Sangeetha Kamath

POPPY  She came to me on a frosty December A Christmas gift with fur of hue cinnamon and ginger A pup she was swaddled in a basket, opal eyes gazing at me filled with wonder With patches of white on padded paws, playfully she would bound helter-skelter Poppy the pup snuggled by my side on cold, freezing nights Seasons changed and soon she got over all her fright Thumping her tail she would charge forward Backyard was her favourite spot to laze in the sun and chase a songbird Poppy yelped at passing cars and Poppy howled at the moon Poppy was a sweetheart who grew into a cuddly bear too soon Splashing in the sea or running in the sand Poppy loved the beach and slurped ice-cream off my hand Her love was true and she was loyal Looking puzzled when I was morose, her head bumps and cuddles made me again jovial With the wind in her face she loved car rides A smiling dog there never was one, Poppy was my pride Poppy had her bad days when she was under the weather You could see me praying to a

                           SAKURA PETALS  Unstrung from a snapped necklace tumble shimmering pearls Starshine glints in them and moonlight reflects like Sakura petals  My cheeks are a palette for the damp brine Unbidden they flow, sometimes welling up, they only shine A million reasons to cry, a million for regrets—exhaling a sigh A grief I can't steer from, leaving me high and dry Navigating hidden oceans in my eyes without compasses and charts Rain and river abound in my fragmented heart Lighthouses are a blur on the distant quay Anchors are lost, my ship's tossing in a tumultuous sea The last droplets refuse to fall;  They've yet to put the fire, some memories to recall My eyes water a hopeless, wilted bloom  But hope springs eternal through an abysmal gloom Smothered ice crystals explode into ceaseless downpour  Dreams carved on sand are snuffed when tides wash ashore My pillow holds masterpieces of unspoken words and desperate prayers Its the autumn of my season where

                               UNBREAKABLE KNOT  A childhood shared many moons ago Playing hide n' seek or the volleyball we would throw  Fits and tantrums no doubt we had Tricks and pranks galore we always planned Sibling bond is the best there is Joys and sorrows came and so did cares and worries Summer vacations were spent playing carrom and monopoly It was fun while it lasted, the good old memories If I could travel back in time, I would return to those days When sunshine and rainbows were all we painted always Now miles apart across timezones and the vast ocean I know our love for each other has stood it's test of time only to deepen On Raksha Bandh today I remember you my brother You're one in a million there can never be another. ©️ Sangeetha Kamath Pic Courtesy:Pixabay

                                     YIN AND YANG  She sailed through a volatile sea of emotions  Wandered through thick forests loaded with darkness You found her like the night cradles the moon in full luminescence  While they danced on the edge of the twilight sky, The stars sparkled and multiplied their joy In the depth of the inky black when all was  still and very quiet A sprinkle of star rays glimmered, a whisper of a spark guiding her to the light  Celestine beloveds are the moon and the sun albeit star-crossed  When they decide to shine as one, the world is in shadow plunged Away from the blinding city lights, darkness is her cocoon  With dim incandescence of rays borrowed from the moon Dark is a side to her where the moon couldn't shine Light became her which the sun couldn't undermine "Flawed yet I'm glowing like the mother of pearl", she sang Light and dark are the flip sides like Yin and Yang. ©️ Sangeetha Kamath Pic Courtesy: Pixabay

                         CALL OF THE CARDINAL A million dreams burn and shine like stars serenading the distant moon  As I listen to the haunting songs of larks and the nightingales that croon Swimming beneath the ocean and soaring above the clouds Dancing on a blanket of snow or building my home on a treetop But life is a broken winged bird that always trips and falls  Even when a red robin or a cardinal coos  and calls A dim spark sets ablaze the fall colors in the bleak nights  When dreams knock on my door wearing shimmery lights Life plays a tug of war, a toy with my heartstrings,  Yet the roses smudge bright and good luck they bring Closing my eyes and waving a silver wand Sizzling like a meteor and traveling like the shooting star in the blue beyond  Diving into my dreams and cooking up a storm Embracing my flaws, the ember of passion keeping me warm Faraway from familiar forests and villages, Yonder the vast spread of placid lakes, turbulent seas and rivers Winding roads with tw