Posts tagged Poetry

Write a Haiku & Fight Monday Blues

Inklings - Poetry & Prose

I am probably the only person on the planet who welcomes Monday like a million dollar check and I don’t get #MondayBlues (although I am wearing blue today) at all. However today my laptop, more specifically the software that I use on an everyday basis to do my job decided to die out on me and I found myself waiting for my IT guy like a damsel in distress. After much deliberation, a few YouTube tutorials and a scroll down my Twitter plus Instagram feed, I decided to invest my energies in writing a Haiku. Now this may be my first attempt at penning down a Haiku (俳句) but I’d like to point out that I am very confident and ready to hit it hard!

So here goes nothing…

So first let’s come up with a theme…

Hmmmmm….

What do I like? Work. Family. The Art of Reading. Books. Workplace talks. FinTech. eCommerce. Blockchain Technology. Work-wear. Handbags. Feminism. Minimalism. Less Waste Lifestyle. Travel. Words. Hallmark Movies. Girl Boss Moments. Autumn. Murder Mysteries. (Wait did I just enlist my blog categories?)

(Note to Self: Pick one already!)

Okay, so I am going go with “Autumn” as my favorite season of the year is around the corner.

Coffee, cashmere, words
my perfect September night
plus the love denied

What do you think? No bad for my first try. I am telling the entire world about my beautiful creation!

Well until next time. I hope you are having a great day and wish you a wonderful week ahead.

Love,
Ifrah!

 

#WORDPORN – The Voice in your Head

Inklings - Poetry & Prose Love & Relationships

Did I get too close?
Was the love unbearable?
Did I cross a line?
Or you weren’t expecting to actually like me?
You held my hand and told me you loved me,
And we were doing so good.
I suppose the voice inside your head
Told you to run.

Don’t even throw the C word at me,
You felt comfortable
Outside the bed,
Did that scare you?
May be that was your cue.
How could it be
After she walked all over your heart
You weren’t going to let someone else,
Dictate your emotions.
And I was a chapter
You didn’t plan to pen.
Your friends told you
I wasn’t pretty enough
And too old for your conquests.

What happened?
Did I get too close?
Was the bond getting too much?
I’ve another C word,
How about we use Calibre instead?
How does that make you feel?
Pretty much the same
As I did when you used the
Compatibility card.

Was my voice
Starting to feel like
Music to your soul?
Were the sun flares getting too hot to handle?
Or was it just the warmth of my hands
Against that cold, cold voice in your head?
Or the prerequisites set by your circle?
From time to time,
And I’ve seen it before,
But continues to awe,
That mercenary move
Rendering me clueless, breathless.
With nothing good to say,
No reason good enough,
To make you stay.
And you really wouldn’t like it here anyway
Prescience holds true
So do the beliefs you grew up with
And that voice in your head,
Or just the friends that consume you
A little more with each passing day.

Love Is.

Inklings - Poetry & Prose Love & Relationships

Do you believe in love at first sight?

 
For as long as I can remember, I’ve done so with all my heart. Granted expecting violins and saxophones was something I knew was never going to happen. But somewhere deep down hoped the skies would clear out, birds will chirp and there will definitely be a breeze of sorts. 
 
I was pleasantly proven wrong.
 
Do you believe in soulmates?
 
Hell to the yeah. I mean when you grow up shipping Mondler (Monica + Chandler) how can you not? See what I did there?
 
I know. I know. I was sadly mistaken.
 
I hold no authority on dictating what love is but having spent 3 decades on Earth, I can certainly differentiate between love and something-like-love.
 
No matter how much we love to detest Edward’s sparkly skin, we all have wished for a love that stops time. We all crave for a moment when time stands still and the beauty of love shines through every space of our existence. Somehow all that – just does not exist! And for all the right reasons…
 
We yearn for chemistry.
 
We wish for harmony.
 
We pray for physics, biology and sometimes mathematics too. But have ever hoped for nothingness?
 
Our predefined quotients of love and relationships have led us nowhere but to a pool of arguments, fights and breaking points. I am not at all in any way suggesting that a more compatible human being is in any way less suitable match for you but books, movies and writers like yours truly have set human experience expectations. Like running a call centre and setting customer experience expectations is our number one priority.
 
How much he makes?
 
How good she is at going down?
 
Will he be a good father?
 
Will she get along with my mom?
 
Is he reliable?
 
Is she the faithful kind?
 
So many brackets, so many prerequisites and no manual! I mean, let’s not be skeptic, all of this is important, after all we are planning (or at least hoping to) to spend an entire lifetime together so a small checklist isn’t all bad. But nowhere do we find a manual to get to a conclusion. I mean, did anyone define a baseline for LOVE? (If you are reading this and you work at my office, I know what you are thinking, this is a feeling Ifrah – not a process that you can analyse and set during a quality management meeting). This might sound crazy but aren’t we all doing the same? Critically scrutinising every relationship in our lives and expecting a few baselines to be met?
 
And yes, I was one of them. Showing no flexibility, I had preconceived notions about love, friendship, loyalty, fidelity and all. And in doing so, I focused more on meeting the parameters then living the relationship itself. I understand that overnight, all cannot go away. But along the way, I’ve learned to deviate and be happy. I grew up thinking meeting someone by accident and falling in love at the very spot is romantic, I failed to take into account the laws of attractions (I suck at math). I looked up to Mondler thinking how can two people be this perfect for each other? I failed to navigate the thin line between just perfect and almost perfect. In real life there are no soulmates only people who are in it for the long run. In real life there are no goals and objectives only the desire to be together. 
 
What we fail to realise is that the struggles, the compromises and the many nights of wonderment is what truly makes a relationship last. Sometimes, two people have to work at it to make it work and some lucky ones don’t have to work at all. Some of us get lucky, and I am happy for you but others need to put in an effort.
 
This very effort makes a relationship look like work and I hate this kind of work. There came a point in my life where I refused to produce any kind of effort, initiative or even blink to ensure it kept running. This happens when everything becomes one sided, whether we like to admit it or not but you need more than a single cog to keep the heart running. So, does this tell us that sustaining a healthy relationship is a two-way street? Right on! And that’s why the #OTPs on the Telly make it look so damn good. But predetermining every single thing takes the real fun out of it all!
 
A few habits, perhaps the lifestyle or two completely opposite philosophies to life are truly deal-breakers. But we need to look beyond those and give the other person a chance to compensate otherwise. Am I making it sound like a transaction? That’s precisely what a love is. An exchange of respect, trust and care, and the only place where I totally support and encourage interest!
 
Bend a little, believe me he’d appreciate it (in and out of bed).
 
A relationship is only beautiful when it wears and tears with time. Allow yourself to evolve. You do love your iPhone7 don’t you? Imagine carrying a 1.1 Kg mobile phone from 1973 in your clutch from CHANEL?
 
The preconceived bubble is a comfortable to place to walk but eventually you need an old, mouldy, spring mattress to settle down. Love works in mysterious ways, allow yourself to be surprised and even fooled at times. Only then you will be able to truly embrace love in its totality. It’s easier said than done but taking a chance only helps you grow as an individual. Why enter a relationship with expectations? Allow him/her to come to a point where taking a stand comes from the heart not from the circumstances. I understand that many of us face the fear of uncertainty, and not everyone enjoys the luxury of time and space but I also believe that good things come to those who uphold faith. All these words make love look like a scripture to be followed but it is exactly the opposite. In spite of the encumbrances of family, religion, culture and peers, only the two individuals involved can truly understand the dynamics of a relationship. 

Playing safe won’t get you much. True love is all about contradictions and yet somehow striking a balance. True love is about finding the least compatible person on Earth and smiling every time he/she walks into the room. True love never comes easy, it has its own unique set of obstacles and challenges. Knowing you are totally screwed and looking forward to the goddamn trial is what makes it worth it!   

Instead of focusing on ensuring a tomorrow, focus on today. What you choose to do today, defines your tomorrow. I know it scares the fuck out of you thinking it might not work in the end but just for a second imagine – what if it does? A healthy relationship does not just happen, its takes time, patience and two individuals at it like mad (again in and out of bed)! True love is not intoxication. It is a deliberate choice, a decision that knockouts every single belief you ever had about relationships. 

Break free from the norms set for relationships by others. No two love stories are the same. And no two people are the same. Those partisan notions of love might give you a wedding but not a marriage. They might bring you commitment but never a relationship.
 
And the choice ultimately lies with you…would you rather opt for a commitment or a relationship?
 
Love is not about sharing the same toothbrush.
It is about sharing everything else!
Love is not about insisting to pay first.
It is about keeping a track of whose turn it is.
Love is not about ordering what he likes.
It is about making fun of her garden salad.
Love is not about sharing a hobby.
It is about experiencing life in time away.
Love is not about finding the sweet spot.
It is about discovering the worst lava cake in town.
Love is not about the perfect anniversary present.
It is about the random love notes he leaves on your desk. 
Love is not about knowing every single thing about him.
It is about knowing just how many hours it takes her to finish a murder mystery.
Love is not about that perfect first kiss.

It is about those habitual pecks on the cheek.

Love is not about falling asleep together.

It is about that java run in the morning.
Love is not about a perfectly tabulated family planning chart.
It is about those monthly freak-out sessions by the toilet seat. 
Love is not about risking it all. 
It is about knowing when to raise the stakes and when to step back.  

Love is not about being whole together.
It is about two complete individuals coming together.

“Awaken”

Inklings - Poetry & Prose


Begging again and pleading
for the end
Allowing my past to repeat
once again
Final conclusion
Awakens my terror
As thoughts seem to drown me
with my fatal error
What’s behind is forsaken
What’s ahead always pure
I’m able to change it
This hell I endure
Enveloped with despair
I call upon the light
That guides me through
Hopelessness, visions of fright
I’ll conjure this warmth
from within
And allow it to dissipate
all of my sins
I considered myself broken
Unable to repair
But felt this new presence
The realisation of hope for the things
that I have
For disregarding my life
I would make others sad
Instead I should take what I’ve learned
I could bear
And be a measure of endurance
that others could share
Death no longer frightens my soul during the night
for I feel the Almighty with me
to guide through His sight
Weather in this life or the other side
I know these things true
I’ve softened my heart
And let God pass on through.

My February City

Inklings - Poetry & Prose

An illusion is all it takes for my city to fall in love…
A misty morning can blind our senses…
And send us in an unnecessary oblivion.
How the first morning of February…
Presented itself with treasures of a new beginning…
How the month of love gave us new hope…
How the chilly air curled our toes…
And how it promised a breezy day to the residents of a tormented city.
I too fell prey to this phantasm and found myself lured into its inviting whispers…
Soon I felt taken by its hands into a place beyond dark desires…
And lost connection to real life.
They say nothing lasts forever…
And as much as we wanted to exist in this fairytale…
Our happily ever after was not meant to be.
Alas! We were left with a bright, blazing ball of fire up above us…
And had been buzzed back to the truth that is this city.
A city where human life is not accountable..
A city where surviving each day is a game of luck…
A city in need of a saviour…
A city where a few drops of heaven become an excuse to tweet…
A city I call home…
A city I call, my home.

“…Selfless Presence…”

Inklings - Poetry & Prose

The sky is steel grey…
The sun has decided to take a holiday…
And birds chirrup loudly from the shaded mires.
A morning…
No different from the rest…
New York Times Square…
Certainly knows how to entertain winters.
Lively creatures…
Walk up and down the streets…
Each engaged in their own frivolities.
Running through the day…
Desperately trying to fill each minute…
With things yet to appear.
He is standing on one side of the road…
A man probably in his late twenties…
Waiting for the signal to go red…
Wearing his black pull over…
And a laptop bag on his right shoulder.
From the looks of a double espresso in his left hand…
Seems like he is on his way…
To another important meeting…
And
From the looks of his eyes…
It seems he has not been getting much sleep.
On the other side…
Another group of hasty pedestrians…
Linger to make their way to the other side.
Wait
What is this…?
A slender female in her early twenties…
Fidgeting amongst the rest…
She is most likely to be running late for work…
With the pile of files cramping her arm…
Looks like she is trying to make a mark…
In a world…
Ruled by chauvinistic men.
She tries to balance a latte in her hands…
While trying to keep warm…
Beneath her grey convertible collar trench.
And
From the looks of her dry patchy skin…
It seems she has not been taking much care of herself.
As the traffic signal…
Shifts from an emerald…
To a scarlet…
She takes her first step down the pavement…
He too unaware of the world around him…
Decides to mess with fate.
As her feet touches the first white stripe…
She raises her gloomy eyes…
And bringing on vindication…
His eyes meet hers…
The heart pounds…
But needs no retaliation.
She does not understand…
A self restoration takes place.
He finds him coerced towards her pale face…
A sudden disclosure of repose…
And a strange tenderness appears in the pupils.
As steps grow closer…
A faint smile starts to take shape…
His eyes speak of a betrayal beyond conception…
Her eyes narrate a story of trials and tears.
He feels no obligation…
To meet her expectations…
She assures with an unspoken declaration
Converting regulations…
Into friendly stipulations…!
She has a look that catches the eye…
But an aura that catches the heart…
His smile grows…!
He knows it is hard to reinstate faith…
But he is firm and resolute in his path.
Her cheeks fill up with color.
Half way between the roads
Their souls…
Intercept…
The air turns sultry…
The aroma of her hair…
Drenched in apples…
Sends a shiver down his spine…
His fantasies awaken.
Feelings of past emerge.
His deep dark eyes mystify her.
For a moment…
He could actually hear her heart ache with loneliness…
The accidental brisk of his arm against hers…
Caused the world to cease…
He had managed to give her an embrace of a lifetime…
With one single touch.
She wants to utter a million unsaid dreams…
And he understands each n every word.
He remembers how wonderful…
It was to live without boundaries.
She now remembers how cathartic…
It was to blush and feel beautiful.
As soon as they pass each other…
The world comes to life again…
Life does not stop for a mere theatrical debut.
They continue to take their steps forward…
She turns back and catches his gaze once again.
He whispers…
I’ve never felt so much familiarity…
By just staring into someone’s eyes…
So much I know about you without a single word…
Ever escaping either of our lips.
You have read me a like an open book…
And given me hope to write a brand new chapter.
She has learned to smile again…
And talk her heart out…
I do not understand…
How is it possible…?
In a matter of moments…
You have managed to heal my wounds…
In spangled silence…
You have given me a perfect moment of intimacy.
You’ve made me believe in kindness, loyalty and care once again.
“You have to put yourself first and learn to trust again”, he articulates.
“You have to let go of your past and give love a second chance”, she whispers back.
Now here we are…
Ready to depart our separate ways…
Beginning a brand new existence…
No one told us…
We were going to find each other…
Unexpected…
What you did to my heart…
When I lost hope…
You walked in…
Like a guardian angel…
Joint by an innocent touch…
We now feel free and ready to take on life.
As they step onto the concrete…
The sun peaks from behind the clouds…
His cell phone rings…
It’s his client, he loved his designs.
Her colleague waives to her…
Praises her dress and they walk away.
A selfless presence…
Can shower a decade of love and understanding…
Leaving behind only…
Memories that will stimulate smiles…
Till the end of time…!

“I still believe…”

Inklings - Poetry & Prose 4 Comments

A few pictures rest among the pages of my diary…
A used tissue paper still reeks of you…
An old toffee wrapper still smells sweets…
And the city is still alive at 3:15 AM in the morning.
The waves still rise above the shore…
I still cannot reach into the sky and hold a star…
People still believe in stories of love and destiny…
And I still find myself telling sweet lies.
The wind still blows against my pale cheeks…
Dreams still find a way back to me…
A few songs are still hard to listen to…
And I still believe this was all meant to be.
I still weep at night under the sheets…
The wall beside my dresser still illustrates the crack…
The black tee still bears the coffee stain…
And I still cannot find my pink charm bracelet.
This bed still hides a few secrets untold…
This cell phone still holds a few calls unanswered…
This library still conceals your letters…
And I still sometimes see you near my bed post.
A few words are still hard to say…
A few feelings are still hard to express…
A few dreams are still hard to let go off…
And a few hugs are still irreplaceable.
I still believe in strangers becoming best of friends…
I still believe my words make you shudder…
I still believe I’ve what it takes to bring you back…
And I still believe in YOU…!!!

“NEW MOON”

Inklings - Poetry & Prose

The Night of 14th December…

The corniche…

The car bonnet…

The stars…

The new moon…

Two cans of coke…

And

Two Best Friends…!

God! That was fun…

I know, can’t believe we actually did it.

Did you look at the green sari aunty…?

She could not stop staring…!

Yeah and that guy with the purple shirt…

He was practically panting…!

Really, everyone was like this is not possible…

They did not know what hit them…!

Well, you have to accept…

We do make a pretty good team.

I agree…!

They both were lying down…

Facing the stars…

Celebrating their victory…

It was pretty hard…

But nearly as impossible…!

Together, they could conquer anything…

And be the envy of the entire gathering…!

You tired…

He turned and asked her…

A bit but I’m too excited to feel any of it…

What about you?

Yup the same…!

He turned to her again…

You want something to eat…?

Not hungry…what is got into you…you never bother to ask me these things…?

Well, I guess…just trying to develop a habit…!

She laughed…

Don’t, I like the you…just the way you are…!

He smiled back.

She turned her head towards him…

He was looking back at her…

What are you staring at…?

Nothing, just trying to figure out something…!

She gave him the ignore look and looked up the sky…

The moon is full and shinning at its peak…

We sure picked the perfect date to carry out our performance…!

He took her hand…

She turned towards him…

He filled his fingers with his…

And pulled her hands towards his chest…!

You know whats the best thing about all of this…

What she inquired with hopeful eyes…

That at the end of it all…

I get to hold your Heena Hands…

And feel your Red Glass Bangles…!

Her cheeks flushed…

And her gaze lowered with love…!

The Crimson Red and Betel Green dress took a new turn…

The Kohl smudged…

The Earring caught in the Embroidery…

The Anklet made a heart-melting echo…

The Bangles found a support to lie down…

And the…

Bride and the Groom…share their First Kiss…!

Under the stars…

Tonight…

Whispered… “WE DID IT” =)

Sign Of True Love…Or Total Insanity…!

Inklings - Poetry & Prose 2 Comments

What the hell is this?
Crap…!
Are you of your mind?
I swear…I don’ know anything about this.
What do you mean…?
This came out of your bad…!
I have no idea, where this came from…
I promise you, this is not mine.
Don’t you dare lie to me…!
You expect me to believe you…!
So this was your important work last night.
I cannot believe, you lied to me…!
Just let me explain…
You are misunderstanding me.
No, now I can see it clear…
How can you hurt someone you love…?
This only shows you don’t love me…
How could I be so naive…?
I let my heart get the best of me…!
Will you just relax…
And stop jumping onto conclusions…
When I told you, I needed you…
I was missing your hugs…
You said…
You can’t make it…
Now I know, what was keeping you busy…!
Sweetheart, please it’s not what you think…
I love you very much…
I would never even think of hurting you..
Liar…!
Here I’m thinking of you…
And there you were smacking lips with…
Honey, don’t say that…!
Trust me…
Do you actually I can be ever un-faithful to you?
I don’t know anything now…
Just go away…
Honey, please don’t do this…
I said, just go away…!
I need some time alone…
Please just go away…
He quietly walked out…
He knew…
It was pointless talking to her right now…
Back in the room…
She threw the one thing that started all this…
Out the window
It was a wrapper
Of…
BEN & JERRY’S CHUNKY MONKEY ICE CREAM….!!! =P

A SUBTLE DRAMA….!

Inklings - Poetry & Prose 6 Comments

It was a timeless image…
A Chanel black silk halter…
Long evening gown…
A plunging V neckline…
A pleated surplice bodice…
A velvet trim resting at the waist…
Understanding the curves…
And a seductive cross back…
A pair of Givenchy black stiletto with peeping toes
A pair of tear – dropped diamond earrings…
And the most perfect set of soft black curls…
Complimenting her smoky eyes…
Just the perfect touch to a subtle drama…!
All of this was…
Nothing why he moved towards her…
It was the middle of a September Night…
Paris was all lit up…as always.
Everywhere you turn…
You could see people living life…
To the fullest…!
And there she was standing under the fountain…
Drenched from head to toe…
The curls were lost completely…
The kohl was trickling down her cheeks…
Creating a trail of terror…
The diamond earrings glistened under the moonlight…
She was shivering with the cold n fear…
He was passing waiting in the parking lot…
For his date…
Who was unusually late tonight…
They were to attend a corporate dinner tonight…
Perhaps it was just Destiny up to its tricks again…!
She caught his attention out-of-the-blue…
And he got struck…!
She was weeping…
Whimpering in hush tones…
On such a busy street…
How could no one notice…?
A girl in a gown soaking wet under the fountain?
He looked here and there…
To assure himself…
That he was not hallucinating…
This girl was for real…
He started walking towards her…
Keeping telling himself…
That she might just a figment of his imagination…
She was the most astounding living creature…
He ever had laid eyes upon…
So fragile…
Yet standing firm…
Her eyes were brimming…
Yet knew what she desired…!
He approached her…
With a strange gut feeling…
She stood trembling…
Ma’am are you okay…?
She did not utter a single word.
Something I can help you with…?
She was constantly starring…
At something…
He looked down to find an answer…
He could not see anything…
No object…
No living being…
He looked up again…
Are you looking for something…?
She stood gaping at the ground…
He reached out to her shoulder…
But withdrew back…
He knew something was terribly wrong…
He tried to talk to her but in vain…
With a hope of finding something…
He looked down again…
And in the midst of the splashes…
He saw something…
A thin red line…
Moving back n forth with the water…
His eyes exploded…
When he trailed the line back to her feet…
Blood…!!!
It was then when her belly caught his attention…
We have to get you to a hospital…
Now….!!!
She did not budge…
He grabbed hold of her hand…
And took her in his arms…
And carried her off to his car…
She remained mumbling…
He took her to nearest emergency room…
The meds put her on a stretcher…
And pulled her away…
Right then…
She gathered…
What was left of her strength…
Trying to breathe…
Half conscious…
Bleeding to death…
And tried to hold onto the end of his dinner jacket…
He tried to take her hands…
And the meds carried her away…
Right there…
In that moment…
A universe…
Detonated…
This woman…
A complete stranger to him…
And in less than 30 seconds…
She managed to change…
His entire life course…
15 minutes later…
He was called inside the doctor’s office…
Please have a seat…
Is he okay…?
Are you the father…?
No.
Are you a relative…?
No.
I’m the husband…!
Your wife is fine…
But we are very sorry…
We could not save your child.
Is she going to be alright…?
Yes, weakness and trauma…
Will surround for a while…
But she is going to be fine.
When can I take her home…?
In the morning.
Can I see her now…?
Yes, of course you can…
Right now…
She needs you the most…
He walked inside the room…
With a bunch of Yellow Roses…
She was lying still…looking out the window…
Upon his entrance…
She turned at him…
She hardly remembered anything…
The doctor entered…
You are one lucky lady Mrs. Adam
Your husband was only concerned about you.
She looked puzzled…
And then she looked at him…!
The doctor left…
She tried to get up…
He went closer to her bed and asked her to lie down.
He put the flowers on her bedside…
And sat down right beside her…
Do I know you…?
No.
Then why all this?
He gave a faint smile…
And took out a piece paper from his pocket…
Handling it to her…
This is why…
She knew what the paper contained…
Her eyes…
Already swollen…
Filled up with tears…
She took the piece of paper…
Close to hear heart…
And started crying out loud like a little child…!
There was instant desire to comfort her…
But he knew he had to resist…
But he could not stand see her torture herself like this…
He got and started to walk away…
Just then…
An arm reached out…
Gripping the end of his Armani jacket…
He turned around…
Saw her exhausted…
With pain…
And embraced her…
She cried in his arms…
And he kept rocking her like a baby…
Nestled against his chest…!
The next morning…
He carried her off to the car…in his arms…!
THE PIECE OF PAPER – “Get Rid Of That Thing…Bitch”.