The living room

the room was empty
the walls white
everything smelled antiseptic
nothing smelled antiseptic
he looked hard for signs of life
he saw none
fiddling with the controls
he tries to change the scene
nothing changes
the room is empty
the walls white
he becomes a memory
the scene changes
a fresh coat of paint
the room is empty
the walls white
that's life

siva station

it may be indra who gets all the action
but when it comes to the star attraction
i'm an unabashed fan of the lord siva
indra may have his urvasis and menakas
that's only cos shiva's not into apsaras
a dudeswara if ever there was one
is the maheswara
and what i most about him adore
are his imperfections galore

note: written as a reaction to an ode to indra.

close to nothing

i'd like to say clothes
bones
blood
my heart
my eyes
sockets
people
the world i live in
the floor
the tiles in my bathroom
my bed
my sheets
my necklace
my earings
my rings
my dermatologist
face cream
my fingers
when i hide my face in them
cowering in shame
the dirt between my nails
but in the vast emptiness
i people
with the many mes
i feel nothing
feelings are created
take them out of the mix
and you r
an object with skin
close to nothing
siva?

Note: 'World famous' poet siva's exercise. the idea: write a poem about something, someone, somewhatever that's closest to your skin.    

World famous poet Siva is at it, again

1
Attempting to write a poem with a very long title and a relatively short body is a very good exercise in creatively thinking about poetry and a very bad excuse to be clever.

then again
in a world of
dunces
any excuse
to be clever
is a good one


2
When you find out your girlfriend has starved all day because the day happens to be karva chauth

you dump her.
quickly.
no, instantly.
make that, even faster.
now.

3
Reflections on the ancient tradition of karva chauth
why


4
Just so we get away from reflecting too much on the absurdity that is karva chauth, a reflection on life

absurd


Note: 'World famous' poet siva's exercise. the idea make the poem shorter than the title. (imagine the possibilities!)

the capitalist manifesto

i will not capitalise when i write directly

i will not capitalise, for free, even otherwise

i let microsoft word do that for me

the few times you will see me capitalise, for free

it's probably because i wrote it on word

don't blame/thank me. thank bill gates

i will not capitalise because some white sob says i have to

i will use his language

i will use it the way i want to

i will write it the way i want to

i can tell you a thousand more reasons when i will not capitalise, for free

i will do anything for MONEY

an exercise in desire: by world famous poet 'maya'. write about desire, no erotica, without using the word desire in any form. hope it works. as ever, avi

Out of my life, inside my head

Haven’t seen her for years
See her everyday
Haven’t had sex for years
Have sex everyday
Haven’t known love for years
Know love everyday
Felt liberated for years
Feel tied down everyday
Been single for years
Not single for a single day
Haven’t thought about her for years
Think about her everyday
Haven’t written a letter for years
Write a letter everyday
Haven’t wanted her for years
Want her everyday
Haven’t fought with her for years
Fight her everyday
Wanted her out of my life everyday
Haven’t been able to for years

note: part of a weekly exercise by 'world famous' poet, sivakami. this week's exercise: exorcise conflict

The quiet man

Mouth curled in a benign smile
Hair neatly combed to one side
Crisp, white cotton bush shirt
Starched, white brocaded dhoti
Clean-shaven, old-spiced, as usual
Listening to everyone
Waiting for them to finish
Not protesting one bit
Never inconvenienced by it all
At peace
Having looked for it
All his life
It had found him
At last
Pity, he was unmoved
In fact, he was dead