Marital Rape

I had written this poem some years back to highlight an issue, which however much denied and suppressed, sadly exists in our society. The style I've used for the poem is slightly crude and raw; but that has been intentionally done to bring home the bitter truth in a more hard-hitting manner.



Like a caged animal,
she crouches in the nook;
trembling with fear,
to see that lust filled look.

No strength to fight,
no power to protect;
life’s become a nightmare,
filled with misery and abject.

He comes close and
touches her skin;
and the frightening episode
again begins.

She cringes and cowers,
she begs and pleads;
but to her cry he doesn’t
give a heed.

I married you, and I can do with you
as and when I please;
my wishes you will fulfil
and my whims you shall appease.

And another educated woman gives in
for she is too scared to escape;
and another educated man,
continues the marital rape.

Psalm of Peace-Cascade Poetry

Another experiment with poetry and this time it is Cascade poetry, a form created by Udit Bhatia, which is all about receptiveness, but in a smooth cascading way like a waterfall. The poem does not have any rhyme scheme; therefore, the layout is simple.
Say the first verse has three lines. Line one of verse one becomes the last line of verse two. To follow in suit, the second line of verse one becomes the last line of verse three. The third line of verse one now becomes the last line of verse four, the last stanza of the poem. See the structure example below:

a/b/c, d/e/A, f/g/B, h/i/C

To make the Cascade an even longer poem, use more lines in verse one. For example, if verse one has 6 lines, the poem must have seven stanzas so that each line of verse one is reused as a refrain in each following stanza (a cascading effect).




Ruthless mayhem if cast away,
Swords and guns; inhumed in lost graves,
Hands binding; sing the psalm of peace,
‘Shalom’ – greet each other with ease.

Children playful in unity,
Saplings nourished in fruitful harmony,
Zion heavenly; planet Earth shall be,
Ruthless mayhem if cast away.

Nations ushered; beneath one banner,
Tongues and races dissolved with peace,
Prosperity reigning then naturally,
Swords and guns; inhumed in lost graves.

Religions dwelling in mutual bliss,
Respecting each other and God faithfully,
‘Praises Adonai’, rising in one voice,
Hands binding; sing the psalm of peace.

Greed and hateful spite redeemed,
Tolerant humans, cleansed by torrent rain,
Anew, hopeful tranquil life in peace,
‘Shalom’- greet each other with ease.


P.S.: I've used two jewish words in this poem; the meanings of which are mentioned below:

Shalom: Peace
Adonai: God

Another Day...

To sit.
And talk.
And share our day.

To see.
To gaze.
And discern what our eyes say.

To hear.
To listen.
And understand what is not said.

To dream.
To aspire.
And on that path, hand in hand, to tread.

To hold.
To touch.
And share the desire.

To kiss.
To caress.
And burn in the fire.

To embrace.
To be held.
And feeling content.

To love.
To live with you.
And share another day perfectly spent…

The fallen pride

Amidst the branches of a sycamore tree,
Sprouted a new leaf, a very fine leaf.
Covered in shades of lustrous green,
She swayed in pride, with her sheen pristine.

Across a loose twig on the very same tree,
Aged an old leaf, lone in her tremulous trill.
Cloaked in a russet, she too sang her song,
Rustling amongst others in the springtime breeze.

One bright morning as the great sun shined,
Smirked the new leaf, at the aging one.
Mockingly, she giggled at the lonely leaf,
As she rubbed her coat, and shined in the rising sun.

Nay! Laugh ye, O my lovely little one,
For I was once a leaf, more charmed than ye.
Time and autumn but soon shall hail,
Erode us both, and be shed by our mother tree.

Soon a lumberjack’s axe did fall,
Out on a branch of the very same tree,
Fell our new leaf, bleeding to the ground,
Bruised, trodden- her pride had proven costly.

A Soldier's Funeral-Nonnet

A nonnet has nine lines. The first line has nine syllables, the second line eight syllables, the third line
seven syllables, etc... until line nine that finishes with one syllable. It goes like this:
line 1 - 9 syllables
line 2 - 8 syllables
line 3 - 7 syllables
line 4 - 6 syllables
line 5 - 5 syllables
line 6 - 4 syllables
line 7 - 3 syllables
line 8 - 2 syllables
line 9 - 1 syllable




Oh how good was he that lies in shrouds,
A friend in need, good friend indeed.
Slain brave in war’s rage forefront,
Soldier firm; corpse in flag.
Widow, then two kids,
Unconsoled weeps.
Gun salute,
Echoes,
Sighs.