Bright Shadows

Placid words waft from unmoving lips

Stringing together little stories untold

Of the countless lost and sunken ships

Burying deep within, the scars new and old

A silent wish bequeathed as days grow cold

The times whence the young would soar

When it was right to be wrong and bold

For now there can be mistakes no more

Strange as wisdom with time should grow

As thoughts promise to burgeon light

Lifting all shadows when the sun sinks low

But a converse truth engulfs the night

Fear not sings a tumultuous voice within

Hold tight as the anchor drops deep

Searching for calm amidst the din

As distant stormy winds begin to sweep

Bright shadows dance in inky water

Elusive promises of forgotten hope

Even as the timeless and the wise waver

End it has not as this is not an end

Eternal Glow

As the rain begins to wash off her fears
Her thoughts return to the present
The smell of the rain brings back memories of all those years

The pale reminiscent of a rainy day
Melding clouds obscure her face
Hoping that the wind would blow them to a place far away

When the rain would disappear
And the wind would lift her up
As the eternal glow of her smile brightens the world around her

Her light pours into this gloomy day
All the memories are left behind
But the embers of joy within each moment won't fade away

As her smile brings the eternal glow to the day...

Fall

As the winds change direction and the sun grows colder

Her thoughts veiled by the faint shadows

All life slowly fades into the grey

Alone she stands brighter than ever

Revealing the approaching fall

The fascinating world around, a reticent giver

Was never her own to keep

What was borrowed shall be bequeathed

Truth, a bitter pang in her heart

Reflected within the lonely tears

Time trickles through as the day grows older

Her memories held dear fall apart

The sullen pieces drift around

Scintillating for the very last time

Painting the sky in hues of solemn colors

The dying light leaves behind shadows darker

Her thoughts obscured by sorrow

As the day finally draws to an end

Her eyes closed in complete silence

Anticipating the arrival of fall

Through Her Lilting Eyes

Afloat this benevolent paradise

I drift along with all the others

Searching for a gentle starlight

A flickering moment, growing older

Life is a fairy tale filled with lies

I choose to ignore, why even bother

About what is true and what is right

When it's easier to believe it all

In this perfect world of mine

Bereft of pain and any sorrow

I live and I smile

The truth doesn't matter at all

If I believe that I would never fall

And care not what reality holds

I would soar above every broken wall

Without any fear at all

I may be naive in your eyes

A childish dreamer, without a care

But you can only see through my eyes

All the colors of this gray world

Argument of Agreement

Oh the inscrutable pain

I feel when I explain

My thoughts again and again

Every time we agree again

As we try, to each other explain

The exact same things again

All meaning dissected and slain

Like an uncleansable stain

It sticks on to our brain

As we try to explain

Ourselves, all over again

Some Lab Nights

Some nights I stay up cleaning all my samples
Some nights I wanna give up
Some nights I wish I leave before the janitor
Some nights I wish for more luck

I followed all the steps, repeated ten times too
And I'm still not sure what I did wrong, Oh..
Where did I go wrong? Where did I go wrong?
Most nights I don't know, anymore...

Oh, whoa, oh, whoa, oh, whoa, oh, oh,
Oh, whoa, oh, whoa, oh, whoa, oh, oh

Prep a sample and load it in
Turn up the heat within
Let's grow some nanowires already
Now to check if I got it right
SEM late at night
They're half as long and twice as wide

So here I go again to try one more time...

That's alright...
I found a tv-show to watch tonight
It stops my brain from wondering just why, why, why
Oh, why? Hmmm.....Hmmm...

Well, some nights I wish that my work would end
'Cause I could have some fun with my friends
And some nights I'm scared of failing again
Some nights I just fall asleep, (at my desk...)

I followed all the steps, repeated ten times too
And I'm still not sure what I did wrong, Oh..
Where did I go wrong? Where did I go wrong?
Most nights I don't know... (oh come on)

So this is it
I wear nitrile gloves for this?
Lab coat and glasses for this?
An orange bunny suit for this?
(come on)
When I see wires, when I see, when I see wires, that's all they are
When I see graphene, it's all the same to me, so come on
Oh, come on. Oh, come on. Oh, come on!

Well, wrong time for the phone to ring
Five minutes in, I can't leave again
I started my experiment already...
Make a few more transistors
Hope at least these ones would work
Who the hell would want to measure only noise anyway...

I begin to doubt and question all the choices in my life
When I look in through the microscope...
Man, you won't believe the most amazing things that can come from
Some terrible nights....

Oh, whoa, oh, whoa, oh, whoa, oh, oh,
Oh, whoa, oh, whoa, oh, whoa, oh, oh

The other night I had a dream that I just finished my phd
Time to catch up on all the sleep

It's for the best I didn't listen
When the alarm started ringing... Oh...
It's for the best I didn't listen
When the alarm started ringing... Oh...

(to the tune of Some Nights by fun. Parody lyrics written for the purpose of 'fair use' only.)

Glacier National Park

Photo courtesy of Sambit Palit

Shafts of silver, light an untainted world
Glowing mist surround surreal silhouettes
Palpable reflections on water turquoise
Of mighty mountains and glacial ice.

Earth adorn in shades of evergreen
A gown embroidered with alpine trees
Frills and folds capture colors changing
Every little hue of a crimson painting.

Laughing waters bright and crystalline
Dance by meadows of purple and yellow
As they thaw and merge into lakes placid
Shimmering and sparkling, bright and vivid.

Benevolent wind imbued with tranquility
A deep sense of calm left in its wake
Gentle melodies drift through the skies
Of wayward creatures abound in this paradise.

Black and Gold

Along the wrinkles of books forgotten
Yellowing pages, dusty and old
Flowing words; a river of black and gold
Beginnings and endings untold
Tracing the outline of every little bend
Warm ink painted on pages cold

Slip into stories from times new and old

Of the brave, beautiful and bold

Flying far, unto the imaginations end

To familiar worlds so unknown 

Valleys of flowers and castles of stone

Glow with all the beauty adorn

The place where truth and lies blend

Lies the little story of our own

Imperceptible ties of love that shine

Colours of good times bygone

Vermilion

Blinding lights glow like a horizon singed
All the opulence that gold did bring.
A voiceless symphony flows with the river
The silent whispers drift on forever.

Long grey shadows cast upon the water,
Bend and break with it's laughter.
A thousand hues meld with the azure skies,
As the sun closes its vermilion eyes.

Upon the old bridge standing together,
In the dying light, glowing forever.
Words of love and words of wonder,
That time shall never sunder.

The wind sails to the ends of the world,
Whispering forever, stories untold.
For the final home of a wandering heart lies,
Within those soft vermilion eyes.

Jester and The Wind

Jester:

‘O Wind, ‘tis thee who I whole-heartedly blame!

Thy silly jape has made me look lame.

‘twas in my hour of unbridled urgency,

When I sought a bramble none could see.

Away from the prying eyes of any dusty traveler,

In those safe shadows I’d decided to make water.

But why ‘O Wind, did thou show thy cruelty;

At the very sacrosanct moment of my privacy.

‘twas thy evil breath which across my face beat;

Made me bepiss myself and befoul my feet.

The Wind:

‘O Jester, jest not with thy foolish ignorance.

Test not with thy lack of common sense.

‘twas thy own folly to know not two from three.

Facing windward thou left thy water free.

In whose holy name doth thou question me,

For the shame thyself brought upon thee?

As punishment for thy flurry of uncivil words,

I curse thee to be smote by droppings of birds.

And across all lands shall bards tell the tale,

Of the jester who made water windward in a gale!

The Ballad Of A Lost Soul

I lean against a lonely stone;
Every breath harder than the last.
Clouds of dust dot the sky.
The light of day fading fast.
My body is weak and blistered.
My soul grows cold and numb.
I sit still in a spinning world,
Will it stop if I just lie down?
As my strength ebbs away,
The sound of battle begins to fade.
Will this crimson rivulet in which I lay,
Mark my end; my lonely grave?

For a greater good, for a greater cause
Into war they lead and I followed.
I left my life, I left my love
I promised to hold no sorrow.
But at this dying day's end
My heart is left sad and hollow.
As I have fought for no noble cause
The truth, bitter and shallow.
The greed of a convoluted few,
Drives the gears of war.
Even when blessed with plenty,
There is always room for more.

If we win, will I die a martyr?
If we lose, would I be a villain?
Perhaps hailed as the heroes of war,
Or as soldiers of the fallen.
Etched upon a memorial stone,
Another name amongst a million.
For every name remembered here,
There are many more forgotten.
The blood on my hands,
Testify the deeds I have done.
Maybe as my retribution;
I share my final moments with none.

I close my eyes, tears rolling down.
Where is the love that I fought for?
I think of her, her smiling face.
Would it be selfish to wish for more?
As the world around me grows colder
I search for her, my saving grace.
I wish I could go back home again,
To her soft voice; her warm embrace.
Her love takes my pain away,
A guide to this lost soul of mine.
Through a bright door, she leads the way.
Into her arms, I know I am home again.

My Existence

Is there any reason for the ever changing seasons?

A cycle of life gone by…

Is there any reason or a purpose for existence?

So many have wondered why.

Do you find solace in believing the existence

Of the one whom you call God?

While some proclaim that they have every reason

To believe that man made God!

I have searched all my life to find a purpose;

Something to lend meaning to my actions.

In the end this search seems so pointless

Since every answer ends with a why.

Maybe I am meant to live and die in ignorance;

Should I even wonder why?

Even if your God told you the reason for existence,

How do you know it’s not a lie?

Could there ever be any peace without sadness?

Without pain even pleasure dies.

In this cruel world how could there be a purpose?

Are they just convenient lies?

I have searched all my life to find a purpose;

Something to lend meaning to my actions.

In the end this search seems so pointless

Since every answer ends with a why…

The Shadow

In the chill of a lonely night,

With neither the moon nor the stars in sight

I sink into the depths of the darkness that surrounds me.

The dark clouds blind the world,

Sneering, as the air around grows cold.

The cold sweat makes me shiver in a growing sense of fear.

Plunged into a morbid silence,

Cold sweat leaves my body tense.

Every breath I breathe a thunder rumbling aloud in my ear.

A shadow darker than black,

I stare at it as, at me, it stares back.

I fear what I see, yet what I see seems so familiar to me.

The shadow that I see,

I realize is but a reflection of me.

Across my glass soul, the shadow appears; a cold reminder of my deepest darkest fears.

Ode To My Friend

My dear friend, this is an ode to you.
All the times we shared, all the fun we had
Through the years, both good and bad
Through the moments, both happy and sad.
You never failed to make me smile with your wit,
You never failed to surprise me with your intellect.
I have the utmost love and respect for you.
It saddens me to lose a friend so true.
There is no logic, there is no reason,
There is no rationale to this morbid season.
There is nothing to fill the void
That you have left behind in this world.
Thank you for being such a good friend.
Though our time together has come to an end,
I will cherish all these memories of you.
My dear friend, this is an ode to you.


In memory of Sampath Srinivas. My dear silent friend, you will be missed. I hope you now rest in a better place.

Painted Face

Sleep sets in swift, as I drift

Into a world serene; where my heart is free...

Afloat a tranquil stream

Thoughts, I’m bereft of thee.

The mist unveils a face, not unfamiliar.

Her eyes; an oasis in the sun.

Her breath; evanescent white silk.

Her laughter; an evening bird song.

Her voice; a soft benevolent breeze.

In darkness, she is my moon.

When lead astray, she is the stars that guide.

In dispair, she is an ocean of hope.

Her gentle hands cup the embers of life;

A shield through storm and haze.

It is time, she breathes in my ear,

As she melds into the mist and dew.

For the love she sings, my heart will yearn.

For the peace she brings, my soul will yearn.

Wish may I remain asleep forever,

Lest her painted face from my memory disappear.

Goodbye (Let’s Never Meet Again)

Saying that this would be the last time
Holding back the tears as I walked away

Wishing she would break the cold silence

Wishing she would hold my arm and tell me to stay.

I know that the pain is not all mine

She must be hurting deep inside

But no matter what, the truth remains the same…

All the times we spent together won’t come back again

All these memories that we share will soon fade away

As we bid goodbye

I wish you luck, I wish that you fare well in life

And fall in love with someone… again.

The days, when we walked together in the sun

Dreaming of the good times to come.

But now… all I’m left with are these tears…

All the times we spent together won’t come back again

All these memories that we share will soon fade away

As we bid goodbye

I wish you luck, I wish that you fare well in life

And fall in love with someone…

Even if you regret the choices that you’ve made

Though in my heart, I have many things left unsaid

Don’t you ever shed a single tear for me again

This foolish love for you will soon fade away

As we big goodbye

I wish you luck, I wish that you fare well in life

And fall in love with someone… find happiness again

Goodbye… let’s never meet… again.

Anesthetized Lips

Blue skies turning grey
The sun’s long gone…
Snow is on the ground,
Winter’s come…

Trapped within her cage
Hidden from the world
A free bird in isolation
Wings growing cold.

Her anesthetized lips,
Have been numb for a while.
How can she sing?
When she can’t even smile.

In silence she waits,
Holding on to her belief;
The dark hour shall pass,
And truth will set her free.

Grey skies turning blue,
The snow long gone…
She can hear her song,
Spring’s come…

Latent Smile

Evanescent rain weightlessly drifting,

Impalpable push of a benign breeze.

The warmth of shimmering skies

Rekindle the shriveling embers within.

The changing colours of the skies,

A lucid reflection in your eyes.

Life bereft of its mundane throes;

Every passing thought silently echoes.

Aging leaves float across the street,

Like sailing ships in tranquil seas.

Into the depths of the night;

Forever lost amongst the stars.

Shining dust and their mysteries untold,

As you join the dots the stories unfold.

Listening to their tales in wonder,

Resting your head on my shoulder.

Slowly cede to your heavy eyes,

And lapse into a gentle sleep.

Your pensive face melts away,

To leave behind a latent smile.

Smoke Stacks

A tainted window, a solemn door.

Dull monochrome, a place so old

Faded pulchritude, of forgotten times.

Dingy light, ash on the floor.

Another dusty soul, growing cold

In indolence, in blissful ignorance.

A dusky sky, bereft of light.

Of invisible stars, many stories told

Of a lonely sun, in decadent times.

In the future, light shining bright.

Fake hopes, progress foretold

Of changing ways, in changing times!

A million smoke stacks in sight.

Their morbid clouds corrode

A lonely existence, its last chance...

Surreal Happiness

I see you from the corner of my eye.

And drift into an inward smile.

I wonder about your thoughts,

And the infinite possibilities leave me lost.

Like a harmless invisible shadow,

From the reflections of the window;

Another quiet glimpse I steal,

As I paint pictures of how you truly feel.

A heart bereft of simple joy.

Glued together like a broken toy.

In search of human compassion,

Does it exist or is it another naive illusion?

Your mind riddled with fears,

A placid face to hide the tears.

Slowly letting go your dreams.

Faith withering away like autumn leaves.

Incomplete is your pallid canvas,

A shade of grey devoid of happiness.

Let go of any grand illusions,

Of change in someone else’s actions.

In little things I have found reason,

To burgeon hope through every season.

Freedom, you will truly feel,

Follow me to find such happiness, surreal.