SOLITARY ENTERPRISE

Someone has made away with
All the glow-worms
I had kept in the barn,
Come along if you can
Or I will go out alone
Into the heart of the dark wild
And pick them alive
To light up my house

© DEEPAK NIKUNJ

TRANSFORMATION

At some point,
We get transformed
Into abstractions only,
When expressions and gestures
Turn into the tailor’s tools
Sizing their consequences like cloths
To match the height of
Our big and small names

© DEEPAK NIKUNJ

IN A WORLD LIKE OURS

In a world like ours,

People often chase

Small dreams

Without disturbing

Each other’s

Zone of comfort,

They feel aloud

Without unhearing

The feelings of others,

Without demanding

A share in

Each other’s hibernation

In a world like ours,

Life is made of

Small things

That can be spelt

Without difficulty,

And big things happen

Only accidentally

Or by chance

In a world like ours,

Change means some people

Starting to believe

That we may need

A stronger god,

More responsible,

More sensitive,

More efficient

Than the one

We have believed in

So far,

And the hope that

Once this belief

Gets realised,

We will no longer require

Any change

To make things better

© DEEPAK DARSHAK

DICHOTOMY OF WAR

In every war

We fight,

Some people are more visible

And some more invisible

Than all others,

The more visible get the gunshot

On their chests, fall

And are never heard of again,

The more invisible plan the war

Before it starts,

Work out the strategies of survival

When it proceeds,

And get immortalised

When the war comes to an end

© DEEPAK NIKUNJ

ROLE PLAY

The dawn is spreading its wings

Over the backyard,

The night is readying to hand over

A fresh bunch of keys

To unlock the unpredictable

From the belly of time

Before thawing into

A volatile memory

© DEEPAK NIKUNJ