Few Steps

A few steps did I walk with you,

Without you, many,

Path remains same, light too..

Changes in us, if at all any ?

Heavy is the spring sky..

Blooms without hue..

That which goes on..

How can they, without I and you ?

Forlorn lies the heart's route,

Sombre is the soul..

How can I walk alone,

The path that was once walked double ?

~Manjuri~

One Evening

It was a peaceful evening. I as per my habit, I was standing alone, up on the terrace, with a mug of coffee in my hand. It was partly cloudy. Few birds decided to fly back home. Suddenly, almost out of nowhere the sun appeared. Deep auburn was its fury shade. I kept on gazing. Terrace room, is a place where I spend my quality time, doing nothing. It houses my camera. I went in, grabbed my lens and clicked. Exposure was not perfect. Never mind, I thought. I am still a learner. Learning all by myself. 

I clicked. Sat on my arm-chair and shut my eyes. Mellowed rays penetrated my closed eye-lids. It gave me joy. It often happens with me, when I am at complete solitude, I remember and relive the moments I want to, again. I went back in time. I went back to an evening, where there was no such sunset. It was a drizzly evening, and I was happy. 
Thoughts haunted me. Reminiscences of that evening gripped my soul. My heart throbbed ! I was still alive, today, to myself. Ahh... I sighed... ran down the steps to reach my room. Sun, I wished, should not set today ! I smiled at my own folly ! Sun had set. I went up again. In the fading hues of twilight, I gathered all my colours of memories and returned to myself, happy again !

~Manjuri~

Five Haiku ..

1) A distant call from some dream,
And I wake up at dead of night.
Never to sleep again.


2) Hazy, forlorn, forgotten..

By daybreak reverie dissolves..
Eyes await another episode.


3) Far somewhere, a night star..

Falls on cold earth's chest..
Ignited soul feels the warmth.


4) Night moon, full and bright..
Appear pale in my eyes..
My sight incapable ? 


5) Waves are still, clouds do not float..

Birds are quiet, no breeze blows..
All frozen ? Or, only my soul ?

~Manjuri~

Rendezvous

It was a beautiful winter morning. Soft sun penetrated into the heart of this unknown woods. Yes unknown it was to me. I slowly climbed up the steep. Dry leaves made music under my feet. My soul danced to the tunes. I was happy. Reason I did not know, nor did I search for. After a fortnight of ill-health, and total house arrest, this escape became all the more precious. I inhaled long breaths. I sat on a stone, adjusted my camera settings and clicked some photos. 
Photography is my acquired hobby. I developed interest seeing some people I admired, once. Now my hobby is independent. It is almost self-propelled. I missed my sketch-pad and charcoal, then I could have sat longer.
Long eucalyptus trees stretched out their branches. Entire jungle was smelling sweet. I inhaled life again. Just above my head a small bird sat, but before I could change my lens it decided to fly off. A few butterflies fluttered their wings. Some wild blooms smiled. I found peace.
I kept on sitting. A squirrel jumped down from the tree, and fell near my feet. It shrugged it's head, as if saying 'sorry, if I have disturbed you' and ran off. I smiled.
I leaned my back onto a tree and closed my eyes. Winter sun, made my skin warm. Heart was melting. Suddenly my eyes turned smoky. I grabbed a tissue from my bag, and wiped my eyes. No, I said to myself, I shall not allow myself to feel sad anymore. Let this peace bring the joy within me, I thought. I gathered myself, and leaving my long shadow behind, I walked towards the east. Let the new sun, rise for me, a sun, which casts all shadow backwards. I found solace. I found joy. I lost nothing, I got everything. That winter morning, full of sunshine, shall remain my guide forever.

~Manjuri~

হয়ত

দূরে, বহু দূরে ..
যেখানে পরশ পৌছয় না ..
বানী যেখানে বাকশুন্য ,
সব দৃষ্টির আড়ালে..
আমি এখনও হয়ত আছি ।
ভাল মন্দের অপারে
চাওয়া পাওয়ার বাইরে ..
এক আনুভুতি হয়ে..
আমি আজো আছি । 

দূরে, বহু দূরে ..
যেখানে শীতের কুওাশায়ে ..
চারধার আছন্ন্য ,
যেখানে কিছু কিছু স্মৃতি..
আজো ডানা মেলতে চায় ,
হয়ত তুমি আজো আছো ..
কত কথার ভারে, চাপা ..
তোমার না বলা কথায় ,
তুমি আজো আছো । 

~ মঞ্জরী ~

Eyes !

Once I was trapped,
In his drunken eyes..
Today am free.. !

Sun shines on my eyes..
They glitter... turn red,
You thought, my eyes are dunk ?

His eyes lie to me..
Intoxicated, they seduce..
I turn my head, not heart !

Our eyes, long since they met..
Long since talked or smiled..
Some sand lie in our barren eyes...

~Manjuri~

Life

O the first wind of spring..
Fragrant and light..
With you I soar..
On that blue sky..
Life.. beautiful it is..
Fresh like a drop of dew..
Bathed in its own freshness..
I too take a dip..
Into nature's soul..
And come out..
Rejuvenated !
Moments to live..
Within this life..
Years to breathe
Not in days..
But in seconds each..
Life, you flow on,
I am there with you..
Each moment anew,
That I renew,
My lease with you !

~Manjuri~

Poem Of Childhood !

When I was young, I use to wonder,
Why papa cared for ferns, for I ,
Thought, they weren't very tender!
Papa use to understand, from my eyes,
What's hidden there, what in them lies,
He use to lift me up and hold me tight,
Whisper, 'sweetheart, spring will be gone,
Strong winter shall just come in, and then,
My dearest one, my garden will have roses none,
My garden then shall have you, and these fern!!


~Manjuri~

Dupe !

Oh You !
A God I thought,
Much above me..
But Oh me, foolish me..
You are not even
A human enough..
A God, how could you be ?
God I know not..
Have seen not any..
Man I know..
I did see..
You, among many !
Good and bad that make us up..
Little lies and half-truths..
And a soul pure enough..
To go on tearing all cores..
But that too you did not have..
Faith, trust smile from far ?
Talk of love, and I would say..
No, I have seen none ever.
Few days of illusion..
Love .. ? Ah I smile.
World is small..
Days long to go..
One day if I meet..
I shall ask..
No... No answer do I seek from you..
Tired Am I of all that falsifies..
But in your eyes, I shall read..
All your dupes and lies !
Before I leave, Oh world..
Let me say something..
All along I had written on love..
My poems of love..
Today I write a new one..
My poem of half-truth.
Another sun shall rise tomorrow..
And this day shall end..
But this world shall not be same..
Never, at least, for me, again !

~Manjuri~

Lighted

In this fragrant aroma of evening mist,

Light a candle outside, and wait..

A winter evening came in again..!

Let your breathe make the flame tremble..

Let my breathe help it to settle back..

Entwined spirits, smoky souls..

Let words go unsaid, this evening !

~Manjuri~

Tomb Of Words !

A poem, clad in feeble words,
Wants to escape from my soul..
Ashamed it is, of its own structure,
Lacklustre, dull jumble..
Of some haywire words..
My poem, poor poem..
Neither comes out well..
Nor leaves me alone !

In the azure evening,

When first star appears..
On the northern sky..
And the far off lamps ..
Stare at me, with blinking eyes..
And I sit to pen.. a poor poem...
Neither comes out well..
Nor leaves me alone !

When the evening deepens..
And my soul settles on ..
A goblet of old wine..
And poem dances in my soul..
I try and gather my tattered words..
My heart breathes free, Oh poetry..
Neither comes out well..
Nor leaves me alone !

Morning when I come in terms..
That my breath is still on..
I stretch my arms, out of the window..
Fill my palm.. with morning mist..
I sit alone.. with caffeine and to-do list..
Again a storm of words sweeps, a poem...
Neither comes out well..
Nor leaves me alone !

Then by noon.. I know again..
A day had come.. only to depart..
I stare at the foggy horizon...
I a shadow, not that I exist, nor am I gone..
Again I sit and search YOU, far and near..
And smoky eyes, blur my ink.. my poem..
Neither comes out well..
Nor leaves me alone !

~Manjuri~

Suspended Silence !

The notes of music, same as before,
Touches no more the chord of my heart..
The colours and their spread on my canvas..
Same as before, but touches no more my eyes..
Those drop of dew, sparkles as before...
But they attract no more my lens..
Breeze that blows over my bough, same as before..
Touches no more my naked skin..

Alive outside, dead within..

I, only like before listen to the silence..
A silence that has frozen in our untold words..
A silence, that hangs everywhere !

~Manjuri~