I saw a baby squirrel

in my home yesterday.

Running frantically about

this way and that way.

It had probably come inside by accident,

And had forgotton the way out.

now it ran hither thither,

Frightened scurrying about.

It was a rare sight ,

to see this petrified young one,

and i couldnt help wondering if it was

a daughter or a son.

even as we looked at it

with amazed eyes,

the child climbed onto a curtain,

giving out loud, pitiful cries.

We opened all the windows and doors,

and after a considerable amount of chasing,

we finally succeededin letting the squirrel

out into the sunny evening.

In silent prayer

a moment we spent,

praying the little one

would find its way back to its parents.

But from its freedom it had

nothing to gain.

and we had really not expected

to see the little sqirrel again.

For it was just the next day that

we found it dead in the street,

lying in its own pool of blood,

some cat's idea of a morning treat.

the macare incident cut throughme

like a knife,

for my young friend had payed for its freedom

with its life.....

i sit here in the dark,

windows closed and shutters drawn.

they usually are at this time of day,

blocking the virgin rays of dawn.

I wince slightly as the barbed fence

cuts through my cheek.

Of course, i dont mind the faint taste of blood

its the thought that its mine makes me weak.

"twelve months", he had said

it would take to correct my teeth,

to correct their arrangement

and repairs the errors that lay beneath.

Because of this nemesis of mine,

I cannot show my face aong my pears.

oh! how embarassng it is to see them laugh and sneer.

Well my handicap has continued for eight months now

four more to go.

I hope and pray fervently,

that time takes on a more rapid flow.

But I have to put up with it,

'cause for me a well aligned dentition is indipensible;

for otherwise the "bite" would be too painful,

and steal my gift of being undetectable.

There are times i go and

hang from my favorite banyan tree,

to find a place where there'll be just

my solitude and me.

dad and Mom sometimes accompany me there,

(its the place where they met you know)

their encouraging words are

what keep me on the go.

They have sustained me well through

this winter of my life,

Both physically and emotionally

as i deal with these pins and knives.

They usually get a poly bag for me,

after they have had their meal.

As the viscous liquid flows down my throat,

gratitude is all i feel.

Only four more months,

till my punishment ends.

once the dentist removes them,

I know exactly how to make amends.

of course he does'nt know who i am,

but he still has to pay for all he has made me go through,

and what better way to show him the result of his work,

than making an impression on his nape by my newly arranged crew.

I sit here in the dark,

My tears coming in traces.

As i fight the futility;

For you see i am a vampire with braces.he winter of my life

I sit here in the dark,

windows closed and shutters drawn.

they usually are at this time of day,

blocking the virgin rays of dawn.

I wince slightly as the barbed fence

cuts through my cheek.

Of course, i dont mind the faint taste of blood

its the thought that its mine makes me weak.

"Twelve months", he had said

it would take to correct my teeth,

Towards the goal of an optimal arrangement

by repairing the errors that lay beneath.

Because of this nemesis of mine,

I cannot show my face aong my pears.

oh! how embarassing it is

to see them laugh and sneer.

Well my handicap has continued for eight months now

four more to go.

I hope and pray fervently,

that time takes on a more rapid flow.

But I have to put up with it,

'cause for me a well aligned dentition is indipensible;

for otherwise the "bite" would be too painful,

and steal my gift of being undetectable.

There are times i go and

hang from my favorite banyan tree,

to find a place where there'll be just

my solitude and me.

Dad and Mom sometimes accompany me there,

(its the place where they met you know)

their encouraging words are

what keep me on the go.

They have sustained me well through

this winter of my life,

Both physically and emotionally

as i deal with these pins and knives.

They usually get a poly bag for me,

after they have had their meal.

As the viscous liquid flows down my throat,

gratitude is all i feel.

Only four more months,

till my punishment ends.

once the dentist removes them,

I know exactly how to make amends.

Of course he doesn't know who I am,

but he still has to pay for all he has made me go through,

and what better way to show him the result of his work,

than by making an impression on his nape by my newly arranged crew.

I sit here in the dark,

My tears coming in traces.

As i try to fight the futility of the situation;

For you see I am a vampire with braces.

When all is quiet and

I hear the crickets chirp tonight.

I close my eyes and think about

All the wonderful things I have achieved in life.

All those insignificant accomplishments

that had once seemed so far away.

All the impossible Everests appear anthills

when I look down from the top today.

Why is it that the finish line

seems to be forever racing ahead.

That whenever we achieve a goal in life

We fix our focus on something new instead.

The human soul forever

remains an insatiable beast.

With the greed and envy

Constantly fueling its daily feasts.

The ever-present human condition

to covet the assets and good fortune of others.

To never find solace in basking in today’s glory

instead always yearning for futures out further.

Is it possible to tame this voracious beast?

To seek a momentary interlude?

And just for an infinitesimal moment

be free from my soul’s internal feud?

A brief hiatus, if you may,

of the soul, body and mind.

To enjoy, escape, be swept away

if only for a fleeting moment in time.

And would it be possible to escape

this peaceful, temporary state of pleasure?

When the endorphins kick in,

will I no longer wish to fight and persevere?

How much of an effort will it be

to leave the comfort of the winner’s circle?

To revert from resident back to vagabond,

ready to face life’s new bumps and hurdles?

Will I just give in to the contentment,

and simply let go?

When a new horizon beckons,

will I have the courage to simple say “No”?

Can I really find a balance between

opposing virtues of restlessness and complacency?

To do adequate justice to both,

Is it, Can It, WILL IT be a possibility?

My eyes snap open

as I go from R.E.M. to awake

For a casual nighttime musing

This is way too heavy an internal debate.

Fortunately, a cup of warm milk soothes

my troubled stomach and mind.

No more Papa John’s for midnight snacking

I have learnt my lesson tonight.

I stared at the vicious creature

right in front of me.

My enemy was a quadruped,

shaking its tail at me menacingly.

As I looked at it, I felt disdain for myself,

and for the creature abhorrence.

I was afraid of a being which

most people treated with indifference.

Time stopped around me as I stood there

inspecting the reflection in the mirror ahead.

Was that a smirk I saw on its face?

Did it sense my panic and dread?

With all these emotions,

I felt as if I was tied,

As if my feet were stuck,

and I stood there petrified.

Then it suddenly stirred,

the subject of my terror,

moving rapidly towards the other edge

the lizard disappeared behind the mirror.

I let out a sigh, but I knew

my relief wouldn’t last forever,

For it won’t be long when my reptilian foe

would venture out again from its shadowy lair.