The Old Romantic

It is always much fun to meet new people. Gather their stories, their thoughts, their experience. And who would have more experiences to share than the elderly! And contrary to the common belief that these wobbly wrinkly fellows are grumpy rude oldies, I realized for at least the ones I met - they get younger at heart and cheerful to their soul as they close in on eventuality.

One such experience was a recent one. As I waited for my Bangalore flight at the Mumbai airport, another gate change announcement was made. As I reached the new gate, I heard someone talk to me.

"Any idea what the hell is going on" said this little old man standing with crossed legs and one elbow resting on a tall flower pot. One cigar in hand, and he would look more like an old Italian mafia.

I just smiled vaguely, taking off my earphones to be a little respectful.

"Can they decide one gate so these old legs don't have to walk! Are these people lining up for a flight which was just announced as delayed?" he said pointing to a long queue. "Won't they all reach at the same time?" he looked at me, expecting an answer.

"If you think this is bad, wait till flight lands" I said with a chuckle, thinking of the battle of getting off the fight first that awaited me.

"Oh, I don't have to face that any more. I just did a trip from Hong Kong to Bangkok and these places have such long airports. My wife, she is very naive by the way, booked me a wheelchair. No waiting in queues, on to the flight with the first class!

You know what was better? On landing the air hostess asked if I could walk a little. She was so charming that I manned up! 'Of course', I said.

So this beautiful young girl held my hand and put one hand around me to help me walk, while another girl carried my bag. BEST DAY OF MY LIFE!"

There was this sweet and naughty smile on his face, wide as it could be, probably reminiscing the best day of his life.

"I asked her", he continued, "can you help me walk home!"

It was something incredibly funny coming from an 80 year old and he wasn't done.

"I told you my wife is naive, she just didn't see it through! Never would she book a wheelchair for me since I told her this story" he quirked.

"You Sir, are living a life" I said bursting into a laughter.

"It's just one right, gotta live this one. See the world, make people happy, make yourself happy" he said with such definiteness, still smiling, still probably reminiscing the best day of his life.

"Let me ask that one if she'll help me, good talking to you kid" he said as he made his move towards an air hostess.

It is then that I realised, most of us are cognizant of this fact - 'It's just one, gotta live this one'. It is a choice in our hands whether we act upon it now, or close to eventuality.

Choose now.

Paper Plane

My time has stopped, waiting for you

My life is lost, searching for you

My rhyme is broken, like our hearts

My strife is ending, waiting for a fresh start

My love is a paper plane

Riding a breeze of happiness that's you

Torn and crumpled the plane maybe

The heart still flies, for the love that's you

Flying high through the skies

My sight is dark, with a silver line

The wind stands still, and time goes by

Wrecked are the wings, on hope it glides

My love is a paper plane

Riding a breeze of happiness that's you

Torn and crumpled the plane maybe

The heart still flies, for the love that's you

As age goes by, wrinkles my plane

An ordained hope, surfaces your sight

A place to land, to be at ease

A fitting end, to a wishful ride

My love is a paper plane

Rode a breeze of happiness that's you

Torn and crumpled the plane was yes

The heart still flew, for the love that's you

A burning candle of stone

The candle flickers, at the table for two

No one on the earth tonight, except for me, except for you

Your touch so warm, bestowed atone

My heart just melt, a burning candle of stone

It yearned, and longed, waited for you

Now it beats and sings, songs of happiness due

Your seraph smile, my cherub soul

The incomplete, is now whole

Time together doesn't ever seem enough

My hand over yours, a gentle brush

A dream I see, with open eyes

Coalesce into one, two wandering lives

Not dusk to dawn, but life as we know

Rainbows to rain, autumn to snow

Qualms doubts fears, we dispel

Together we make, a story to tell

Buoyant love

Buoyant love

A shining light, glittering hope

Benevolent touch

Healing my turbulent soul

Bridge kaput, two steps to love

I take one

In the torrent rest falls

A foggy night, a distant ship

Lonely at the shore

In the waves a face I see

A burning rage, an amorous heart

Bitter pills

An abysmal fall

A perched bird, wings burned

 Fervent yearn

Oblivious beloved

A dark night, mourning dove

Forlorn thought

My buoyant love

Two steps to love

Sugar and Spice (The way she is)

Rosebud laugh and a childlike heart

Oh yes, and visibly smart

Lips that sync with her flickering eyes

She’s the sugar and she’s the spice

She charms you with her grace

And wins you over with her wit

Test your patience, she does

But hopes you never quit

Only sings when you look away

Loves when in your arms she sways

Mystery like the big blue sea

She showed me the crazy me

She’ll cast her spell

And you wouldn’t even know

Test your patience, she does

Makes you fall so slow

So, I tell her..

Unlock your door

And let me step inside

Skip your weary mind

Just let the heart decide

She breaks hearts with her silence

And mends them with her smile

Test your patience, she does

But makes it all worthwhile

Unlock your heart

Hallucination

 The lips with a beautiful smile

Haven’t chortled, for quite a while

Eyes which had the brightest spark

Faded too soon into the dark

Her concerned words of care

Do now need their fair share

Her blithe merry ballet of joy

Exposed to life’s puzzles and ploy

The zeal of her adolescent heart

Splintered into bits and parts

Fervor of the juvenile soul

Witness to futile control

Her voice that echoed its distant dreams

In agony and anguish it just screams

The mind apostle to buoyant thoughts

Heedless vagrant, is distraught

In awe of her present and her past

Life and love as I passed, I asked

Was I delirious then, or am I now

Restore her past can I, somehow

Judge me, please

Don’t judge me by my past

'cause I don't live there anymore
Don’t judge me for what I do
You don't know my reasons or my chore

And don't judge me, my short love

Because forgetting you, was so long

Don't judge me for how I act

'cause you weren't there, when I cracked

Don't judge, don't say

“If I were you, I’d be brave”

Don't give me, clichés

My burdens you don't weigh

My burdens, my burdens

You don’t weigh my burdens

Step in my shoes, come walk, just once

Yes, these scorched tan tattered ones

And then...

Go ahead and judge me, all my friends

If you don't know me, nobody can

To the shadowy corners of your heart

Silently crawl, go ahead and judge me all

Go ahead and judge this dark song

Give me something to prove you wrong

Go ahead and judge me, thick as thieves

It’s no longer a grief, no longer a grief

100 goodbyes

Staring at the sky, nothing but emptiness

No stars shimmer tonight, in my darkness

This night, forever it seems to last

And I’m here alone, passing my past

I said a hundred goodbyes

But none of them help

All our dreams at one end

And at the other everything else

She can’t see me, no she doesn’t see

How I try, to just let it be

When I dial ten numbers just to keep the phone

And I don’t text her, even when alone

I know how far me she has led

Still I can’t get her out of my head

And I said a hundred goodbyes

But none of them help

All our love at one end

And at the other everything else

Its 5am and I still can’t sleep

‘cause I can’t face her even in my dreams

I ask stupid questions and regret

Every word she ever said echoes in my head

There’s nothing there, just a silhouette

And I keep promising, even that I’ll forget

And I say another hundred goodbyes

No, still none of them help

All my life at one end

And at the other everything else