Aren’t you surprised to find me shivering in the backyard, when cherry blossoms adorn the season outside? My breath is icy when windows open to welcome fresh air, and kitchens smell of seasonal delicacies. As a seed, I was shot out the back end of a blue jay when, heedless, she flew over the meadow. … Continue reading Acorn that I am
“18 years, and I still remember what happened that fateful night. It is a sight that hasn’t left me ever since.” “A lot of good things happened after that. Do you celebrate and commemorate those?” “I lived through those like many other people do. But whatever happened that night, happened to me alone.” “And yet, … Continue reading Choose what grows behind your back
"Barbie is such a cute name. I had no idea your speech would be laced with so many barbed comments." "Don't forget you came after me and owe me your fame, Ken!" "Relationships are not a child's play." "Aren't we both just that - a child's play?" <Sigh> They both walk away, leaving the burgers … Continue reading Relationships
“This is not my country”, the old man sighed, “but I’m afraid of saying so, because I will be asked to leave my birthplace.” “So you belong to X party…” “I don’t belong to any political party, but have been a proud citizen of a democratic country. Equality and mutual respect were highly rated here. … Continue reading Peace
The targets for each quarter are set; the balance sheet is pre-signed; now, the business and numbers need to align. He never meets a client or industry colleague, or anyone who is not obliged or dependent on him; he is known for his rough edges and whims. He incites internal rivalry, and teams work in … Continue reading 52 Aces
The city that never sleeps fascinates me. I walk under the streetlamps like a model walking the ramp under arc lights. I drape a scarf around my frail shoulders in different ways. One night … an invisible force tugs at my scarf. I’m pulled up to the bridge above the lights. It is a new … Continue reading Muse or Terror?
The birds haven’t come yet, and we stand disconnected from the world. We stand weighed down by the burden of a bird utility, and I’m sure my knees will start bleeding soon. You are no Atlas, so give up the idea of shrugging. It’s an incredible life out here, uninterrupted by the vagaries of the … Continue reading Whose life is a picnic?
The moon winks just as I start drawing curtains for the night. “Talk to me before a cloud interrupts our conversation,” the invitation is tempting enough to make the curtain rings stop in their tracks. “The night is hearing our inane chatter,” I warn the flirtatious Moon. “Nights turn poetic by absorbing secrets and let … Continue reading Flirtatious Moon
She stares at the bar menu indecisively. The drinks that her parents stocked in the bar are not featured here. She used to enjoy a Long Island Iced Tea with her ex, but the drink was discarded with bitter memories. “Do you have a sampling system, where I can try a few options?” “Lady, are … Continue reading Spirits
Expectations make them bleed, as they struggle to hide their blues and bruises on seemingly unbroken skin. Religion arrives first, offering bandages emblazoned with sacred symbols, wrapping it in layers of divine justification. Morality follows close behind, labeling the wound as righteous and the pain as virtuous suffering. Nailed to a cross, the injury festered; … Continue reading Bandaged Existence
Creative Experiments and More 