by one without any mercy." Everyone's blood ran cold and there was chao...

                       WRONG NUMBER? "Sorry about those texts I sent you last night. My phone was drunk!" "Sure it was. It called me by the wrong name." "Oh I'm so sorry!" "Now 'I know what you did last summer!" "What do you mean? Whattt…did…I…do??" "Look at you, going into a cold sweat hahaha. Relax, I'm just kidding. By the way, did you add Vodka to the Pina Colada or Rum?" "What do you mean?" "You said your phone was drunk, what did it get high on?" "Nothing…nothing…I…uh…it was just a joke" "If you say so. Were you at the La Paz yesterday?" "You're a creepy one! What are you trying to get at?" "Me? Nothing at all. Your drunk phone texted me. So who's texting me right now? The sober phone or the hungover phone?" "The sober one. What's with all these questions? I already apologized…" "Awww, what a nice cover-up…hahaha. You were...

                        CHUEH-CHU  Magic lamp, it's my ardent wish From this world,I want to vanish Travel to a land exotic Fly like a bird, swim like a fish I'm now in a place quite lavish Twirling away in my gown, swish Genie of the lamp heard my plea I'm now free of pain and anguish. This is a Chueh-Chu. A Chinese poetry format which is also called as an 8 line Sonnet with two quatrains.  The syllable count needs to be consistent. I used 8 per line.  The rhyming scheme can be the following: aaba/cada abcb/dbeb aaba/aaca. I used aaba/aaca. Pic Courtesy: Soul Craft Poetry ©️ Sangeetha Kamath 

NONET Summery months of April and May Cloudless and azure blazing skies Slosh , starch the laundry alright Fluttering in the breeze Sun-warmed to a crisp Clothes yours and mine Fragrance of Jasmine Blooms. (This is a NONET. It's a 9 line poetry with 9 syllables in the first line descending to a countdown of 1 syllable in the last line) Pic Courtesy: Soul Craft ©️ Sangeetha Kamath

                             LION MOM "For goodness sake, Pippa! Can I just have some time for myself? The minute I sit down for an alone time , you're breathing down my neck with nonsensical chatter! What do you want?!" I snap and vent uncontrollably. It's been getting to me with my husband away on business trips quite often and I'm the unofficial single parent by all standards.  The chores are neverending, the errands are backbreaking and child rearing is exhausting.The whooshing of the waves and lapping of the surfs didn't calm me down.  I had brought Pippa along to the beach for a Sunday outing. While she played in the sand, I thought I'd read my book which I'd put away for a long time now. But there was never a moment to myself.  Pippa bawls out loudly drawing attention of other beach goers. How embarrassing! "Pippa, sorry darling, mummy is sorry. Stop crying so loudly. People are looking..wha...

                              DIZAIN  On the heathered moor he'd galloped wildly Wind billowing his lustrous mane brazen Stretch of grassland his to explore freely Equine beauty audaciously stolen Trotting in a circus rink, crestfallen Stables for the night, no more open skies Acrobats somersault, boldly she flies In full flight and landing on tippy toes Catching her as gravity she defies For curtain call they both gracefully pose. Pic Courtesy: Soul Craft Poetry  ©️ Sangeetha Kamath  (This is a Dizain. It has one stanza consisting of 10 lines, with 10 syllables per line, and the rhyme scheme is ababbccdcd.)

                         ROCK-A-BYE  The car juddered to a halt and refused to budge an inch forward. "Luke, I thought we had a full gas tank and the car was serviced just this weekend…what's wrong?" "I have no idea, Amy…We're in the middle of nowhere and my phone has no signal! But look there. It says 'Baby Museum' on the signpost. Shall we go in and see if they have a landline to get us out of this mess?" "Guess we have no choice. But I'm very uneasy, Luke. I just want to go home and rest. Our baby's due in a couple of weeks." "I'm so sorry, honey. But look at the brighter side. We can check out this place in advance." At the entrance were standees of Tinkerbell and Peter Pan. The lobby glowed with pastel pink shimmering lights. Mannequins of fairies lined the walls. Luke approached the front desk.  "Yes sir, we will have it arranged. Meanwhile, why don't the both of you take a tour of our museum?" Amy ...