The Seven Seasons of Love

Season one, the chase

when the curls of her hair and twitch of her smile

bewitches you into her sermon day and night

Passion, that takes your sleep away and haunts your dreams

when she is all you can think of

in lonely moments and bereft nights

waiting for the chance for her to note

how the world would be brighter with you by her side

Season two being lust

When arms are seldom able to be off one other

and the taste of her lips enchants fills in your soul

The moments of flesh on flesh and ecstasy

takes your breath away

When love fills in her eyes, heart, body and being

the roller-coaster ride with all its thrills

The third is understanding

where you notice the little things left ignored before

making new discoveries each passing day

coping with habits you know she isn’t going to change

learning her, like you did a new subject at school

knowing enough, that you don’t mind speaking for her

and she knows you’ll make the right decisions for both

Lying next to each other

a hug is enough to communicate what words never can

The fourth season takes the leap

When you decide to spend the rest of your life together

it happens like a peaceful sleep

slowly at first, and then all at once

The moment of commitment, to stick together

through this little moment in time called life

And you know yours will never be the same again

but it’s okay, for even if it is a mistake

you’re in it with the right girl

The fifth season is family

Strangely, you lose control of your lives

and suddenly, too many others barge into it

With miniature versions of yourself driving your needs

and ancient versions of you, lighting your path

The world suddenly expands into unforeseen challenges

you wonder if any of it is worth it

till a tiny creature holds your finger and blabbers a single word

that takes away all the exhaustion and you’re ready to play again

The sixth season is the longest and takes a toll

For years and decades pass by and there’s nothing new for you

The fire of passionate love has long been spent

and no new discoveries are lurking anywhere anymore

There’s a pillar you lean on, sometimes more than it can take

there’s a life you know that is, and one you know will never be

Content is your enemy here, and your source of strength

And just when you think you finally have a hang of it

the last season shows its head

The final one belongs to the reaper

when you’ve been left alone with all but her

The party goes on, but you don’t recognize the faces anymore

Memories galore, of ghosts that are gone

For it’s always easier to be the one to leave

than to be the one left behind

And as you await the inevitable

you try to remember the days gone by

Each season that has etched a memory

wondering, if it could have been more

through the days and the decades

And with the satisfaction of having spent your time right

You shut the music. The song is over

And you bid the seasons goodbye

Vishal Gupta

16^th February, 2020

The Hermit and the Princess

He sits atop a mountain in atonement,

His form inspiring awe from all who behold

Thick locks that arrest the fall of mighty rivers

A terrible eye, if awoken may destroy all

A serpent keeps watch wrapped around his neck

His lionskin cloth speaks of the unspeakable

Ghosts surround him, worshiping him as God

The destroyer, the hermit, the warrior, the fearful

His consort radiates exorbitance

Laden in jewels and wrapped in red silk

She rides a tiger, no less befitting

yet her image is of the mother, all forgiving

She rules the forests, the hills, the grass, the green

She enjoys luxuries and deserves more still

Alone in a city of demons, she finds her peace

The strength, the smile, the love, the energy

He opens his eyes, after having seen all eternity

and finds her sitting by his side

He looks at her in admiration,

for the universe holds no prettier sight

She looks at him inspired

for he is all that’s dear to her life

In his glances she finds her smile

And no words were needed between their eyes

He knows she doesn’t need him

yet in her presence he finds peace

She gives him a silent slight of the eye

And he knows she understand everything in his mind

She is no different from him but a part of his soul

He is not what completes her, but who makes her more

They dance and the world bows

They embrace, and the world finds hope

Vishal Gupta

30 Mar 2020

Deep Dark Heart

It’s a cold winter night and a winter cold heart

It’s days of future paying debts of the past

It’s a lover’s vengeance, a soldier’s sleep

It’s the moment on the call when you’re ‘bout to weep

There’s a man there’s a man in whom darkness lurks

not ‘fraid of consequence he does what he must

And ne’er look back to the embers’ spark

the man with the soul so deep and dark

‘Very step of the way he measures thrice

the past is the past he has left it ‘hind

And when the bells toll and people run home

he pulls up a chair and watches time unfold

He loved a maid and that was hard

‘coz she didn’t love ‘im back nor anyone else

So broken was he and so broken was she

The ones with the souls so dark and deep

Men need purpose else they are slaves

Sold to the loudest mike needing dead weight

He sold his soul to the devil instead

now he wonders if it was a mistake

There was once the man who wrong’d ‘im once

they knew not now where his head he hung

And those upon whom he inflicted wrath

‘ever knew torture till they knew his dark deep soul

Someone once asked what sets him apart

He said he wanted freedom from the start

They then asked how he was free

He said every man is free if dead already

He spoke little and heard a lot

calmest in a room of dangerous mob

Eyes menacing judging evaluating thoughts

no one knew what went in his deep dark heart

Vishal Gupta

11 Feb 2020

A Storm Brewing

You know that moment

right after the break-up

When you’re full of love

but have lost the one you could pour it on

Your heart is heavy

you wonder how we got here

You miss, not the person

but how you felt

Yearning, to feel it once again

you look at the phone directory

Someone. Anyone…

Who may be able to understand

what’s going on in your heaving heart

lest it bursts out of your chest

He sits solemnly alone in a room

this book has occupied his evenings for several days

engrossed, he instinctively reaches for his phone,

checks for messages. Nothing

He returns to the book

A quiet moment has gripped the room

Like the one right before the rain

Like something is about to happen

A ring. A name. A face. Memories.

He smiles before accepting, savoring the moment

He says hello, anxiety speaks from the other side

He knows some terrible ill has befallen

and she needs to be heard

Her heart is heavy with emotion and words are difficult to find

She made the call but cannot tell him of the dreams that haunt her

Instead, she tells him about her day

How she spends time watching a lot of videos

And is unable to wake up to face the next day

How she’s gained a few pounds recently

And how she’s determined to lose it again

And suddenly she apologizes

For now she understands how he had felt once

She understands now, his love for her

She doesn’t want him back, as he is still the same guy

She knows he won’t take her back, as she is a changed woman

He realizes her heartbreak, but chooses not to mention

instead he sticks to listening

it’s been long since someone has heard her

and longer since he’s had the sweet ring of her voice

Life seems to have humbled her

and she sounds like the girl he was once in love with

She needs to be told all is well with the world

and she is safe as long as he’s there

But he’s lost the right to say that long ago

If only he could hold her once again

She would know she never left his thoughts

And find home in the comfort of his arms

He finds it easy to forgive her

She realizes he has moved on with life

That’s what people do, they move on

Time heals everything, but does not spare the pain

She will heal too someday, she knows

But not today, today she wishes there was no time ahead at all

Today she wishes for just a moment, a moment with someone

Someone to tell her that her world has not broken apart

And that’s what she sought from this call

Her mood has lightened, her heart has not

she will find the pillow wet in the morning again

for he might have forgiven her

she’ll take far longer to forgive herself

A song appears in his head out of nowhere

a song he thought he has long forgotten

something they had shared long ago

something he hadn’t touched since her departure

he couldn’t place it at once

but like a strong sea current rushing to make love to the ocean

it quickly took shape

“So close to me… feels so hard to breathe… so hard to hold back… let’s just take it slow…

Just a kiss on your lips in the moonlight…”

Vishal Gupta

9 January 2020

तुम आना

तुम आना पहली बारिश कि तरह

जो महकती हवाएँ ले आये

तुम जाना डूबते सूरज कि तरह

जो आसमाँ में चन्द सितारे छोड़ जाए

तुम आना बीतते उस लम्हे कि तरह

जो भागती हुई ज़िंदगी को थाम ले

तुम जाना जाना नींद के उस पल कि तरह

जो चुपचाप सपनो कि दुनिया में ले जाये

तुम आना तूफ़ां की कि तरह

जिसका आगाज़ दूर से हो

तुम जाना गूँज कि तरह

ज़रा हौले से

अगर जाने-आज़माने का इरादा है

तो फिर कभी और आना

तुम आना तो पूरी तरह आना

या तो आना ही मत

विशाल गुप्ता

16-02-2020