Sangeetha Kamath

                           MEA CULPA  A breathtaking blue-green jewel in the crown Like a bride in her finery, lacy clouds frilling her gown She's a beauty, she's a wonder with a shield of ozone She's Mother Gaia, our third rock from the sun For a million years, a home to sky- reaching rainforests Flora and fauna, pristine oceans and vast deserts The Savannah, the Prairie and the Steppe The Grand Canyon and an array of rainbow hued scree The Sahara, Kalahari and our very own Thar The marvel of the Poles, now the icecaps are melting, oh dear…! The treasures of our haven we're out to destroy Oh human, you've unleashed a Pandora's box, it wasn't a toy! We'd read about extinct, mammoth dinosaurs and the great evolution Painstaking bygone eras were a paradise, now we've brought on ourselves the hell of pollution  We're merciless, we couldn't care less Hacking nature and slaughtering wildlife,  How low we've ...

                          DIVERGENT  You are the WHITE moon burning on my BLACK night You're the LEFT to my RIGHT The PASTEL to my BRIGHT You RISE, I DROWN I SMILE, you FROWN  I want CLASSIC, you want JAZZ In the end, to our own roaring music we stomp and waltz I'm a TALKER, You're a LISTENER You're my CALM in a TURBULENCE, whom I run to for cover I'm the raging INFERNO and you're my dousing TIDAL WAVE Why do they say opposites attract and can be together? When meeting you has reduced me to nothing but a dying ember… Pic Courtesy: Pixabay ©️ Sangeetha Kamath

                  MERRY-GO-ROUND  Sometimes I wish I was the topper Soaring the ranks in my class Stun everyone with my marks whopper Stumped at why I don't make top brass Often I study late into the night Orchestrating my time with subjects nine Only mum feels sorry for my plight "Oh I have set my eyes on the trophy Argentine." Fractions, formaldehyde, fermentation Forfeiture, mergers, bonds and stock Fiction and literature sparks my imagination Fahrenheit 451, Caesar, Othello, Keats and Mark Twain Racking my head night and day Relinquishing rest, I'm always on my toes I grew up too soon I've not a moment to lose Now the he world is mine to conquer and oceans are mine to sail On my stark white study table still sits my favorite cuddly teddy bear  Trailing a blaze from the Antarctica to the Arctic From the west to the Far East, my travels quite surrealistic Painting the canvas of my life with hue on the palette Capturing every hori...

                   WHERE ARE YOU ? Those wrinkled hands, they spoke volumes You patted my back, caressed my head Applauded for me, held my hand tight You were my pillar of strength and my steady rock, a gemstone lustrous bright. In your eyes I saw the sun, moon and all the stars You were my universe and my world In your embrace I felt nurtured and loved Could I ask for more when you could read my mind… Food blossomed in your kitchen with its own aroma and essence  A simple lentil stew or a tomato soup exuded a regal fragrance The sunshine in our laughter and the warmth in our hearts  It was the soul curry which soothed our winters, our cozy autumn vibrant… We were oceans apart waiting to reunite Hoped that my holidays this year would be jolly and merry I reminisce the good times we had together Beneath cerulean skies with laughter and cheer The table is set with rich plum cake Seven course dinner and eggnog shake Our Christmas...

              SNOWFALL OVER SAHARA Pale halo of the moon glistens in the shadowy glens As bitter lyrics float under the eerie starlight  Time was a savage sandstorm mourning all her pain Through cracks and splinters, all things encountered in vain Intense and conflicted were rifts and ripples With the first fall of snow, masquerade of masks were lifted There were no blue skies  Or strawberry cakes to ice SCARLET haze stretches across the sky like an INFINITE petal With savage hurricanes in her heart, she wandered through the darkness Oceans magnificently rose in tides… Untamed inside her were, once, secret chambers of laughter  Where tales were written about prince charming and happily ever after  A BLAZE through shifting sands she now writes her own story She's a flowering cactus in the Sahara, a lioness of the Savannah, A diamond in the dusty quarry Sailing over shipwrecked waters she's found her shore Exploring new worlds, she ...

                                          WISHING WELL In a quaint countryside fringed with   trees willows and alder Stood a wishing well study prim and proper Filled halfway with crystal clear water At the bottom lay sparkling coins of silver and copper Peering over the rim she spotted her reflection Bright blue eyes and a dazzling smile put together The belle threw in a penny with a lot of hope and a tiny prayer  Rippling as it hit the bottom one too many all a-glitter Bouncing away on the path her heart did whisper Why didn't you ask riches for yourself, may I muster? Diamonds and rubies I've no use for neither sapphire  The world needs peace, joy and compassion and that is my desire The wishing well heard her song pure and merry If it could, it would have granted her fame and glory The well stood solemnly, stunned and amazed And hoped that one fine day God would g...

                              MUSIC  In every mellifluous hum, chant or lullaby  My name spells music in every language known And unknown to you and I From the crescendo of an orchestra to the high notes of an opera That which you call a melody even ripples in a rhapsodic aria  In the arrival of spring heralding a myriad medley The bees with their triumph of buzzing melody   From the cackling of geese flying overhead with their honking cacophony To the robins and finches warbling a masterpiece of a symphony The magnolia infused breeze rustling the leaves Coos and trills floating along with fragrances of ocean breeze Owls hooting and cicadas chirping, the toad blaring under a heady gloaming  But 'twas music to my ears oh so soothing! Jocund waves of laughter fill my home Many days of guitar strumming under a star splattered dome… The tapping of our feet to a jig, a waltz or a disco Painti...

                                              TRUMPET  Surrounded by snowcapped mountains in a rustic cabin Amid an aquamarine lake placid and dreamily glassine  A woodland setting away from the glamour and bling 'Twas my dream to have my fairytale wedding  The distant calls of the birds flying overhead As I walked the ramp without a family or friend I looked forward to meeting my Prince Charming Holding out to me a diamond studded platinum ring Flaunting my pearls and ivory lace bridal gown With a bottle of champagne and a bouquet of exotic flowers I'd homegrown Into the threshold I stepped to see a dashing groom I had a surprise for him ; he had no idea what would happen soon Raising a toast to our future and wedded bliss He took large sips and realised too late something was amiss Choking and sputtering, he was clearly in distress Managing to gasp in...

                    ROARING SILENCE  Murky ponds of tangled threads and unsolved riddles In which I'm sailing…I'm sinking…I'm overthinking! Hobbling on a rough-hewn terrain I crave for solitude and a pit stop in the madding fast lane In the floating autumn leaves that glide and fall Through the wisping mists from the valleys that roll In the wafting spring and summer wind, in a mad rat race and endless grind A solace and sanctuary seeks my fevered mind  Cancelling the cacophony roaring and raving Succumbing to the depths of stillness within My lull and silence still have a voice  Slowing down to beat of my own drum is my priority and choice Turbulent air I'm not nor a crashing ocean wave Froth of lacy surfs in the pause I can be, yet bold and brave On moonless nights, a stargazer I am Tracing lines from clusters Pleiades to Orion Shedding my cast-iron wings I now breathe easy Zen is my mantra turning a blind eye to drama...

                            NESTING Twigs and sticks, straw and hay Were collected with every ounce of STRENGTH, painstakingly all morning and by the end of the day A basket of comfort padded with leaves; readied for their nestlings to chirp,flutter and play A sense of HOPE bloomed in the tiny hearts of the feathered couple, a striking Blue Jay Twittering merrily, the PROUD parents-to-be would dote and pray Little did they know a storm was brewing out of nowhere… The tree swayed and fell with a crash to their dismay Heartbroken at the sight, they could only screech loudly, their lament to display! Fury had ravaged the canaries and hawks  Scattered in its wake lay a trail of cadavers of sparrows and larks…! Squawking in agony for their crushed chicks and brood  Flocks of birds hovered or solemnly stood--- Mourning in agony for the helplessness and the torment  Around the nests which lay as kindling... th...