Night

It was the time when the eyes failed
as little stars were all that hailed.
Without the moon in the sky soon
darkness was the one which prevailed.

I sat there by the window
in that moonless sleepless night
and heard birds chirping
a sound which is ignored by the light

I thought how people disregard
this beautiful sound by the radiance
Don’t the birds chirp all day
or we just have no time to lay

A wonder it is how we overlook something infront of us
to think of things far ahead
living in the present was a thing of the past
Future-thinking, that’s our new cast

The wonderful chirping was disturbed
by the sudden bark of the hound
He sat there watching his shadow
maybe he didn’t like the sound.

Whatever it was I saw him at once,
he was sitting there like a sculpture
But then suddenly he ran off
behind a car, prey for a vulture

He followed it far and then finally stopped
And then barked for a long time
And it was that time when I remembered
Of a question, long back heard

“Will the dog ever catch a car?”
I laughed at the questioner and replied,
“The question is not whether he’ll catch one
The question is what’ll he do if he does.”

In life we always run
Behind things futile
Without ever stopping once to reflect
What’ll be the resile

We run behind materialism all our life
Without thinking once why we do it
It is for inner peace one would say
but I ask does inner peace come from outside?

Then something else makes me laugh
Are we living a life same as the dog?
Maybe that’s why it is as sleepless as me
But I am shackled and he is free.

Another faint noise gets my attention
This time it is a man I guess
He’s shouting at someone is my deduction
Hearing the intensity and pitch of the blare

Maybe it’s a father scolding his drunk son
Or a man beating the woman he married
Or maybe just a man taking out frustration he brought along
From a hard day at work

Whatever it is it reminds me
Of the swift society we boast
Where feeling are a thing of the past
And anger is the thing we live with most

But I see now rays of hope
Now coming across this eternal sky
And it is a beautiful sight
Where the day mixes with the night

Slowly contaminating the darkness
which suppressed it for so long
Proving that darkness is just an illusion
Soon to be shown by the light

And a beautiful picture it was
When the sky changed colors
But now it will take away just
The peace and quiet
Of the night

Princess

It was the darkest hour of the night
And I was lonely as lonely can be
Nowhere to go no place to stay
Nothing to do no ground to lay
No sky to see no heart to feel
No need to live no purpose to be.

Just then I heard a chuckle,
‘Whose there?’ I called
Another chuckle came a response
Ignoring my call at all.
But then the world glew up
and showed me my lovely companion
It was a sight and it was bright
And between us, there was none.

I saw two jewels, carefully carved in beautiful caves
Above the caves were splendid birds,
The jewels moved beneath them with pace.
The black birds tried to close the caves
but the jewels came in their way
then I realized what those jewels were
they were the most beautiful eyes I’d seen in my life

And there was the song of the cuckoo
A sound so soothing to the ears
I wanted to listen to it for eternity
I wanted time to stop at that moment
So I could hear the voice forever
I was when I looked I realized
That the cuckoo’s hum was her song
And that too with the smile
that can make you want to see it forever

I wanted that smile to make nest
on those small ruby lips
I wanted to see it for eternity
And I cursed god for only two eyes
As it was too less to enjoy her beauty

I hid myself behind a bush
So that the princess would not spot me and stop her song
But I was too late you see
For by then she was already walking towards me
She came to me and asked me
why the night had come to me
I was unable to speak, overcome by her beauty
She asked again and I had to reply
‘I have no home’ I said to her
‘No place no one would like me in their hearts
No one I would like in my soul’
She laughed and I remembered
The chuckle which started it
It was the same but now more
As it had beauty till the core.

‘Who are you?’ I asked
She said nothing, nothing at all
She took my hand and asked to follow
I did so I did it at her hollo
We walked the empty streets together
But that was not my lookout
I felt her hand in mine
And felt the warmth in my mind

Never was such a pleasure
never such a feeling at all
never I felt this way before
never in my dreams I could hope for this
Her hand was like everything to me
her presence made me free
Her touch was so gentle her walk so calm
I feared my hand too harsh for my little angel’s arm
seldom I would look into those deep black eyes
and seldom check if the smile was still.

But nothing changed in that expression
only the charm grew and grew
she looked more beautiful with every passing moment
with that eternal smile,
that night-like hair
that charming face
those humble, magnificent, deep, black eyes.
She gave me a place in her heart
But I did not want that now
I just wanted to sit infront of her
and look at those silver eyes
and silence would sit between us
strengthening the bond as time passes
then she, would go to sleep
and I would see her
eyes close though but the smile still there
‘What are you looking at?’ she asked suddenly,
‘Nothing’ I lied, coming out of my dream
The smile was almost going to vanish, I felt,
but it had its position, though it flickered a bit.

And then thunder struck, the sky was filled with clouds
Hail and lightning everywhere, as the heavens had a war
She drew herself close to me
But I went back too, away from her
I dunno why I did it, I regret it still
But I had her presence and it was good.

There was a knock on the door,
I wondered who came at this time
She opened the door and encountered
demons on each of her side
They threatened her and jeered
They mocked her and cheered
And it was then I noticed
those deep eyes were filled with tears,
that smile had turned into a fright
her face showed terror, the lips trembled
she gave me a look of fear, I did not like it did not like it at all
I dunno what came to me but I stood up
stood to challenge the three devils and took on them at once
It was as ugly as could get,
I was helpless against the three
They were over me, ready to finish it
and in that painful fearful moment,
I looked at her
Her eyes were wet
and body shaking
She prayed to God for something
and looked at me with helpless, expecting, wet eyes.

I could not stand it
and there was a miracle
within seconds the devils ran for their lives
the power of love had shown its strength
She ran to me and I took her in my arms
and it was the most wonderful moment of my life
I looked at her and she looked at meand we broke apart, though unwillingly
We didn’t say anything, that was the biggest fault
the greatest malaid the most painful memory
I could’ve told her my heart’s will
but silence and fear were stronger than me
I feared I may loose her, feared the world
But the world would not share this pain
and as I didn’t tell her, I lost her forever.

Today I have come along a long path
along the road of life
I cannot turn back to the point
where we separated
maybe she’s not even waiting for me
But something tells me that she is
but I still cannot go back.
I left no footprints on the desert of life
but I know the way to my destination
and I know that she’s waiting there
and when she’ll see me she’ll run back to me
come again and embrace me again
and then I would not let her goand then taking her hand,
we would walk together
on the road to go.
We will have one path and one goal
but right now I have to travel alone
To get her to go back to her
To see her again
I must and I shall
and the world shall see the power of love
my love for her and her for me
But now I see the moon
and I hope she’s seeing it too
I see her face in the moon for a moment
and it goes I make it go
I cant see her, along with those craters
cant believe her to wane
cant imagine her to look so dull
cant imagine her so far from me.

So I turn to the eternal sky
and it says that it’s a patron of love
it says it will take care of her in my absence
and it will force the wind to take my messages to her
it will always protect her
and under his fatherly nourishment
those eyes will shine brighter
that that smile will flourish
The sky says it will take care of her
But I won’t give it much chance
Soon I will be back to take care of her
I will be able she will come
I know she’s there
I know she’s waiting
May demons try, may thunder strike
may night fall, may sun blaze
but I know, I know that
I will go back to my princess.
I will go back.
I am on the way right now
The way is of fire
with pots and pans at every few inches
her love is stronger than these obstacles
For her love I will face it
and go to her and say ‘I’m here’
And her face shall brighten up
But I’ve got to run now
with only her memory
Memory, which gives me strength
to walk along this thorny path
At the end of which lies my golden treasure
And will be happy, ever after.

-Vishal Gupta

SCHOOLDAYS

They! They are gone now
But sometimes you just ask how?
They, they will not come back now
But sometimes you just ask how?

Just when you learn that this place is your’s
It’s the time when it gets morose
You have to leave it, why at all?
You have to forget it, how at all?

You look back at those cherished moments
And ask yourself, could anything be better?
No answer comes, no reply at all,
So you know, you’ve lived it all

You sway back, and remember your friends
So many of them, yet so less
You remember the boundless energy of friendship
You remember sacrifices and faults and guilts.

You find something, deep in your heart’s core,
The special one still confined there, more than before,
You remember her, and you laugh,
Then in emotions, drift.

You remember this building,
enough to cherish your thoughts
the secret hide-outs, canteen and class
These are the thoughts which forever last.

Where did the fear from the Princi go?
You used to tremble by his mere name
Don’t you fear him anymore,
have you lost the pain?

The teachers, its hard to forget them,
Some rude, some kind, some hard, they were of all kinds
But all were special you realize now,
And think of meeting them, then and now

You were a kid, you giggled and laughed
You played and cried and ran and fought
And wreck and shouted, the list goes on
But you knew you could do whatever you want

I repeat my question, where did the golden days go?
No they didn’t go anywhere, they are still within you
You carry them, each moment each place,
Everywhere, anytime,
They are your foundation, they made you
Return the favor and make them proud
Other than nostalgia that’s the least you can do.

Slow Dance

This is an e-mail which came to me a few years ago. This is a poem written by a teenager with cancer. She wants to see how many people get her poem. It is quite a poem. The e-mail said to pass it on. I did. I would ask you to do the same. It is the request of a special girl who has left the world. As her dying wish, she wanted to send a letter telling everyone to live their lives to the fullest, since she never will. She'll never make it to prom, graduate from high school, or get married and have a family of her own. PLEASE PASS ON AS A LAST REQUEST. It will only take a few seconds of your life.

Slow Dance

Have you ever watched kids
On a merry-go-round?
Or listened to the rain
Slapping on the ground?
Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight?
Or gazed at the sun into the fading night?
You better slow down.
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won't last.

Do you run through each day
On the fly?
When you ask How are you?
Do you hear the reply?
When the day is done!
Do you lie in your bed
With the next hundred chores
Running through your head?
You'd better slow down
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won't last.

Ever told your child,
We'll do it tomorrow?
And in your haste,
Not see his sorrow?
Ever lost touch,
Let a good friendship die
Cause you never had time
To call and say,"Hi"
You'd better slow down.
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won't last.

When you run so fast to get somewhere
You miss half the fun of getting there.
When you worry and hurry through your day,
It is like an unopened gift....
Thrown away.
Life is not a race.
Do take it slower
Hear the music
Before the song is over.

HOPE

(1)

Oh human! Oh human, why dost thou look so low?
Tell me thy pain and let me revive
thee from thy troublesome sorrow.
I ask thee this as you love me
more than thee can yourself
Me promises I'll kill it, or atleast stop it grow.

Thee can't help me, being a cause of this pain,
For oh my beloved love,
I am in morose, as thy could not me gain
I loved thee thus and more and more
but feared thou to tell
And now thy memories in my soul, put me in strain.

(2)

Oh human! Oh human, what spirits plague thee thus?'
Tell me for its happiness itself!
To take thee away from this curse.
Come on, thee can tell me
I will into thy heart
You know thee must tell me, as I came to thee before love.

I cant tell, forgive me gay
as I consider thy a foe
Its 'cause thee very sadly here, me lay.
In your obsession I forgot
Of friends and work and failture
And now when I've fallen, I've no power to stay.

(3)

Oh human! Oh human, tell me the cause of thy woe
as I have the power to change anything
I can make away all your distress go,
I'm time the immortal, the most powerful and strong.
Sweet though in sadness but fierce in war.
Tell me thee misery, and thy boat me shal't row.

Time my dear, please don't talk thee thus
You know you've changed my life
and left it in enigma to rust!
Thee happen to be most cruel to talk like this to me.
You ruined my life and changed everything
and now say you shal't make it just!

(4)

Oh human! Oh human, I come not to steal away thy heart.
To tell thou that I shal't relieve thee.
To give thee reliance that'll burst.
I merely say that live your destiny
and spring shall follow autumn,
and this note in thy heart, thee should place must.

I love thee hope for thee have reclaimed me
You came like the breeze that comes in spring
And again set me free.
I shall give thee, a place in my heart
for nor dim nor red nor god's own head
Could've maken this me see.

-Vishal Gupta

One that's close to my heart. I consider it as one of my best. Brings back hope and nostalgia

A few poems

These are not mine but these are a few poems very close to my heart. I hope these have the same effect on you as they had on me.

The Miller of the Dee

There dwelt a miller, hale and bold,
Beside the river Dee;
He worked and sang from morn till night,
No lark more blithe than he;
And this the burden of his song
Forever used to be:
"I envy nobody - no, not I -
And nobody envies me!"
"Thou'rt wrong, my friend," said good King Hal,
"As wrong as wrong can be;
For could my heart be light as thine,
I'd gladly change with thee.
And tell me now, what makes thee sing,
With voice so loud and free,
While I am sad, though I am king,
Beside the river Dee?"
The miller smiled and doffed his cap,
"I earn my bread," quoth he;
"I love my wife, I love my friend,
I love my children three;
I owe no penny I can not pay,
I thank the River Dee,
That turns the mill that grinds the corn
That feeds my babes and me."
"Good friend," said Hal, and sighed the while,
"Farewell, and happy be;
But say no more, if thou'dst be true,
That no one envies thee;
Thy mealy cap is worth my crown,
Thy mill my kingdom's fee;
Such men as thou are England's boast,
O miller of the Dee!

Stopping By The Woods On A Snowy Evening

Whose woods these are I think I know.

His house is in the village though;

He will not see me stopping here

To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer

To stop without a farmhouse near

Between the woods and frozen lake

The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake

To ask if there is some mistake.

The only other sound's the sweep

Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep.

But I have promises to keep,

And miles to go before I sleep,

And miles to go before I sleep.

Trust

Yes, I can forgive you when you pass my secrets to the world
The ones I told you, trusting you from the bottom of my heart
Telling them to you, to lessen my heart's burden
And you said it to the to the world, what reason, I do not know
But I'll forgive you; I can because I am human

Yes, I can forgive you when you say something about me
I'll believe it and try to change myself, even when I should not
I'll think that it must've been something in me, that made you say this
I'll hope that the future does not give you a chance to find faults in me
I'll try to present to you a better human, made by your attempts
And I'll believe you, everything you say, because you are human

Yes, I'll forgive you, when you cheat me
When I help you in your need and you turn away in mine
I'll think that it was my fault that I trusted someone like you
My fault that I had too much faith in you, beyond than what you can provide
But a hope will always be with me that you do not cheat anyone else
A hope that you are satisfied by eating me up, and I'll forgive you

But trust me this time my friend, I shall not forgive you at one instance in life
Please so not cross this limit any place, any time
I will not forgive you when I trust you and you betray me
And fill those heartless eyes with water and shame
Make me have faith in you that you shall not do it again
Fill me from head to toe with hope, expectations and belief
And then when I call you, "help me, only revive me from mental distress
Make me laugh cheer me up. Please. I want to be happy again."
And then, you laugh at my situation, make fun of me and add to my mourn
A curse shall be blessed upon you from the inner depths of my heart
That you have already lost my trust, but noone will ever trust you again
Not your friends with whom you were laughing at me
Not the heart which does not exist in you
Not the happiness, which now has built home on your lips
It will soon go away from you, and you will be all alone, as I am today
So I request you, don't betray anyone. Dont't betray anyone ever again

-Vishal Gupta

This is my favorate one

A change

One day my friends found out that I write poems and then they asked me to write a fresh one and read it infront of our group. So this's for all my friends out there and tribute to the gift god as given me.

A Change

Here I stand reading a poetry, and feel the difference in my own country
When I read here and you listen there, some people in the capital are god knows where
I know writer aren't supposed to take take direct names of people
But they also have a duty to get problems toppeled
Coming back to the real picture, is something wrong with our political structure
Many of us have never even felt the corruption
It's not with us, the disasters, the cheats the starvation
Then why do we feel the pain of the citizens?
Is it because we want to throw our anger at someone
Or we are all linked as one
Whatever may be reason, I'll give you a small fact to explain this treason
Once the books of law fell into my hands
I was shocked to learn something of great command
India is internationally considered a poor country that we all know
But even our ways of income have been considered low
India is one of the 3 countries that sells corpses to earn
Isn't it sad that many of us don't even get burnt
The maximum times it is due to starvation
But now comes a very important fact into action
You must be knowing that every minister gets a fund to do away with famishle
According to the statistics, most of the money is scribbled
Each district minister, mayor and MLA gets 1,3,5 crore rupees respectively
But none of that money is used, and if you think that's pretty
Wait till you find more about the other funds
You'll feel like giving them a great humiliation
So if you want to bring India to a certain range
Hang 2,3 ministers for a change
But before raging on the system
First try to plant your own stem
Stop giving the bribes, Stop dirtying the roads
Stop causing pollution, just change your modes
Don't think about everyone, think you're the nation
You're the youth, you're the future, you're today's generation
So I end my poem with a hope in my heart
You have learnt something from my art

-Vishal Gupta

The path forgotten

I try but I fail, all my hopes are in vain,
for it is you who has forgotten me, with you solely in gain.
I now wait with a hope in my heart,
that you shall return and bury me into the earth;
as I know I am of no use to you any more,
as my time is gone, my race too old;
but remember one thing O my lord,
it was me who took care of you for long.
Yes, I am not worthy of you anymore,
except for that tiny place in your heart's core.

You have forgotten the home, and turned me into a house,
for nothing more than to be fed by a little mouse.
You stayed with me for 14 long years,
but now your old and unfruitful heart fears;
that the place you were born,
is nothing but a thorn!
Yes, you don't remember me any more,
except for the time your grandson roars.

You now live a content life full of despair,
remember the time you were paired.
What a day it was full of light,
when I got my 1st fright;
you told yourself that I was getting smaller for you,
and left me without a word or two.
Yes, you have returned to me and gotten fat,
so that your grandson can live in a greater place than that.

-Vishal Gupta

A new world

I want to share an experience with you.

A new world

One night, when my flight was landing;
I saw a view which left me thinking;
I saw a metropolitan, at the dead hour of the night;
it seemed gold and silver, the lights yellow and white.
I saw the rich, the middle and the poor
I saw the skyscrapers, buildings and roads
the things which I didn't see were something they probably have lost
I know how their absence is like so I told them to get it back
They said I was foolish to talk like that,
for the city had lost it much before they had
I gave some of mine to them and they happened to like it
Oh! Just like a moment when you first feed a child
Would you like to know what I gave them
I gave them sleep and love without the hope of fame.

One night, when my flight was landing;
I saw a view which left me thinking;
I saw roads, with cars travelling on them,
Somewhere straight, somewhere curved and somewhere with a halt
as a snake would travel in the forest avoiding any fault
I saw huge buildings with luminous light coming out of them
but it was only when I landed I got to know of the other things they possessed
along with luminous lights, they had dark hearts, screams and hatred for each other
I could ony feel this when I breathed, the question in my mind was none answered
How could one live with so much hatred?
For if it was me I would have died before long
but it's my luck that I have my own merry song.

One night when my flight was landing;
I saw a view which left me thinking;
Urbanisation everywhere, not a single mark of naturality
On the name of parks, they had grounds with small grass
On the name of culture, they has festivals every year
breaded with the urbanisation, it had checks against terrorism
I ask what's the need of this chaos, when you can easily live simply
they blamed politics and urbanisation, but none wanted to change willingly

I'm glad to return to my home, glad to have calmness and hope
that the place where I stay, atleast has people having time to play
Now as I look out of the window, I see a man talking to a weeping widow
he says people would like to modernize our village
And for the beggining, a factory is about to be set up
on and adjoining the land of the village cemetery.

-Vishal Gupta

There was a time

This is the first poem i'd written and its very close to my heart. Hope you'll like it as much as I do.

There was a time

There was a time when I was young,
every game to be played, every song to be sung
but now I have no time,
as if leisure is a crime.
But I remember somewhere in my heart
'cause those days at atleast this worth.

There were selfless friends, friends in joy friends in crime,
to think of new jokes, to make new rhymes
we were together and lived one life,
not for a day when a bounty is a knife.
Now on occasions we speak
"whom to meet & whom to leave."
But in our hearts we carry a memory,
and want to break through this jeopardy.

There was a country which all respected,
all obeyed all accepted
'My country, the best,' was the sole motto,
now looks with corruption, with sorrow.
Now 'every man for himself' is the slogan
the bond shattered, the link broken.
But in the back of our heads we dream,
of a nation out of this evil stream.

I'm just happy with one feeling,
I had a youth without tension, without strain
but the future shall be one step in-front,
for they shall see a competitive future further on.
If this monstrous crime of destroying childhood is not stopped at once,
I'm afraid the future will be sans smile, sans fun sans innocence.

-Vishal Gupta