Betrayal

Water was her realm, her source of emotion,
as she blithely gallivanted along the ocean
She basked in the freshness, as she calmly passed
an ocean whose texture resembled glass
The sky was a mystery- it had never been clearer,
as she gazed at the sea as still as a mirror

A pleasant breeze provided respite,
the rippling waves were quite a sight
Tiny wavelets rose and broke,
the shore- the water seemed to gently stroke
She heard the whispering of every leaf,
as it swirled in the breeze in many a motif

A moderate wind, which stung her eyes,
with great grandeur the waves would rise
White horses began to frequently form,
the air was charged, moist and warm
The sky turned murky, dismal, gray,
the gale built up a ferocious fray

The sky was black, the clouds hung low,
a terrifying storm began to blow
She could see nothing but mist and spray,
darkness reigned, devoid of a luminous ray
Fear bloomed, strong and singing, in her heart
as she witnessed the water play another part

A part of terror, peril, alarm-
the ocean lost its sublime, mystical charm
The hurricane roared, she fled for shelter,
other creatures mimicked, helter-skelter
Trees helplessly keeled, the thunder would pound,
as her love for the sea spluttered and drowned

Zenith

There she stood, having completed her quest,

a quest of prowess, of vehemence, of skill

Brimming with pride, she perched on the crest

of the tallest mountain, the most perilous hill

Yet she considered herself a deferential guest,

the ambition of her life finally fulfilled

She fondly reminisced on the previous days,

days of apprehension, unease and fear,

during which she had been a stranger to nature's ways,

where nothing was what it seemed to appear

A treacherous guise would threaten to raze

her opinion of nature so very dear

The paths had been laden with coverings of frost,

a precarious gradient, a precipitous slope,

with its deceptive trails- so vulnerable to getting lost

Assured safety offered so little scope

when hiking up courses that the ice had crossed-

it was not an uplift to her dwindling hope

And yet, she had been heartened by experiences bleak,

as she sought to conquer the dream of her eye-

to enter a domain of beauty and mystique,

and transcend from low to the riveting high

So, as she perched on the glacial peak,

her spirits rose and soared beyond the sky

Respite

I am a spirit that spirals with the breeze,
although cold and calculating,
warmth and affection blooms in my heart
imparting confidence, trust, hope-
that I can make a difference,
a change, an advancement,
to the lives of millions across the globe

Yet, I have disappointed myself
I have denied sustenance to some,
security and shelter to the others,
love and compassion to crowds,
education to innumerable
They slip though my spectral fingers,
like grains of sand-
much too fine, to be enmeshed
in my capable palms

My lapses wreak havoc
to the innocent, to the blameless
My rages are more terrifying-
Volcanoes spewing fire,
tidal waves drowning the shore,
whirlwinds swirling in a manner,
quite similar to my roam
My paucity of concentration
has led mankind to its own destruction-
ruination of a planet, a world,
that I had bestowed to all creatures,
to all plants and trees,
to the soil, to the rugged terrain,
to the atmosphere, to the breeze
I wander about the concrete civilizations,
suffocating, choking back grief,
as I now face a world colorless and gray,
refusing to let the human mind,
take what course it may

Despite my sorrow, I find respite-
by traipsing across the lush green,
the golden yellow, the turquoise skies,
the magenta flowers that beam with pride,
the fragrant ambience, surging with
the essence of nature, and all it stands for
I find pleasure, as I look at the merriment,
the dreams, the passion of all creatures alive,
that thrive under my guidance,
unknowingly, in blissful oblivion
As I spiral with the gusts, touring the world,
I realize my accomplishments
that outweigh the rest- which I had been
too lacking to better and enhance
As I help a flowering bud blossom with beauty,
an ant build its hill with unwavering persistence,
a lion establish its might,
a young girl fulfill her enduring dream-
it acts as an interlude to an existence of misgiving,
a time of relief from anxiety and disquietude,
I find a corner of breathing-space,
and I discover happiness once more

Miracle

First published in the literary journal- 'Foliate Oak Literary Magazine'

It emerged bright, radiant
leaving behind its chrysalis
in a flurry of wings, restless and tense,
gifted with an array of shades
and a motif of patterns
etched on its wings, fluttering and frail
The air was biting, a knife of ice,
slashing through the leaves
The light was blinding, a shower of rays,
more piercing than the breeze
The warmth of the cocoon vanished,
leaving it exposed, susceptible
to the forces of nature-
so relentless and unforgiving
to a newly formed creation,
with a wealth of beauty,
a myriad of flair, deciding to hone
its abilities in the glacial air
It perched on a slender stalk,
absorbing its surroundings, the various hues,
clearer than a crystal
For the very first time, it spread its wings,
fell prey to the gusts,
joined the breeze, merged with the currents
and learned to fly
Gliding through the air,
it found a sense of liberation-
of new-found independence
By slicing through the atmosphere-
it wielded a sense of power
The sky was its residence- the endless blue,
golden during the day, indigo at night-
a profusion of colors or also a miracle
It reminisced on the bygone days-
days of impotence, of being rooted to the ground,
slow, listless, with no means of escape,
days without beauty, without passion or joy,
days of distress and inferiority
as it looked up, and gaped at the sky-
intimidating, infinite, the home of its kind
once they broke free of the chrysalis,
and learned to fly
It basked in the chill, the tropical shades,
reveling in this wondrous change-
neither the change of metamorphosis,
nor the sensation of flight
It was a change that dominated the rest,
thought the butterfly,
as it pirouetted with its kin
It was a change that let it fly
towards the enticing flowers,
rather than having to climb up its stem
It was a change that brought beauty
and pleasure in the hearts of others
It was a carrier of esteem
and the magic of freedom