not a storm


not a storm
of swirling waters and churning skies.
swallowing everything it can overtake
and leaving emptiness and sorrow in its wake.

not a fire
fierce and untamed, devouring all things living and dead.
raging without limit, destroying without care
not many can subdue it and if you’re in the way, beware!

just a simple man trying to live life,
to exist without much ado.
just another gloomy optimist,
there’s so many, its nothing new.

not a mountain
rising above the mediocrity.
solid and unwavering against the tumultuous world
plain for all to see, with all its majesty unfurled.

not a bird
flying free and tranquil above it all.
surveying the madness down below
but distant and always mellow.

just a simple man trying to live life,
to exist without much ado.
just another gloomy optimist,
there’s so many, its nothing new.

not a angel
or an agent of a higher power.
protecting the virtues and morals
of people who are mere mortals.

not a hero
fighting wars and saving the world.
finding miracle cures, inventing wondrous machines,
flying stricken planes, simply better than other human beings.

just a simple man trying to live life,
to exist without much ado.
just another gloomy optimist,
there’s so many, its nothing new.


not an art
with magnificent skills inherent.
flair presented with audacity
years of toil and tears resulting in a spectacle of serenity.

not a dream
of infinite possibilities without boundary.
where all is possible in a tranquil state
and the ending is always great.

just a simple man trying to live life,
to exist without much ado.
just another gloomy optimist,
there’s so many, its nothing new.

- satyajit venkatraman
may, 2010

haunted


haunted by the past;
places you’ve been and things you’ve seen,
people you’ve met, and skeletons in the closet,
emotions you’ve felt and the cards you’ve been dealt.

haunted by memories
good ones, bad ones, with you forever.
things you’ll never forget, alliances that you cannot sever,
nostalgic thoughts and beliefs that you revere.

haunted by the present
who you are, and your desires never too far
fighting to stay afloat, in this world like a sinking boat;
running a race that you never thought you would face.

haunted by friends and by family,
dear ones that cannot see that you have a vision.
distant as it may seem, its not just an illusion,
you’ve set out alone on your mission.

haunted by the future
where do you go from here, miles to go or somewhere near?
will you find your way and keep your detractors at bay?
will you be happy when you die, or was it all just a lie?

haunted by transience of life
what’s it all for? what happens in the end
to dreams and the beliefs that, through your life, you defend?
are you just another man, or a legend?

satyajit venkatraman
may 2010