Glances, Coffees, Numbers, Roses, Vows Beaches, Scans, Pacifiers, Keys, Payments Overtime, Caffeine, Missed Calls Glares, Muttering, Withering Notices, Silence Custody.

Why is it the norm to get your daughters married? I was watching the recent Bridgerton series, and the effort and turmoil that Mama had to go through to get her kids married is praiseworthy. But is it really needed? Why can't one stay in their own house on a shelf, love Eloise, on taking this stand? But yet again, having seen Benedict pursue everything in life, be it arts, men or women, he still finds his life's purpose i...

I accidentally (don’t ask) stumbled into politics last year. And while I keep pointing out to all of them that I am not a politician, merely an observer, some things became clear as time (and endless issues) passed. This is one thought I had recently: Sometimes scarcity isn’t always about what’s missing. It’s about what’s withheld. Not by accident, more like a scam. A rigged game dressed up as fate and labelled “the way t...

2004 “There’s a job going in Islamabad,” I remarked. “It would be on promotion if I got it.” My wife frowned. “Pakistan?” “Yes. It’d be an amazing opportunity. You know I’ve always wanted to explore that part of the world.” I paused. “And there are fantastic trekking opportunities in the north–you know, the Pamirs and Himalayas. And I could travel the Karakoram Highway, following the old silk routes across the high passes...

An iron fist grips my chest I release an anguished cry And terror engulfs my core. Broken, I gasp my final breath The shackles fall away And darkness embraces me. Adrift in the eternal abyss I am lost between shadow and flame Until I see a shimmer A shimmer in the void Translucent, radiant, the Veil opens Enticing me with iridescent fingers I am struck by wonder Wonder in my being As I see you, my love Waiting on the othe...

a sweet scent of the willow near slender-leaved Cattails surround the silent pond of the golden dawn– Mourning Doves nostalgically “coo” in the whispering breeze of nature's wishing well.

I recall a time when I used to view the future clearly Planned out every minute detail purposefully To ensure my life was lived successfully I laid every brick intentionally Nothing could have prepared me, When the boulder rolled down the hill suddenly And when I turned around, the space it once held was empty I broke out into a sprint attempting to halt the inevitability Fixated on the chase, I could not see A cavernous...

It began at sunrise On that Cretan Isle Playful seductive glances From the very first moment By sunset I was caught forever In the weave of your silken net My wild, gorgeous temptress Captured by mischievous eyes Deep sumptuous pools That reeled me in and Fiendishly stole my heart Snared, I never had a chance You chose me, and I was yours My crazy, delightful girl That was just the start Of our dizzy, tempestuous journey...

July’s midsummer heat stuck. It stuck to the blades of grass. It stuck to Sumire’s beige romper. It stuck to everything and anything like a sweltering bog. Sweat drenched her underarms as she set up her easel and foldable chair. Even at her elevated vantage point, the muggy draft painted her body with its salty sheen.Wiping her brow, she gazed over the stacked rows of terraced rice paddies below, bristling with the vibran...

March 1995 — Kenya A Fateful Decision I’d been in Africa for nine weeks; two very eventful months. In that relatively short time, I’d already undergone a multitude of emotions, enjoying some incredible highlights and experiencing a range of unfortunate escapades. I’d started in Kenya, flying out to Nairobi on a one-way ticket with a vague plan, a guidebook, and not much else. It wasn’t my first time backpacking in the dev...

On life's poetic voyage, we discover friends who last as long as we please. We travel as far as we may. Watching the landscape of ambient scenery pass by. Hand in hand, friendships won. Most treasured confederates singing the songs of byways.  Pausing in discovered devotion, we fervently give of affection and joy.  This magic realm we know as anywhere. We dance with people we truly perceive. Companions who become integral...

I don’t see colors anymore. Everything is black or grey. I don’t hear music or laughter as before. There is no difference between night or day.   The air I breathe Seems heavy and thick. And now I believe It was all just a trick.   They held the carrot just out of reach. Always running and never gaining. Sculptures washed away in the sandy beach. Endless winters constantly raining.   There was a time When kites flew high....

Many changes take place  She smiles with the secret of yesterday and The promise of tomorrow Had a good life Many tears and smiles A simple life To sit on the porch  Early morning with first light  That touches the mountain top Listening to the rain and  Gentle breeze That speaks of lazy days of love That last well into the darkness Time passes far to fast A new moment in time To give freely Without reason or thoughts To...

3. It is early morning and Gus has just left his house to head out to that chemist of his. A couple of days have passed since the visit of and then the subsequent death of constable Pierce Rowan. Gus’s nearest neighbour is once again out in his garden. ‘Hello there, neighbour.’ ‘Hi, beautiful morning isn’t it?’ ‘It is indeed,’ Gus manages to say before his neighbour heads inside. At lunchtime, there is not a soul in Crew’...

The purpose of our life, How do we know when there is no guide? Is one supposed to be happy? Who said life is all about being merry? Or should one go through pain? How do we know that's not the aim? Is there such thing as destiny? If yes, why so much cruelty? If no, then why inequality? Ever thought why are we here for? Definitely not to destroy... Then why is survival a fight? When it should be easy? Why differentiate an...