You Become You Again

it's my turn to stay up, tonight

so you let your hair down,
the way you would
then,

so you can breathe easy,

and sleep like a baby again,

so you become you again

give me your worries, tonight

so the smiles come back,

to where they belong,

so you can find bliss,

and your heart finds its due,

so you become you again

let me know your prayers, tonight

so your lips can rest,

your heart doesn't wear out,

your wishes are blessed,

so your dreams come to life,

and i can thank my god,

so you become you again

share with me, your beliefs, tonight,

so i can lower mine into the soil,

you can toss a handful of soil, 

so i can see you fly,

as the smiles return, when i die,

and to another world, my soul can fly

so you become you, again

© sashikant mohanty 

Never Enough

there can't be limits

for loving,

there are no boundaries

for kindness,

there can't be conditions

for truth,

there is no room for buts

after gratitude,

there can be no ends

for prayers

there can't be enough nights

for the unlit dreams,

there can't be enough life

for the moments of eternity,

there can't be enough moments

for the unshielded passions,

there is no shelf life

for memories,

there can't be enough waiting

for withheld emotions,

there can never be enough reasons

for giving up,

there can't be giving up

for craving hearts,

there can't be enoughs 

for the endless

there can't be ends

for cherished beginnings,

there is no room to reunite 

for the inseparables,

how can there be any distancing

for the merged souls?

© sashikant mohanty

How I Wish

you are so firm
and resolute,
with hate,
how i wish
you had the same blood,
the same unrelenting nerves,
the same passion,
and had walked across
the road,
when you were in love,
with me

you always wanted
to repay my gifts,
deed for deed,
cent for cent,
how i wish
you were
as resolute,
and committed,
and as thoughtful,
in repaying my love
to me,
in part,
if not full



© sashikant mohanty

I Am The Moon

i am the moon
that you'll miss, 
when i fade in the dark
like on dull moonless nights

i am the winter's sun
that you'll long for, for warmth,
when i'm hidden in the morning dew,
like on the chill windy days

i am like the spring's bloom
that you'll long for,
when i’d reduce to twigs
like over the autumn months

i am like the stream
that you'll yearn to flow again,
when i'd freeze to still,
like the icy rocks in the hills

i am like the smile
that you will long to return to life,
when i finally give up hope,
like the still image on the wall

i am like the love bird
that you'll crave, but never hear again,
when i crumble into an ounce of soil,
like when you are cut off from your soul!



© sashikant mohanty

The Storm In A Train

sitting by the window,
my eyes were misty,
lost in figuring out what lay ahead,
my mind - drained and aching,
and heart - choking,
as the train
tore through the fields,
and the storm grew in me,
i couldn't say
if it was the dew drops,
about to fall off the paddy stalks,
or it's the tear drops,
before they fell over the edge,
under their own weight;
my eyes were fixed
on the golden fields,
that danced to the music
of the train,
yet my thoughts
were stuck,
restless,
as i longed to be back,
to be hugged tight by the one,
to whom i belong

sitting by the window,
of the speeding train,
my mind too away,
in a distant world,
aching,
the hammer of thoughts,
and the clamour in my heart,
too lost,
to hear the blaring of the horn,
my eyes wide open,
yet i couldn't see a thing,
the restless trains that roared,
the endless farms,
the abandoned huts,
thatched, tiled, and concrete,
the barely-clothed kids,
that stood in awe,
of the rumbling train,
that december morning,
as i clutched my heart,
with a nightmare of abandon,
with no roof,
and barely any layers on me,
but for prayers,
as i waited
to be back,
to be hugged tight,
by the one
to whom i belong

sitting by the window,
my thoughts raced
speedier than the train,
to the one,
who always waited,
but never made it known,
to the one
who's nowhere near,
yet everywhere around, 
restless as i felt like the train,
helpless and lonely,
as i waited for that moment,
when she'd melt,
come, and sit by me,
huddle up close, skin to skin,
my hand wrapped tight in hers,
let her warmth, seep into me,
her undone hair spread over me;
my heart skipped a beat,
a smile began to reappear,
tug across the corners of my lips,
at the return,
of the long-missed waves,
and,
as i rubbed my eyes,
and as the world came to a halt,
reluctant to believe,
it was the train, that screeched to a halt,
and wrecked again,
my dream, 
of being hugged,
by the one
to whom i belong!



© sashikant mohanty

Unwrap

unwrap the gifts,
that were once,
gifts of thoughtfulness,
unwrap the chocolates, once,
that have melted,
waiting for you to melt,
unwrap when you are
seated by yourself,
alone in your nest,
and you'll find in them,
a bit of me -
a tiny piece of my heart

unwrap the packets
of diya,
and of blinking lights,
the sweets
and the idols of the deities,
those that made it to you,
with a wish
so no day is dark,
to be around, when i am not,
unwrap when it's dark,
and light a candle,
and you'll never be let down,
by
a tiny piece of my heart

unwrap the pack of bindis,
and the holy threads,
recall the magic they'd spell,
the blessings, they brought,
unwrap when the's sun's down,
under the moon's gleam,
when the fragrance from incense 
wafts through the house,
and you'll find,
a pair of eyes
glinting at your
smiles,
and praying,
and beating quietly away,
in a quiet corner,
a tiny piece of my heart

unwrap the shawl,
the stoles,
and unwrap also the saree
and hug them tight,
pick the teddy,
tuck it close to your heart,
unwrap gently
and let your fingers run softly
over the fabric,
and feel the warmth of
a tiny piece of my heart

unwrap the layers,
over you,
the layers
that have shrouded you,
over the years;
unwrap when you are alone,
and let the winter breeze
slow you down,
and roll back time,
and you'll find,
neatly preserved,
in a safe corner of your heart,
a tiny piece of my heart

unwrap the flowers,
that have wilted,
yet their smell still afresh,
latched on to the memories of you,
and in each bloom,
unwrap,
when you're tucked,
nicely, in the warmth of your bed,
when it's quiet,
and the only sound you hear,
is the shallow ticking of a heart,
be sure, you'll always find me,
waiting to be hugged,
and pecked by
a tiny piece of your heart!



© sashikant mohanty

Even When You Are Not There

even when you are not there,
you wrap me with your thoughts,
you surround me with memories, 
you inspire belief in miracles, 
that gets my heart
ticking again, every single time,
even when you're not there,
there isn't a moment you're not there

even when you don't speak for days,
our thoughts continue the banter,
frequenter than you and i would,
the 'good morning' that starts our days,
me asking if you had tea,
your message checking in on me,
exactly the instant when i thought of calling
'you'll live a hundred years!'
echoing in the ears of your heart,
even when you're not there,
there isn't a moment you're not there

even when you may not be around,
i speak to my loneliness,
what you'd be thinking,
how you'd be smiling recalling mine,
how you'd be breaking into tears,
how your tea cup
would be reminding of another,
how you'd humour me,
when i felt a bit lost,
we keep talking,
i and my loneliness,
even when you're not there,
there isn't a moment you're not there

even when you are not around,
the unruly breeze
pats my cheeks,
and wipes the trickling warmth,
stays with me,
until my heart beats straight,
just like you;
while breathing gets tough,
when the missing tears into me,
you never leave me helpless
alone,
even when you're not there,
there isn't a moment you're not there

even when you are not around,
on late evenings,
when i feel very lonely
or, on sundays,
when even my pillow seems lonely,
your voice rings in a smile,
so what it's from the memories,
even when you're not there,
there isn't a moment you're not there
with me!




© sashikant mohanty