Fear

The sinister darkness that lurks behind thought
Its weapon, the very water of you it clenches 
The sticky darkness that divides multifold
Tentacles masquerading as common traits

The greed you feel is not your ambition, no sir
Covetousness wrapped in faux freedom of desire
Wanting to eat, engulf, possess-deep in your depths
The very tentacles of fear, distorted even more
of disappearing if there is nothing possessed

The envy you feel is not inspiration, no sir
Pangs in your heart & chest 
Masquerading as fuel to 'do' in the world
The very tentacles of fear, separating you from all
Violence in its mildest hues
though not mild at all, within you.

Pride of Compassion

Watch the swell of pride

that bursts through your chest

a penny worth offering

you gloat your compassion

A high-nose wad to a scrawny boy

The dogs glutton leftovers you toss

delighted pity for the unfortunate friend

a badge of sympathy vulgarly flashed

Watch the bird that nests and feeds
the hatchling till flight
simply, unheeding of return
striving as is needed

no compassion, no frills

Watch the dog that follows you

eats what you offer it

lives and dies for you
with you

no compassion, no frills

Now look at you

The pride you take

In feeling sorry for another

In sharing a wad, some grub

Just because it is rare

doesn't make it valuable

It is a quiet accepting, allowing

compassion is

a soft inclusion 

a silent sorrow

tears of love

and a sliver of gratitude.

Struggle of Defiance

The caustic burn of defiance
Springing an ugly hood
at the whisper of disagreeable
of unworthy, of unpalatable
perverse victim of convenience.

The chains of righteousness
envelop me so
chest filled with burning breath
afraid to breathe out
afraid to let it go
it fills and fills my chest feud and fire.

The righteousness is an argument
a debate one can win
A victory coated loss
Thats what defiance brings

The numbness of acceptance
yearning for unfeeling, unheeding
flow through muddy waters a turquoise fish
untouched, un-needing
dry, unaffected by the waters
or wet, accepting of the waters
either would provide solace
to my tormented soul.

Envious of the stars that are gone
And yet their light burns through
They hold no burden of life
In the glory of death they shine

It's not the misery of things
Nor of questionable ways
The pain of unquenchable thirst
The ache of unending hunger
Frozen paralysis of compulsion
Of the hustle of life and bustle of folk
Smile and smile and accept in grace
Till the pain is comfortable.
Till the ache is home.

Illusory

The twitch of a finger, the gleam of an eye

The shadows that threaten to materialize

A rumble of fear that swallows all thought

The pulse just short of bursting forth.

The conviction that shakes three worlds of lore

That conviction is seeming in most, true only in two folk

One who has seen all there is to be seen

One who sees only that which he wants to see

The latter a madman, the former a hermit.

The madman I see right before me

I see through his eyes, I see in his mind

The conviction of the offering

The conviction that god thrilled at death

That god if cared of your thoughts on him

That which struck down the disagreeing

That god indeed fragile is it not?

Imagined traits, smeared on the pure.

Heavens with buxom angels and hells of fire.

What if heavens had fire and hells had angels?

Is it not that fire purifies and angels corrupt?

When imagination runs wild the sun is the moon

Being alive would be a curse and death a relieving boon

He paused to allow a bustling crowd

Soothened his rapid heart, whispering false solace

He turned his fear to anger at the folk

Mindless tales of anger that had been told

Mindless anger that helped him stay bold

Finger edgy, a quick prayer, the click of a button

Excruciating pain, a scream that stopped before it escaped

He was torn from himself, torn from what he had known

He was left with anger, seething anger

No angels, no heaven, no beauty shall ever be seen

Consumed in anger and alas

The reason for his anger, he would now never know.

Blind stomp

Varmints, flying feathers and hollow bones

Unimportant and uncomprehending

Care for nothing but sleep and survival

Petty creatures, of inconsequential beauty

My tool as foretold would be fire, stand down

All elements shall wither to the flame by my hand

Trees were made to satiate my hunger

Animals were born to satisfy my sport

The lands were meant to nurture my babes

Flowing water to fill each cell of me

Whats your purpose, ye useless beings

Crawl away, slide away, lest you may be seen

Acquiesce to the image of god before thee

You'd burn if you don't, though you'd burn if you do

The woods know not of the fire of rage. 

Else they would strike a bough to your end

The birds' soft hearts innocent of vengeance

Else the flap of wings would have rendered you blind

The neglect of the mundane would be the death of man

Too gross for wonder, deaf to sweet chirp

Incapable of admiring the sensuality of dunes

The fragile strength of water

The cluckle of a lizard like a disapproving aunt

They tease you, mock you in their loud quietness

The hourglass empties, sand fills your nostrils

Reminding you of impending doom

The bubble of superiority has now burst

At your end you'd know, you are truly alone

Cold stone walls hug the aged temple door
Granular cruelty grinds against the soles
An unheeded step could bruise the toughest toes
The curling of them on the hint of dampness unknown

The sharpness of camphor always hangs low
Admixed with basil and jasmine and curious dung

Chanting relentless, syllables unheard
The rituals seem foreign, the decked idol forbidding
The dab of cold sandal feels absurd

Red rice clustered along palmar crease 

Ignorant of when to toss it, the hows, whys and whats,

Toss it right, toss it with reverence

Too many rules, not a moment of ease.

To hell with all the mind boggling, mindless motions
The glare of the priest at an unintended movement
The intimidation of complexity coaxes my feet to a corner
Lotus down, relieved at the distance from the altar

A breath eases out, I close my eyes in solemn
Chanting flows in, numbing the chimp within
The air is dense, the odor pleasantly heady,

The tranquilizing chime of bells quietens all chatter

The moments so pass, it matters not in number
The hand on my shoulder breaks my non-slumber
This is how it feels to smile without reason
A reason, however, to retrace steps that treaded prior in reluctance
So the stone walls beckon again but now not to the altar
The stone walls that contain that which cannot be pinned
The corner is now my corner, if not that, then some other
I step out without flowers, without sandal, neither red nor rice
I step out only with a skip, a full heart and a ready smile