Ego's perspective

 I hoard minutes  in a prison of digits where the bars are prisms  and the lights, delights. I weigh bliss  on a scale of cause where the weights are loss  and the needles, flaws. I count peace  on a tally of smiles where the lines are lies  and the equations, deceptions. I look too close yet I see very little I feel too much  yet feelings, riddle. ecstasy eludes as I stalk its scent  taunting me while smiles around ascent. now I'm chasing Melancholy  and she's chasing me back running around in circles never ready to attack.

  It was a peculiar night, the kind of night where stories come to life. Houses of ill repute and blinking streetlamps dimly illuminated the town. Leaving behind footprints on the snowy mud, a cloaked man walks... A tavern stood, barely visible in the blizzard. The man walked in and slips in two pence to a least drunk man and asks. "Point me to the direction of one William Shakespeare." The man lazily pocketed the coin and pointed to a jovial man chatting animatedly to a bored and half-asleep barkeep. Taking a stool near him, the man ordered a whiskey. In his merry mood, William studied the man. "Haven't seen you here before?" William asks. "Haven't been here before." "Ha, a witty traveler, just what I needed." William turned his chair to the man and extended his hand, chuckling drunkenly. "The name's William Shakespeare." The stranger made no move to shake Williams's hand. The rude yet witty stranger was g...

  Coffee, lord, and savior. The powers thy lend Makes me a warrior. On thou, my homework depend. Your grace, my grades ascend.   Coffee, poor man’s cocaine. Thy dealers, in plain sight, Forever shall humbly reign. A welcome darkness between duty-bound daylight. All who brew are thine humble acolyte.   Coffee, god to man. Let heretics worship tea. To them, I beg your forgiveness to span. Lead their spirits to thy caffeine sea. On all human exploits, glory to thee.   Coffee, red fruit of salvation. Coffee, roasted providence of benevolence. Coffee, thy dust, an invocation. Coffee, aqueous defender of somnolence. Coffee, in heat, does thy show more opulence.   Coffee, lord, and savior My tearful gratitude.    

  New York, the city that is reborn every minute. Sekhmet , the cruise ship, stands majestically in the pale moonlight. After convincing his sister, Rachel, to board and that he would join her after a quick phone call, Raphael waves her off. Pulling out his phone, he walks towards the pier when a woman emerged from the shadows with ferocious speed and kissed him with feverous passion. After a brief shock, Raphael returned it with the same haste.   Breaking for air, she spoke. "Raf, where the hell were you? I’ve been waiting for, like half an hour." "Sorry Mel, it’s hard to convince her. She still has some doubts, "he spoke, pulling her close once more. It doesn’t matter if she had doubts. You gave me a word. You will come with me in Mac’s boat.” With a mischievous smile, she continued, "We will have all kinds of fun." Hand in hand, they walked to a smaller luxury boat bobbing with the waves; Omina . They have been plotting this since Raf found out th...

  Nothing, a more potent catalyst for change than a sudden war. But there is no such thing as a sudden war, it was always brewing, you either didn’t care enough, or you cared too much. This was the thought Marie had when she was sitting under the lunch table huddled with her son and dog while their world fell apart. When the bullets subsided. Marie went to the boarded-up window and peeked through a sliver. Moments passed, and then more moments passed, she looked back to her son and released a breath she didn’t know she was holding. When the moon rose high in the sky they were moving through the streets like shadows, with a precious few things in some bags. When they reached the harbor, it was almost dawn. Marie frantically realized that the ship she paid to take them on, has already fled. Among the countless masts and furled-up sails, she saw not one hopeful colour. Marie sat down in dejection, their dog Marly came to her and started licking her hands. As she mustered up enou...

Houses of the blind Made of glasses and the light No questions asked  And nor do they care      The people are happy always so chatty Their smile never reach their eye the clothes they wear a well-fitting lie the love they share the roll of a die   I left that sight, for my poetic plight. a departure filled in delight   Now I wander, a failed commander Eating stale dreams for dinner      

  “You four bring disgrace to all students,” Professor Steven said, his face twisted in mild disgust, though his voice remained calm. “Drinking without sharing with your teacher.” “Professor Steven, you’re late. We were just about to begin. Close the door,” Matt grinned holding up the bottle of expensive vodka one of his many lady admirers sent him “Oh, come on. You know I hate vodka.” The professor sat down with a sigh. “We might have some brandy left from yesterday,” I offered, looking at Alex. Alex looked at me asking with his eyes why I can’t just keep my mouth shut. hesitated before pulling out a half-full bottle behind the bookshelf, clearly stashed away for himself. We passed it around, laughing under the dim lights of the island hut. We were here to assist Professor Steven's research into Maldives oceanic bio-life. The storm had knocked out the satellite phone and antenna. We were stranded with no outside contact for at least two days. Tony took the last swig of...

  Good times make, fed men weak While hard times make good men great Wildflowers easy-bloom all around But a flower from a rock, there stories abound A tree standing alone gets right and rain But a giant in the thicket conquered all that he reign A house cat may be pampered and fed But glory to the tiger prey-folk dread Hot steel in the furnace, purpose awake While cold steel simply bend to break   Breath is free but bread is not Make fleeting pleasure an afterthought Flavor your bread with the sweat of your brows Make sure you reap what your hard work ploughs Each number you crunch and the lyric you write Makes your own future that much bright   Suffering is not a part of life, its life itself You can either survive or start to live To live is to stand, to smile and to start again.    

  It was a perfectly ordinary day by all means. The sun was shining on him, radiating warmth. The ground beneath his feet, a sense of security. Sometimes the most extraordinary things happen on days like these. For instance, the death of God. Joy walked into his new high school. Head held high with an invisible effort and his smile constantly changing and correcting itself. He knew no one would dare tell him that he only got into this school because of his father, Archangel Gabriel, but he knew. Lucian Academy for Angels and Demons. Here the best and brightest of celestial offspring learn and, once in a while, get the opportunity to be an archangel, an honour of the highest order. Archangel Remiel was old enough to die soon and the students would jump at the chance to be him. When an old angel dies, his body is destroyed but his soul remains with all his knowledge and memories concerning himself. A new student is selected and his body is offered as host to the soul. And his young...

  Lazarus, that's my name. I was trapped on an island in 1944, for fifteen years. An Earthquake destroyed many underwater mountains making fishing possible for the region I was trapped in. It led to my rescue. When I was deployed in the war, my beloved wife and four-year-old son were heartbroken. After years of prayer, did we get our son. I couldn't see him grow up and become a man. I couldn't teach him how to shave or how to do basic repairs of a car or teach him how to ride a bike or shoot. I couldn't be there for my wife. She might have suffered a lot. Some part of me wishes that she remarried yet, my soul prays she is still waiting for me. I miss her smile when I would be cutting the firewood or sweeping the yard. She needed me for everything in the house. My heart melts when I think of how she had to take care of the house and raise our son alone. My son would be a man by now. The man of the house. I hope he is good to his mother. I hope he does well in school. I...

 The broken winged wild bird is Trying for one last song, again. Sitting alone on a woody carcass left behind by an axe Preening her unbroken wing. And an arduous search for notes Between thin staves of pain. Cursed with the fate to sing it alone, No mate or flock to sing it along.   Children who drank her warmth Have long gone, pecking and pricking. As the night flower blooms in hopes of seeing the twilight. With light, songs and wind in her heart, not for anyone, The broken winged wild bird is Breathing slowly one last song, again.   To hear this song that shines in the dark Trees, rain and night chill stood mourning, around While the shadows, rivers and weeds kept the rhythm aground. Even if no one is here, there are flowers and stars around to hear it, Because the song is cheery as honey, kind as dreams And tears to bear it.   The pain of her wing; so dry,   Melts away in her one last song As she embrace th...

  I crossed the fence to my best friend's house and walked in without a purpose. His sister smiled at me, taking a break from sweeping. Her smile was gentle and warm, but those who knew her well knew she had teeth behind those lips. A long time ago, she caught me and him touching each other. I returned her smile genuinely and went in search of him in his room. I never needed permission to enter this house. Having my second breakfast with him, we went out, as we always do. But what we do always changes. Sometimes we smoke in the abandoned roofing tile factory, sometimes we play cricket with the other kids till the owner of the paddy field chases us away. One time we even walked to the nearest town on a whim, which was about 50 km away. We did everything together since we were children. Today the adventure was of a romantic nature. The new love of his life was going to the temple, and obviously, like any other "naadan lover-boy" we stalked her. He already wrote a disgusti...