Light meter

when i
close my eyes
the lights go out
my eyes light up
thinking of you
good night darkness

Winertia

is it better
not to have
the guts
to do anything
than have the guts
to do something?
when you have
the guts to do
something
you might
do something
and we all know
how much harm
doing anything
can end up doing

Baby talks

me no
talk wrong
you talk wrong
you like follow
you like rules
you big slaves
i proud baby

Dieku

this old life
nowhere to go
time to stop

Fucking God

if God had any brains
he wouldn't have
given anyone tits
and everyone brains
obviously God
has nice tits

Fucking Tits

if God had any brains
he would have given
everyone nice tits
instead of brains
obviously, God
has nice tits

Want knot

when you want
all the things
you can't have
it's best to not
want all the things
you can't have

Senseless

the tragedy
of being so sensitive
is that the only way
to protect oneself
from being hurt
is to be fucking
cold, heartless
and insensitive

Quite

when
people ask
why i'm
so quiet
i keep quiet
think to myself
and say nothing
why make a
hue and cry
about it?

B2B

if you don't
let me be
what i want to be
i will never be
what you want
me to be

Obscess

obsessing
over something
is not focussing
it's losing sight of
what it really is about

Write off

i want
to be a writer
so other people
can write about me
and i can stop
writing about myself

Focuspocus

focus, focus, focus
focus, focus, focus
focus, focus, focus
everything else
is just distraction
focus, focus, focus
focus, focus, focus
focus, focus, focus

Buy Buy Charm

the worst thing
about charm
is when you know
how easy it is to
but don't ever
again want to
because you know
unfuckingfortunately
that any slut
can be bought
for a charm

Careful

caring for
the idea
of someone
is a good way
of imagining
one cares
for someone
the only person
one cares for
when one
cares for
the idea
of someone
is oneself

Goodvertising

less copy
is always
more than
enough
you'll see
that's why

Blunderstand me

unlike
with other people
you don't have to try
to understand me
you will only end up
understanding me
when you try to
overstand me
don't wonderstand me

Child like

being
a child
allows me
to not do
the things
grown-ups
do and
shouldn't do
being a child
allows me
to do
the things
grown ups
should do

Norrespondence

not responding
is sometimes
the best way
to respond
to something
that deserves
a response

The demeaning of love

i love it
when you
don't love me
because you
love me
when you
love me
because you
love me
you don't
love me

Nice Lee

it's nicer
to be
not nice
and say
something
is not nice
than try
to be nice
and say
something is
it's not nice

Buddha's bar

how can i resist
the desire to
desire nothing
but the desire
to desire nothing?

Inside story

if we were
allowed to be
the way we
wanted to be
we wouldn't be
what we could be
we are what
we are because
we can't be
what we are

Sentence construction

once i'm
done with my
prison sentence
all i will do
is write
for myself
for freedom
for naysayers
for love
for hate
for eternity
i wait
for that day
longingly
hungrily
writerly
foolishly

Pluto phuto!

you are dark
insignificant
lonely, cold
unapproachable
you have no right
to be among us
warm, friendly
big-hearted
hospitable people
and so we heartlessly
coldly, mercilessly
scientifically eject you

Note to Noer

Tom Waits may have said
you can't unring a bell
but you can drown it
by ringing another bell
louder, better, articulately
quickly and insistently
Noer, forget Tom Waits
you know what you gotta do

A goad to Vishnu Vyas

while debating
larger, weightier
seriouser, profounder
issues of the day
like religion, politics
creationism, death
and matters alike
are we losing sight
of what it takes to
get through
the day to day
business of love
marriage, jobs
gender and
Michael Noer

An open letter

dear love
i want to
apologise
for being
so closed
i'm open
to being
opened
love dear

You are not alone

when you have
to be alone
no matter how
difficult it is
it's easy being alone
what do you do
when you don't have
to be alone, are alone
and don't want to be alone

Conveyor belt

my job
is not
to think
too much
just do
is the way
to go
easy come
easy go
if not
everything
will be a
no-go

The God of Evolution

if there is a God
he will be the first
to admit that he
couldn't have done it
without evolution
because God knows
we don't come into
this world the way
we are. we evolve
without evolution
our mothers wouldn't
be able to give birth

Briefly speaking

with so much
care and concern
you brief me
knowing fully well
that when it comes
down to the crunch
none of it will matter
because the client
is always king and us
not much more than
a fucking underling

Unhappy Madrasi's Day

let's go out
drive our cars
pollute the air
litter the streets
forget the poor
get plastered
create a racket
consume crap
cheat people
fuck with autos
hate the bus
criticise something
buy a card
design a T-shirt
launch a webcam
float a banner
join the club
make an event
celebrate nothing
forget tomorrow
live for today
write a rant
do anything
make the most
do something
love the city?
it's a date
22nd August
Happy Madras Day

Mirror image

if you
don't care
how i look
it's because
you don't care
for my looks
much like
i do care
how you look
because i don't
care much for it

Writing matters

when you don't
know what to write
it's best to repeat
what you know
how to write
when you don't
know what to write

Oh God

if you think
idols will
drink milk
it's time
you checked
what you're
drunk on
blind faith
fatalism
desperation
or plain greed
whatever
God help God
with people
like you
God knows
he can't help you

Softy board

whenever i'm sad
i look at my board
and see all the things
that make me alone
and then i smile
because i see
all the things that
remind me i'm not

Graphic novelty

does it take
pretty pictures
of unpretty things
to make us see
how unpretty
something is

do we need to
reduce 9/11
to a comic book
to magnify the
impact of 9/11

are we so
imprisoned by
images that we
can no longer
imagine what
the eye cannot see

Weaker sex

i know it takes
a strong man
to be celibate
i wonder though
does it take
a stronger man
to do what it takes
to not be celibate?

Reality TV

i dream
of a time
when i
can forget
the times
we are in

i pray for
the day
when it
won't matter
whom i
pray to

i remember
what a
fool i am
when i watch
the daily news
daily

Mike testing

were you
good to me
because you
needed me
or were you
good to me
because i
needed you
or were we
good to
each other
because we
needed
each other
and will we
be good to
each other
when we don't?

History lessens

they say
the truth is
malleable
convenient
flexible
conditional
circumstantial
and questionable
what does that
say about History?

Linkin Park

i link to you
not because
i read you
or because
i want you
to read me
but because
i'm hoping
i will be read
when people
look for you
on technorati
which is also
the reason
i mention
technorati. twice

India Shining

those who blindly propose
we're a hindu civilisation
should be well-informed
that the hindu civilisation
they so proudly tom-tom
is a rich sum total of
many other civilisations
the truth of the matter is
we're a hindu civilisation
because we're a lot more
than just a hindu civilisation
and that's what makes us
a truly great civilisation

The future of dreams

if a dream
is better
than the
real thing
aren't we
better off
if they don't
come true?

One two one

if we knew
the answer
to the problem
of being alone
there would be
no problem
being alone
but we don't
until we find out
that the answer
to the problem
being unalone
is being alone

The Copywriter

no matter what
i'll do as i'm told
just make sure
you pay me well
i sure don't want
to be doing this
when i get old
and if i sound like
a fucking whore
you're damn right
after so many years
in this business
the money is all
i care for any more

Single question

can you have
companionship
and solitude
without the
companionship
turning into
solitude?

Mahim reek

when heads
are full
of shit
it doesn't
take much
to believe
that water
full of shit
is not

Suck it up

as a woman
if the only way
to get ahead
is to give head
then it's best
to use your head
and give head
after all, if men
control the world
it's best to know
what controls them

Repeat offender

it's happened before
and every time it has
i've promised myself
it won't happen again
and when it does
i promise myself
it won't happen
again, again

Ego bashing

if you're going
to leave me
all i can say
is please don't
not because
i want you
to stay
but because
i don't know
what i'll do
if you don't
then again
i do, so don't

The waiting game

how can you say
you love me
if you can't wait
to love me
how can you say
you love me
if you can wait
to love me

Why do I blog?

as a writer
when rejection
is all you've seen
and hope is like
a bitter has-been
the one thing that
can keep you going
is the pleasure derived
from instant publishing

Years today. Home tomorrow

if you
think about
when this
will be over
it will seem
like forever
so don't
think about
when this
will be over
think about
when this
will be over
we will be
together forever

Empty questions

do we have to
say i love you
every single day
to love each other
every single day

do we have to
remind each other
every single day
to remember
every single day

do we have to
be with each other
every single day
to be together
every single day

do we have to
question it
every single day
to know the answer
every single day

do we have to
be insecure
every single day
to be secure
every single day

do we have to
forget the future
every single day
because the past
refuses to go away

Note beta

baat suno beta
dubai mein hoon
prostitute hoon
advertising mein
nikalna hai
journalism into
help karoge
to fit hoga
nahi to
koi fight nahi
as always
good to touch base
baap ray baap
yeh kaisi kavita
kavita nahi beta
isse kehte hai
avi ki avita

Family ties

everything we're not
we're because of the family
everything we are
we're because of the family
we're the family
no wonder we feel so alone
without a family
not that we were ever
part of a family
doesn't make sense i know
much like our family

Ask and you shall not receive

let me be
and i'll be there
for you
dont ask
for everything
and you'll never
need anything
don't push me
and you'll never
have to push me
take care
of yourself
and i'll take
care of you
love me
love you

The circle of love

i will be
attracted
to you
when you
show me
you are
strong enough
to be away
from me
and so
make yourself
so strong
that you are
no longer
attracted
to me
it's best
we're not
attracted
to each other
to be
attracted
to each other

Love actually

i want you
to show me
you can
be alone
for i believe
for us
to be lovers
we have to learn
to be alone

It's about you

when you
love somebody
too much
you're in love
with yourself
you might think
it's about somebody
you're right
it's about yourself

Save it

if we could
predict the future
it would be so easy
to live in the now
but we can't
predict the future
so we better
plan for it now

Hard love

if we could live on
love and fresh air
the world would be
a beautiful place
but we can't live on
love and fresh air
because the world is not
a beautiful place

Together alone

odd
that the only way
i see myself
being with you
is if you let me
be away
from you
till i figure out
the best possible way
i can
be with you
though
i do understand
the risk i run
of being away
from you
is that
you might not
want to
be with me
when i'm ready
to be
with you
are you with me?

Peace of my mind

i just want to be left alone
so i can think in peace
for a period of time
on how i can have fun
after i have done time

Separation song

a few years of yearning
for a lifetime of loving
a few years of loneliness
for a lifetime of happiness
a few years of quietude
for a lifetime of doing
a test of strength
for the power of true love
here's to the journey
welcome to the trip

SMS

i'll keep it
short and simple
anything more
will take up
too much time
just wanted
to say i'm sorry
and love you
at these rates
a phone call
would be
nothing short
of a crime

Phone call

i'm blond
wearing little
and i'm here
only for you
your call
starts now
and will end
the day you
see me

Love bite

trust me
i want to be
with you
all the time
i just don't know
how to
i just don't know
what to do
what i do know
is life will be
and is
incomplete
without you
i'm not done
much like
i hope
we never
will be

Love in the time of hollera

is it possible
to communicate
without
debating

is it possible
to agree
without
disagreeing

is it possible
to begin
without
ending

is it possible
to be away
without
separating

is it possible
to love
without
fighting

if i knew
the answer
i wouldn't
be writing

Past present

i thought
therefore i was
i think
therefore i'm not
what i wanted to be
only what i've ended up as
a relic of the thinking past
a thougt less present
and an unthinkable future
i think
i wish i didn't
i thought
it's why i've become
what i didn't think
i'd ever be

No entry

i'll pay you the entry fee
and whatever else it takes
to mail it out
you decide
because i can't decide
i won't
because i already have
i'm afraid to
but not that afraid
to let you
enter for me
so i can forget
the number of times
i've been shown the door

No contest

another shot at
writing poetry
yet another contest
a chance to shine
become famous
to get out of the rat race
quit my job
even make some money
be recognised
be happy
and forget
the rejection
it's hard
to forget
the rejection
so let's just forget
the contest

Deja vu

in a world without strangers
why are there no friends?

in a world without boundaries
why are there so many walls?

in a world with so much sex
why is there no love?

in a world without vision
why is there so much to see?

in a world without humanity
why are there so many people?

in a world without strangers
why are there no friends?

in a world without boundaries
why are there so many walls?

in a world with so much sex
why is there no love?

in a world without vision
why is there so much to see?

in a world without humanity
why are there so many people?

Move it

the full stop goes HERE.
HERE is where the sentence starts.
a quick pause HERE for some thought.
Off we go to HERE for a pity diversion.
HERE's space for a breather
from HERE begins a pregnant pause.
which is why nothing goes HERE.
and HERE's the customary 3 dots.
Oops, forgot to put them THERE so HERE goes...
and HERE's where we look to wrap it up
thank you for travelling with me till HERE.

Mirror scrimmage

hey there
how's it going?
and you
how are we doing today?
you don't look so good
what's the matter?
is it him?
the guy next to you
is he bothering you
or is it the chappie behind you?
is he not letting you be?
ignore him
he normally goes away
try not to look at him
he's just craving for attention
see, i told you
he's gone
poof
and so has the other guy
poof
and the other guy
poof
now there's just us
what are we?
that's a tough one
maybe we should ask them
guess we're not us
without them
don't worry
they'll be back
in time
look really hard
and you'll see
we're so many people
and so hard to see
we're we

Why you should marry me

I won't care whether you're fucking around
because everyone does

I won't insist we fuck each other
because nobody fucks me

I won't ask how much you love me
because nobody loves me

I won't be around to embarrass you
because i'm too embarrassed

i won't mind if you forget my birthday
because even i don't care to remember it

i won't spend all our money
because i'll be gone before it is

i won't make a fool of you or lie to you
because everyone does it to me

i will make it a perfect marriage
because every marriage is fucked up

Sad is the new happy

i'm sorry
for a lot of things
i wish i weren't the way i am
that said, i do not want to be
like anyone else
but i am sorry
maybe i'm a schizo
i really don't know what i am
just like i have no idea what poeple are
which is why i stay away from them
not that that makes me happy
nothing does

Expression less

nice.
brief.
powerful.
evocative.
memorable.
vivid.
actually,
vivid more than
anything else
is what i wanted to
say.

Eyes

Don't see
because what you see
is not
what you see

what you see
is what
the world wants you
to see
what you
want to see

see
what you can't see
because what you
can't see
is what you should see

unfortunately
you can't see
what you can't see
you can only see
what you want to see

don't see
it's the only way to
see

see?

Comfortably fucked

People talking boisterously
in a language I cannot understand

Air conditioning turned off
waking me in the middle of the night

Unpleasant smells emenating
from the world around me

A hard floor cushioned
by a sleeping bag to sleep in

Walking in the dark to take a piss
in a loo smaller than the human mind

Hiding from the inquisitive gaze of
people who have nothing better to do

Looking at dirty walls lined with
the unahppiness of past habitation

Cursing yesterday for the hellhole
that the present has deposited us in

Thanking my stars that I'm not in
Beirut, Haifa, Gaza or any place worse

The fucked up places I have to force myself to think of
for a little comfort in this fucked up place

Break up

You showed me your
poem.
I said
Nice.
I'd never be able
to sit myself down and think
like you do.
I always end up writing
something tricky.
must be the time I
have spent playing games
in advertising.
Ah well, some things
are just hard to get out of the
system.

The deadline

10 days to go
Are we ready for it?
When is it going to come?
Will it be worse?
What are we going to do?
Can we cope?

5 days to go
Nobody cares
It's business as usual
More important things to do
No time to focus
It's not going to happen

Today is the day
It's so quintessentially Indian
To leave everything for later
There is no later
Tomorrow will be too late

It's raining
Words
Here's my
Poem
It's time to cower

Tryku

very nice
very bad
i tried a haiku
but couldn't
pull it
off
avi
nash

It takes two to tango

it's hard to write with zest
with a load on your chest

it's impossible to get along
without a bloody good bong

it's pointless to cruise
if you ain't go the blues

it's a bitch to grab some sleep
buried in shit neck deep

it's little more than maya
when hidden behind an abaya

it's not yet a sonnet
just a pesky bee in my bonnet

it was meant to be like noah's ark
guess am just shooting in the dark

Noah's park

the pain of creation
the pleasure in death

the brevity of copy
the extravagance of art

the futility of expression
the satisfaction in silence

the battle to live
the quietude of existence

the beginning in the beginning
the end in the end

the complements in pairs
the differences in pairs

miss management

doing some work, as usual
work shouldn't be work
should it?
if it is
it just doesn't work
work should make you forget
work should take you away
work should elevate you
from yet another shitty day
on this shitty planet
which it isn't
it's a lovely planet
it's all the people
that make it lonely
very
work doesn't keep me going.
it just makes me feel like a goner
miss chennai
miss the freedom of being in chennai
miss the company
miss not having the company
miss the solitude of myself for company
miss having only me to answer to
miss getting away from it all
miss coming home to it all
miss being at home
missed opportunities
that's the story of my life.
until now
which is later
unfortunately
miss you

you

how are you
where are you?
are you
still in india?
still with me
are you?
was wondering
about you
write to me
once in a while
will you.
take care
you.
with love
from me
to you
thank you
from me
to you

what do we do without syd

was he ever with us
did he listen
who did he listen to
can we be any lonelier
why do we live
do we live
what is it to live
it hurts to live
what do we do without syd
was he ever with us
did he listen
are you listening
are we listening
am i there
who am i
am i
who are we
me, me and me
so...
what do we do without syd
are you listening
why are you listening
i'm not speaking
to you
you and
you
i don't care
because i care too much
do i
does he
did he
what do we do without syd
why live
when living is worse than death
why are we afraid of death
we are afraid of living
because
what do we do without syd
we're rogered

Dark brown

Dark eyes
Dark ness
Dark hair
Dark skin
Dark vader
Dark penis
Dark future
Dark holes
Dark dark
I'm in a shitty mood

How to fall in love

Pick a weak moment
Make it lonely
Throw in some insecurity
Worry about the future
Tinge with jealousy
Don't forget to use honey
Pepper with arguments
Pacify with agreement
Load with compromise
Forget about freedom
Tempt with gifts
Temper with patience
Go with the flow
Try not to think
Find a thick skin
Get lost

Dada's dilemma

the sun had set outside. was the sun about to set on his career? it had been a long innings. with the usual share of ups and downs. but his life made for a good story. the tumultuous beginnings. the unusual controversy. the 'maharajah' tag. the baggage that got attached to it. as always, the truth lay somewhere in between. but that wasn't on his mind. he had to decide. he was 35. it was a difficult time. should he put in his papers? wouldn't that be a cop-out? after having fought so hard to hold on. after having courted controversy. the pressure was getting to him. did he need it? hadn't he done enough? you never do enough. there's always something more that needs to be done. someone else who has to be proved wrong. greg had to be shown his place. he couldn't be allowed to get away with this. that mbe! what does he think of himself. this was no time to let go. they'd call him a quitter. not a good way to go after having done all the hard work. just then, the bathroom door opened and naghma walked out, freshly showered. the cricket would have to wait.

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