Memories of a man

Since so long ago,
When innocence cushioned my thoughts,
My beady eye remained fixed-
On his lovely prized ring

Its thick gold band
Circled his patriarchal finger
And its large sapphire
Shone a mercurial blue.

It proved its mettle,
Rallied as a source of strength
It lost its twin along the way-
And was escorted to solitude

And he saw happy times,
Reward of values instilled
And new bonds forged
With those of old.

But the descent began-
He crumbled rapidly
And in days rendered
The shadow of a man

Finally truce was called,
And his cold body lay in peace.

And as we huddled
Around the fire
The heat of the funeral pyre-
Dried the tears off my face.

The billowing fire calmed,
Its smoke carried his voice to the heavens-
And there on the ground , lay his sapphire,
Nestled among the ash.

Shilpa Iyer

A lone flame in the darkness,
A lone star on a dark night
A lone sun ray in a cloudy storm
A lone flower among the thorns
A lone raindrop in a desert
A lone leaf;dancing on a nude tree,
A lone snowflake on a clear wintry day,
A lone cloud in a clear blue sky
A lone smile among the frowns
A lone hero among the sell-outs
A lone thought in the midst of vaccuum,
A loner glimmer of hope among despair-
A lone newborn in a cold graveyard
A lone true love amongst sadistic hatred
A lone laugh among the wail of pain
A lone carress among raining blows

A quick moment stolen in this maze
Just to reflect
That even on the darkest night
A star still struggles to brighten the sky
There's always hope
No fear in being a lone warrior
Life is beautiful
A lone breath,
Even if its in a cemetry

Shilpa iyer