The sapphire butterfly

A sapphire blue butterfly
In the park,
Fleeted from this flower
To that,
It caught the attention
Of a pony tailed girl,
She stopped running around,
Stood still and watched.
The butterfly fleeted about
With it's brightly coloured wings,
The girl gazed mesmerised,
For a few minutes.
The child in her
Stirred to life,
She tried catching it,
The butterfly fluttered
And went out of sight.
A flicker of regret
Shadowed the girls face,
Perhaps for a few seconds.

She was a child after all,
She ran after the ball.
© 2009 Rituparna Das

The search

The rain lashed on,
The thunder roared,
I sat with a book,
Having not read a word.

My mind drifted backwards,
To a time once known,
I saw myself wandering,
Amidst a faceless crowd alone.

I searched for something,
It was a grey stormy day,
Yet, the need to find was so strong,
I wanted to stay.

I tried to remember,
What I was looking for,
The harder I tried,
The search became more obscure.

The crowd started closing in,
I had no place to run,
I scanned carefully,
Each faceless person.

It was frustrating,
As I knew somehow, from somewhere,
I have lost that one thing, forever,
That I was so desperately looking for.

Snapshots of another time,
Mingled with the present state,
Always surrounded by faces known,
Barring the one I've let myself forget.

The thunder roared,
I sat up with a jolt,
Your memories came flooding,
From someplace long locked.

It was so long ago,
I couldn't remember your face,
The hurt still exists, deep down,
May be a little less.

We had watched the rain together,
On such a dark afternoon,
Your faceless memory still lingers,
Though you are long, long gone.
© 2009 Rituparna Das

Lost forever

I was walking
Round and round,
On the wooded path ,
That circled
The serene pond,
Dotted with lotus buds.
As if in a trance ,
Lost in the woods ,
I knew the way out ,
But still couldn't.
I was tired ,
A little anxious too,
It was getting late,
And I needed to go,
No one was around,
None to help ,
I started crying ,
At some point.
Then I saw you,
Quietly smiling ,
As if my situation,
Was somewhat funny.
I was angry ,
Still I begged ,
I wanted a way out,
I explained.
You gave a hand ,
I didn't think twice ,
You simply stood there ,
Holding it tight.
I looked at you ,
A little surprised ,
You smiled and said ,
That I belonged here.
It's not easy,
It's mostly dark,
But I'll have lotuses from the pond,
The sky will be vast,
The birds will sing,
I'll be kept warm,
With your arms around me ,
On every night.
If I ever,
Find another way out ,
That is the day ,
You'd leave my side.
I understood ,
And I sighed,
Like a fool ,
I had searched everywhere .
I held you close ,
And solemnly vowed ,
I have chosen my path ,
And don't want a way out.
© 2009 Rituparna Das

Three balconies

A balcony,
By the riverside,
On a dark winter night,
A starlit sky,
To keep us company ,
We mostly kept quiet,
The song of the crickets ,
Made up for it ,
As if they understood,
What's on our minds.

Another balcony,
By the sea ,
The night was cloudy,
We were silent, mostly,
A hazy moon appeared
Out of nowhere,
The sea loudly roared in response,
As if trying to convey,
What our mute hearts,
Could not.

This balcony,
Of my house,
Where every single night,
I stand alone,
Be it starlit, be it cloudy,
I always remain quiet,
I look for a messenger,
Who would decode
My silence,
And have it delivered.
© 2009 Rituparna Das

This day, that year

The date is same,
The morning as cold,
But a year has passed,
With memories worth gold.

I forgot to treasure,
Moments that got lost,
I didn't realize,
Until I paid the cost.

It's too late now,
Nothing can be done,
Never take things for granted,
Is a lesson, I did learn.
© 2009 Rituparna Das

My angel

Things didn't come easy,
But I cannot deny,
I reached a stage in life,
When I was satisfied.
My dreams were always small,
Nothing impossible,
So I never thought,
There could be a problem.
I wanted a good husband,
Mine was great,
I wanted a house,
Mine was perfect.
I wanted a baby,
Like every other girl,
But then I realized,
My life couldn't be this simple.
One night I dreamt,
Of a tiny little one,
With curly hair,
And a broad toothless smile.
My arms were empty,
My eyes almost ran dry,
I had everything,
But no one to call mine.
On one ordinary day,
A miracle happened,
The gloom just lifted,
And I found my way.
A voice within me ,
Guided me through,
Said I'll be a mother,
Nobody can stop me to.
It's upto me it said,
I can make it happen.
I couldn't wait any longer,
And followed it as if dazed.
It was so easy,
There she was,
My little girl,
Waiting for us .
A tiny little bundle,
Sent for me and no one,
With curly hair,
And a broad toothless smile,
Looking for me,
To be held forever.
I opened my heart,
I opened my arms,
She filled my life, with joy, and laughter.
She is here,
She is real,
May all forces above, bless her.
© 2009 Rituparna Das

A fairytale

He was a blue eyed stranger,
From a far distant land,
His skin was milky white,
And I was a coffee coloured girl.
I willingly let him steal,
My foolish young heart.
He was a much older man,
But had a certain boyish charm,
I was treated like a princess always,
He was tender and kind.
One day he looked at me,
And said I've got pretty eyes,
As if to prove it,
He looked at the moon in the sky,
My teenaged heart fluttered madly,
And how I almost cried.
Both of us knew very well,
That this will go nowhere,
He has to leave one day,
That too for good.
So we spent as much time together,
And tried not to brood.
That day finally arrived,
And he had to say goodbye,
I remember how we both cried,
And then I carried on,
For many more nights to come.
His memories slowly faded away,
But he will always be a special one.
That was a chapter in a fairytale,
I luckily chanced upon.
He is visiting my thoughts again,
After so many long forgotten years.
Does he still remember me,
I just noticed,
My heart still wonders.
© 2009 Rituparna Das