SLOW BURN

He set the kettle to boil
It was simmering with anticipation
She felt the embers warm her
One sparked by unbridled conversation
The air was replete with repartee
And the hum of hidden expectation
Though neither exchanged a word too rushed
Each was stoked by provocation


Slow burn, slow burn
Round and round, turn by turn
Slow burn, slow burn
So much to uncover, so much to learn
Slow burn, slow burn
This combustible ride, this yearn
Slow burn, slow burn
Gradually heading towards no-return


She struck a match called Instinct
Then doused it with a splash of Realistic
He was fired by a fever called Longing
But he tempered it with Pessimistic
As the passions were fanned by intuition
They took the path more reckless
And unwillingly, they strung themselves
In the clasps of a love-lorn necklace


Slow burn, slow burn
Round and round, turn by turn
Slow burn, slow burn
So much to uncover, so much to learn
Slow burn, slow burn
This combustible ride, this yearn
Slow burn, slow burn
Gradually heading towards no-return

THE SAD SONG OF EGO

So much was left to be said
But we thought we'd keep it for later
So much seems so twisted now
Back then, it all looked straighter

So much still fills us with regret
And regret hasn't made us happier
So much was fine in the beginning
But we were the ones who made it crappier

So much of our fondness is now tainted
With the egoistic pull of a sullen heart
So much of distance has set in
That even our history seems worlds apart

So much of the day is spent in Rewind
And so much of the night is spent in Resign
So much of judgment has turned to Disrespect
And Disrespect has been trounced by Decline

Take all this much, Take all of it
But give back a little, a little bit
In the folds of Apathy, in the shadows of Despairing
There lurks a corner, still called Love & Caring
And in this corner, let's make a retreat
So much for ego, let it take back seat.

WELCOME TO MY WORLD

Welcome to my world
A little clear, a little twisted
And if you care to breathe in the scars
You'll find them quite infested
With dots that don't connect
And horizons that are familiar, yet out of sight
But if you care to go easy on me
You'll discover what they need is a torch of light

Back in the past, life was different
Finding a balance was easy, we had perspective
Of what freedom felt like, what we had to account for
Now we're guided by an upside-down introspective
Spoken words won't establish who I am
But there won't be a need for knowing
Because if you care to hold my hand
You'll figure which way the wind is blowing

Telephone conversations may do for a change
But they won't change anything for good
It will only make you cajole and castrate
But I still run the danger of being misunderstood
Maybe it's me, maybe it's you
But if we choose, our faith will change it all
And if you care to stay, just stay beside
You'll know how to pick me up after a fall.

WONDERFULLY WEIRD

She was like the twilight

Neither here nor there

She wore her hair in abandon

Her words were minus care

Her dreams were neon

Her stories were twisted, knotted

And when the stars shone down

Even they were strangely besotted

Wonderfully weird

Nothing was usual but here's the thing

She could bring a perspective

That no one else could bring

Wonderfully weird

She was like a mystery collective

So alluringly imaginative

Yet alarmingly reflective

It was difficult to keep up with her

So unfettered was her madness

And right in the middle of that smile

You'd spot a glint of sadness

So when she told you to dance

You'd never want to say no

For she would be your music

And her eyes would be your floor

Wonderfully weird

She didn't give any explanation

And even as she shook off the constant

She would show you the direction

Wonderfully weird

She was like a day in the sun

Sun-burnt and exhausted

But knowing you're not done.

FALL IN LOVE WITH THE RAIN

Umbrellas will get lost

Drains will over-pour

Traffic will be a bitch

Eyes may just get sore

Colds will become de rigueur

Flights will face delay

Taxis will become taxing

Plans may be dropped half-way

Nothing is as simple

As falling in love with rain

Introspect, Retrospect

A trip down memory lane

Nothing is as simple

As falling in love with the rain

Ruminate, Illuminate
Come, fall in love again.

Streets will be flooded

Coffee shops will get crowded

Clothes won't dry

Mornings will remain shrouded

High heels will take a setback

Mascara will run

Hair will get all messy

Grey will overtake sun

Nothing is as simple

As falling in love with rain

Melancholic, Melodic

A juxtaposition of pleasure and pain

Nothing is as simple

As falling in love with the rain

Cathartic, Hypnotic
Come, fall in love again.

THAT MENTAL NOTE TO BOSS

Before you were famous and so full of yourself

Were you preparing for the Lead Role

Or were you wondering if you'd get a designation
Which everyone secretly refers to as Asshole

Before your mistook pompous for clever
Were you taking tuition in Jargon
Or were you so busy thinking out of the box
That you jumped onto the same old bandwagon

Before you ate Vegan and spoke crap
Were you consumed by a feeling called Mercenary
Because that would explain why most consider you
To be on the same page as Ordinary

Before you chose to lead what others hate to follow
Were you part of a tribe called Loser
For you should know that when you're away
Each of us turn into an abuser.

Oh, you're back! And so we smile
And say 'Hey Boss, you were missed
But secretly we're pining and praying and hoping
That by some miracle, you're dismissed.

EVERYONE FUCKS UP

Everyone fucks up
And that's the only truth
Everyone hurts
And we all look to be soothed

Everyone isn't funny
And the ones who are, are blessed
Everyone is imperfect
But we never let our failings to rest

Everyone has a story
And it goes deeper than the skin
Everyone is fighting some battle
The one that's raging within

Everyone loves a winner
Especially when they're centre stage
Everyone has an opinion
But some just keep it locked in a cage

Everyone wants to be loved
But we mix it with expectations
Everyone wants to feel good
But we have our reservations

So real, yet so not actual
So true, yet so not factual
This is our world, this is our need
This is our life, this is our greed
And so our good and bad will collide
And so we'll show our human side.

OKAY-ISH IS NOT OKAY WITH ME

Okay-ish
Was how I'd started out
Till you came along and turned my world around
Don't you dare turn that page now
It's not a story that should end just yet
It's in fact the part that reads Lost And Found

 

My world was okay-ish, not great
My actions were stray, lightweight
My days were fine, not magical
My conversations were pretty, superficial
You turned okay-ish into awesome, don't you see
This is the best we could ever be
You turned okay-ish into awesome, don't you see
I don't want a cure for my insanity.

 

Okay-ish
Was how you were before
Till I turned your world into a roller coater
Don't you imagine you're going to stop this ride
It's not fair that you want to step off
Get back now, I'm right beside.

 

My world was okay-ish, not great

My actions were stray, lightweight

My days were fine, not magical

My conversations were pretty, superficial

You turned okay-ish into awesome, don't you see

This is the best we could ever be.

You turned okay-ish into awesome, don't you see

I don't want a cure for my insanity.

DON'T WORRY, I'M A WOMAN

I'm not making much sense

But I'll keep talking anyway

Because when I say things like Choice and Freedom together

Everyone thinks I'm liberated and cool

And then they will love me for 'taking a stand'
Though what the stand is, I'm a bit confused

But for sure, I'll pour my heart out

After all, saying I suffered a heartbreak is so damn bold

So I'll say it through a magnificently directed montage

People love montages where a crescendo builds up

I'll do the voice-over, give me words that sound powerful

Though what they mean, I'm not sure of

Let's cover that up with hair and makeup

We'll get 'likes', won't we

We'll change this world, won't we

So glad I could help

I'm so empowered, I'm a Woman.

I've been suppressed and oppressed for years

And men have to allow me to make choices, damn it

So I'll do that on TV and Facebook
Because in real life, I don't really want to be decisive
In fact, I often can't decide my drink
Or what to eat at a restaurant (I need my husband's help for that)
I also have to go to the loo with friends (come on, I can't go alone)
And hey, I still believe men should pay for me at restaurants
And be more ambitious, have more money
And when I bitch a female friend out for having random sex
I'm just being chatty, not judgmental
So start admiring me, let's get some media
Let's have a party, where I sign some wall
And you guys can take a pledge
It'll all be so cool
So glad I could help
I'm so empowered, I'm a Woman.

Who wants to make hard choices, for God's sake
It's much too inconvenient
For I may lose my servants and cars and shoes and bags
Fact is, I still worry silly about not being attractive to men
Or not having the guts to get all fat and wrinkly
Or about others being younger and fitter and prettier
Or the fact that I still don't even know what we women are fighting for
But that's too much hard work
Let's forget all that and write a song
Some man will do the job
Me? I'll look strong, you tell me how
So glad I could help
I'm so empowered, I'm a Woman.

THAT'S THE SPIRIT

Should we refuse to wake up

Till the Department of Deadlines has left town

Should we send Schedules & Such on a sabbatical

Then turn the file of If-Only upside down

Should we chuck our Unresolved Issues

Into the deep sea of Never Found

Should we dig into a jar of Seemingly Worthless

And come up with a cookie called Hang Around

Should we sight a rainbow called Distant Hope

And chase a cloud that's labelled Someday

Should we eat from a buffet called Lazy Humour

While listening to a record called Idle Play

Should we lace each drink with Sweet Surrender

And smoke up rings of Fatal Attraction

Should we go down a lane called Small Wonders

And stop for tea at Honest Reaction

Or should we wake up and take a Breath of Brimful

And make sense of Life, as we see it

For it's only when you blend the Real with the Dreamy
That you find a drink named That's The Spirit.

MEDIOCRE

Never ever came first
Or gunned for the ubiquitous gold
Never ever took the lead
When beauty was being extolled
Never ever fought for corner office
Or the chance to captain the team
Never ever thought of pursuing passions
That would improve my self-esteem
Never ever exceeded expectations
Or followed my true calling
Never ever made myself so interesting
That I could be called enthralling

 

There was a slot called Mediocre
And happily I settled in
Time flew and through it I knew
That Mediocre lies Within.

 

Never ever won anything
Or wrote anything too clever
Never ever took efforts
That would qualify as an endeavor
Never ever shone in charity
Or in talents that make one large-hearted
Never ever learned anything new
That would help me get re-started
Never ever earned a salary so high
That it would deem as taxable
Never ever had a dream so big
That it almost seemed impractical

 

There was a slot called Mediocre

And happily I settled in

Some run the race, others admit with grace

That mediocre lies Within.

 

GOSSIP-INSURED

I heard you got too tipsy and trashy
But that's okay, the person who told me is news-flashy
And just when she wanted me to believe otherwise
Her augmented envy hit me between my eyes

Hearsay is hearsay, it's a pity
Gossip is burning up this city
While it's better to be hated than ignored
Who in this world can be Gossip-insured?

I hear you found love in the arms of Mr. Not-so-Right
But that's okay, the person who told me is uptight
And just when his barb reeked of Patronizing
His impish boy-like charm turned agonizing

Hearsay is hearsay, it's a pity
Gossip is burning up this city
While it’s a sign of the distantly-matured
Who in this world can be Gossip-insured?

I hear you have an addiction all compelling
But that's okay, the person who told me is repelling
And just when I begin to feel a sense of déjà vu
I figure the rumour involves me, not you

Hearsay is hearsay, it's a pity
Gossip is burning up this city
No smoke without fire, I've heard
Who in this world can be Gossip-insured?

TRAVELLER

When I set out to travel

I'll drop the shadow

The shadow of being someone

Someone you or anyone else knows

I'll lie back in the anonymity

And stretch out my possibilities

The possibility that my North Star is on a sabbatical

And my Crazy Star is on the rise

Could I be foolish and yet make you smile?

Could I be mindless and yet come out wise?

Could I wander and yet not be lost?

Could I find a new address that is not home?

Could I swim in an infinity of strangers

And find something to share with each one of them?

Could I do something for the sheer fun of it

And not feel plummeted by the 'what ifs'?

I will be that traveller

Where I'll be the chorus in the silence

Where I'll be the applause in the noise

Where I won't be Someone you know

But I'll still be the One who Knows.

THE JOURNEY WITHIN

Look at you

So strong, so bullish, so carefree

And yet, you can’t see, you can’t see it at all

You've been such a mess lately.

The world has stood still in your playground

And you've been grouped into Anonymously

And that's the thing about dreams you nurture long but die fast

They end cruelly.

Look at you

So worn, so wishful, so weary

And yet, you're here and you're surveying this life

And it feels like infinity.

But you choose not to draw the spotlight on you

After all, you've been pretty busy

Fighting the daily wars that take you away from the big battle

And that's a pity.

Look at you

So out there, outspoken, outwardly

And yet, you're not so sure about where to start

Or when to swim against the tide vehemently.

Take my word, let's clear this patch

For past the obscure, you'll spot it quite clearly

That what you thought had passed, has been in you all along

For without conviction, what are we?

SEE IT'S DECEMBER

See, it's December.

The nights will intrude earlier

The Sun will seem less friendlier

The wind will sharpen its claws

And the air will get fiercer

But it's not going to change a thing

For our conversations will last longer

Our connection will get stronger

And we'll do good to remember

That no matter May or December

No matter how fake this splendour

You're that place I like to call Centre

So screw the left-of-the-centre theory

You're my goddamn centre.

 

 

See, it's December.

Sweaters will be in season

Coffee will be drunk without reason

Mornings will be tinged by darkness

Melancholy and fog will see collision

But that won't change anything for us

For it will only make things clearer

If at all, you'll grow dearer

And we'll do good to remember

That no matter May or December

We'll never have to surrender

Our lack of what others call sanity

Call it friendship, call it camaraderie

So screw the reason or the season it may be

You're my reason to be Me.

HIGH DEFINITION GIRL

I'd spent half my life in vanity
Till you came around with a brand new sanity
It wasn't like I didn't have Perspective

But you acquainted me with Introspective

In the midst of clutter, you got clarity

In the thick of glitter, you got gravity

And all of a sudden I was shining

With thoughts that were Me-defining

I'd have been such a lesson in Despondent

If your unambiguous ways weren't so resplendent

High Definition Girl

Never pixelated

Something about you
Has got me fixated

High Definition Girl

You're mega resolution

I want you as you are

No dilution.

There's nothing more sexy than certain

And you reveal yourself, with no curtain

Your point of view may not be altruistic
But it's never whimsical or unrealistic

And while your smile acts like a trigger

Your ability to cut the crap is far bigger

So each time I have second thoughts on winning

You kiss me like it's a new beginning

Then you tell it as it is, make matters clear
And things seem brighter than they appear

High Definition Girl
Never pixelated
Something about you
Has got me fixated
High Definition Girl
You're mega resolution
I want you as you are
No dilution.

DETACHED

The years have passed, his smile has died

And he’s nursing a void in his heart

When he ventures out to get a drink

They tell him to make a new start

So he sips his ale, plays with words

And leaves the party just when it’s fun

Then goes home and drinks some more

Till he remembers nothing and no one.

There’s a world where the preachers don’t reside

Where nothing comes attached

He has a home in that cold little dome

He’s Distant. Detached.

The evangelists of Happy keep shaking him off

Some others feel cheated and spurned

But through it all, he’s like a wall

Quite consistently unconcerned

Over the last few years, he’s gotten worse

And today, his gut is splitting with pain

He wants to cry, to laugh and speak up

But all he does is pull the chain

In a world where stories make us all

He’ll always be that mystery mismatched

And theories may fly, but no one will cry

He’s Distant. Detached.

SAY WHAT WE MEAN

She means a no but says yes,

He's sure about it but says 'more or less'
I want to find love but I say maybe
You want to say bitch but say baby
He is so gay but says he's heterosexual
She wants someone cool, but says retrosexual
They don't want to hurt us, so say they're undecided
We know we're doomed, but say we're misguided
Our tangled minds are doubtful of coming clean
So we take the easy road and not say what we mean.

It's tough for her to cope but she says it's easy
He's lonely as hell but says he's been busy
I want to win you over but say it doesn't matter
You like them quiet and calm but say you like the chatter
He wants to be sarcastic but says he's not so clever
She wants to take that trip but says 'probably never'
They don't want to know us but they come and say hello
We've been cruelly dumped but we say we let go
Truth can be so cruel, lies are a sweet vaccine
So we use it liberally and not say what we mean.

The truth behind our lines
The shadows behind the scene
The fact behind the fiction
The blunt behind the sheen
It will all stay behind wraps
For we don't say what we mean.

LEAVE THESE DAYS BEHIND

The year’s coming to an end and so is
Our promise to turn things around
And as our timelines burn, we fail to return
To a place called Lost and Found

Lastyear, we spoke of living easy
But Monday after, we were living manic
Our resolves got hazy, our schedules crazy
As Peaceful got eaten up by Panic

There was a time when we’d play it by ear
And meet life on the front foot
But these days we’re unclear and driven by fear
So we stay salaried and stay put

Our senses have been numbed by the commonplace
And we’re comfortable to procrastinate
But the more we lie low, the more we’ll let go
Of our chance to rethink and recalibrate

Truth is, New Year is just another time warp
And we choose to stay confined
But if we change our view, and start something new
I reckon we’ll leave these days behind.

OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE

Closer to my heart, I’m feeling
A sensation I’d describe as crazy
Something that prompts me to get better
In areas I was hitherto lazy

I’m often trying hard but failing
In convincing you of my affections
My words are clichéd, attempts naïve
Leaving behind mere good intentions

Good food is key and I’m learning
How to put my heart onto a plate
But the more I fuss about the garnishing
The less I worry about the taste

I tried to sing a song once
With lyrics that were laced with passion
But that didn’t go down too well either
For bad music is never in fashion

Rocking your boat with books and debates
On topics that were both somber and eclectic
Was working well till you laughed at me
And said you preferred me poetic

So I wrote a poem that described my pathos
And how you could be the one to change that
But the poem was tragic and lacked magic
And my attempts to win you just fell flat

It’s been a struggle and agony aunts
Tell me that I shouldn’t try so hard
And I’ve done that too, but tell you what
I’m not too good at doing disregard

So closer to my heart I’m feeling
A sensation I’d describe as hazy
Something that I understand perfectly
And yet, you describe it as crazy.

SAY NOTHING

There’s a lot to be said and you’re saying it
But now’s the time to stop, no point delaying it
You’ve exhausted your stories and tales
Having told the world about your travails
Your verbal backlashes are exhausting
It’s like a cake that’s drenched in frosting
And you know what they say about words
If used in excess, they’re not heard
Take a step back, zip that mouth
For your credibility is headed south
Now get back out there, stop bluffing
When you have nothing to say, say nothing

Freedom of expression is over-rated
Once you’ve spoken, we wish you’d waited
You may have had experiences slimey
But somehow, they sound bitter-whiney
I’m not saying you’re shouldn’t speak
But you won’t get the sympathy you seek
Life is a bitch, we’re all dealing
And you’re not getting any special healing
So stop the verbal diatribe, get a hold
You trusted this world, you got sold
Now get back out there, stop bluffing
When you have nothing to say, say nothing

Take note, my friend, you have fair warning
Self-worth is not adorned by self-scorning
I know you wish you had an editorial
That celebrated your suffering immemorial
Bad things happen to good people and vice versa
Who’re we to keep score, its all karma
Dignity however is a matter of choice
Choose to stay silent, than make empty noise
I know you hate advice but this is the real deal
Shape the life you want, feel what you feel
Now get back out there, stop bluffing
When you have nothing to say, say nothing

TAKE CONTROL

So the year has come and gone
And you think you’re old and worn
It all seems to you like déjà vu
But that’s just a breakdown point of view
So find the courage to feel breathless
Settle for nothing but restless
You’ve got the fire, stoke it
Your mojo is buried, provoke it
Have the cake and eat it too
Don’t feel guilty, bite more than you can chew
Turn it around, my friend, show us how you roll
It’s a brand new year, take control.

Make a resolution, break it
But don’t be stupid enough to fake it
For those who’ve taken you for granted
This year, tell them you’re disenchanted
And the ones who run you down, spurn them
The lessons you say you’ll learn, learn them
Bu there’s the thing, be curious
For the things you can change, be furious
Fall in love, write that love letter
Wake up tomorrow, feeling much better
Turn it around, my friend, show us how you roll
It’s a brand new year, take control.

If not now, then when
Take the steering wheel, it’s time
Being optimistic isn’t a remedy
But being morbid is a crime
Freshness is contagious for your heart and soul
It’s a brand new year, take control.

JUST WHEN YOU THINK, I'M OUT OF IT

I've done things I'd rather forget

I've said things that are captioned by regret

And while the tears are welling up within

I prefer to find solace in the din

And when I find a secret place to hide

Where I can keep my perfect aura aside

Instead of looking within and feel introspective

I get curdled, spoilt and depressive

And just like that, in a matter of a minute

I'm a new person, I'm out of it.

Quaint things come around in a platter
But I choose to ignore them, they don't matter
Blatant is where I'm putting my money
For it always go down well, when laced with funny
Looking back into memory's file
There's a hopeless tear that's locked in a smile
I want the release, to just let it flow
But in desperation, I replace it with a show
And just like that, in a matter of a minute
I'm a new person, I'm out of it.

Oh the minds of the done and deflated
We're not so cool, we're over-rated
But just when you think you can treat us like shit
We're new persons, we're out of it.

LBD

See, the thing about the LBD
Is ladies, you’ll look all PYT
And no matter where in the world you be
It’s never gonna be too OTT

See, the thing about the LBD
Is it makes the guys go OMG
And if your man takin' you to a place fancy
Pimp it up, you’ll look VIP

See, the thing about the LBD
Is that you can slip on one JLT
And dontcha worry about bein' sexy
Be rest assured, he’ll BRB

See, the thing about the LBD
Is you’ll get yourself some TLC
So one more time, listen up baby
Get your hands on one, ASAP.