” I’m in the middle of the darkest cave

and then there’s a hole in the roof.

The sunlight pours through, tingling my skin

And now there’s no need to run. No need to hide”

His chest rises and falls .

The liquid – burning his throat – down it rolls.

He smiles. Despite the blood on his hands, he smiles.

And so he sings at the top of his voice.

She echoes his words. All in happy pain, she lies.

She dreams of everything she can never see and softly laughs.

“No need to run. No need to hide” he whispers behind her eyes

And then I hear her first genuine smile.

The blood stains remain etched on the floor of their forgotten suffering.

He sees her to be finally calm and then closes her eyes

Then he sings with all his lungs and beyond all his lies,

“No need to run. No need to hide. It’s a wonderful, wonderful life”

He goes out and stumbles onto the road, walking and singing.

While she lies – breathless – for once not sulking

These last lines of her book are written in bold

for they’re the only true words that matter.

“Here I stand, at the end of the short, dark cave.

And I see the blinding light pouring in.

Now there’s no need to run. No need to hide

It’s a truly wonderful, wonderful life!”

~ Smruthi Bhat

The tears of all the truth she wanted to hide

roll down her cheeks, sucking her memories dry

She makes her life a lie

In peaceful solitude the voices – on the bed with her – lie

But he clings onto the memories of her

Her, who he wants to be able to remember

All those times, he was there with her

and all those times he helped her forget

She makes merry with everything she finds

she runs far away, laughing all the while

He sits and cries, drunk up on all her fears

He sits and mourns, filling himself up with her happiness

While he burns himself he lets her shine

His light lights up for her who has forgotten

him. He dies, taking away her sins with

him. He smiles, lying lifeless, forgotten

~ Smruthi Bhat

My ship docked in your harbour,
my birds soar in your sky
My head found a place on their shoulder
If like this, I don’t mind if time were to fly

But every time you spoke with shaking eyes,
I could almost feel your tears roll down my cheeks.
Every time I tried to lunge into your mind,
a deep chasm his me away from your pain.

You couldn’t hide your suffering.
Instead, you hid US from them.
You didn’t want us to see you in your shackles,
so you pretended to fly with a broken wing.

You’ve spent ages letting betrayal warm your bed.
I’m afraid we’ve bonded too far to let go now
So let’s get this over with and
swim down the river to our dreams below

My lips part but the words never escape
Boulders WILL be thrown so learn how to rebound
We may be weaklings with leaking veins,
but to face adversities we can grow strong.

Now, here at the end, come to life
Let’s walk down to hell and come back alive
You let me lean on you despite your broken shoulder
Now it’s my fragile body that’ll do the same

The water gushing through between my toes

– brushing past my body –

I embarked on my journey

as the setting sun with its gentle rays waited to be reached

But everything I treasure warned me to surrender

to its hands wide open, welcoming me in

The Lord seemed to convince me in

taking refuge in ignorance’s comfort

I nonetheless pushed through the nights’ storms

And the unmerciful sun shining on unseen territory

But I always turned back in lamentation,

desperately waiting for a familiar face in complete desolation

I, who was used to living in solitude –

and I knew I couldn’t remain content anymore –

yearned for some company.

Oh, success sure is a lonely journey

I thought I could walk through hell with none beside me

and smell the sweet scent of success

while proudly bearing my bruises and scars.

But I had decided to come back already

I realised that running away from my obligation

was – to shun away from my weakness – a mere excuse

Sometimes you’ve got to give in to rise up.

So I turned back home, though I still wished I hadn’t

The waters seemed to bid me goodbye

as they pushed me back towards the shore.

Not wishing to drown myself in satiety,

I turned back, making my way to the oasis of mediocrity

The water makes sounds as the waves rush towards me

I’m being engulfed by the ocean once again

The sunrise beautifies my canvas and I’m ready

Finally awake, I’m ready to set sail again

This time, I go on a journey with you, SAGACITY.

Words are many
Some are really funny
Some do hurt
But some too much

Some can lead you into a quagmire
of guilt and melancholy
But some lead you back to
the present when you live joyfully

Words are light
Words are heavy
Some do hurt
But some just do not

So it's up to you 
and your soul to decide
Do they hurt?
Or do they not?

So beware my friend, 
for you shall definitely see
that words can ruin your life in short strife
Or can carve a beautiful, jolly path in your life

~ Smruthi Bhat

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton