Lackadaisical Loafer

He yawned and stretched, opening a lazy eye,

The alarm had long since rung

Wondered what was there to eat – porridge or pie,

Or should he leave the blanket so snug.

He woke up lazily, eventually,

Staring blankly at the walls without care

Stretched himself on the sofa with a cup of tea

While the silence in the room filled the air

Looking out, he saw people rushing to work

While he snuggled in the couch for a quick snooze

“The poor fools” he thought with a lazy smirk,

And smiled as he thought of another ruse.

For it bothered him little,

To work, earn and provide a living

The family’s hopes began to whittle

While he remained uncaring

Nothing affects  the lackadaisical loafer

Neither the woeful pleas of his wife

Nor the children who now have to suffer

For the decisions he takes in his life.

The Lonely Lady

In the peak of summer with the sun scorching bright,

Sat a woman in the corner covering in fright

Wrapping herself in a blanket tight,

Holding on to sanity with all her might.

It feels like winter, to herself she thought,

Sterile and stark with coldness fraught

Tears on her cheeks, her heart distinctly wrought

Feeling despair, her thoughts distraught.

Happiness is what she sought. Instead,

A lonely life she saw, all feelings dead

She struggled to put out of mind the note she read

That filled her being with pain and dread.

The anguish she was going through was no fault of hers,

Her life stretched before her in a never ending curse

Through the sorrow that made it increasingly worse,

She put on a façade which she did rehearse.

With all her might she slowly stood

To face the demons with strength as she should

And find the way out of the dense wood

To a life as far away as she could.

Reality

Oh! What a beauty she is,

They exclaimed, when she walked past

So full of confidence and poise

And serenity that seem to last.

She glances their way, a smirk on her face

Sadness clouding her eyes

A flash of pain left a tear trace,

Masked quickly in a trice.

“If only they knew”, she thought to herself,

“This life of show and pretence”.

They know not the pain, she covers in vain

Losing an identity of sense.

To the rest of the world she shows a smile

Of  belief and self assuredness

Even those close, it does charm & beguile

Pretending with such finesse.

Under the blanket of the night

In the shadow of gloom,

She sat alone, cowering in fright

With an awareness of impending doom

For the pain and anguish will engulf her again

Taking her to a sleep deprived state

The monsters of fear on a free rein

Agony and torment unwilling to abate

With a struggle she wakes up, haunted and exhausted

Slowly putting on her facade

To face another day, with emotions frosted

And a life that is nothing but flawed

Stranger in the Mirror

There’s a sadness in her eyes, I see

Her cheeks stained with tears,

Shoulders slumped with lack of energy

She’s lost a battle against her fears.

So confident she used to be,

Full of happiness, smiles and joy,

She’d fight against demons that be,

Her love, so they won’t destroy.

Yet now, she’s given up on life I know,

Only anguish and emptiness to show

The stranger in the mirror, today I see

Once used to be a happy me.

The Dark Abyss

The days of glory have long gone past

Just a story to be told

The buzz and excitement did not last

Only in memories they'd unfold

Realities of life had struck a blow

While I reeled under its strain

It took with it the love and glow

Leaving me to deal with pain

Though in a crowd, alone was I

Bereft, shattered and lost

The thorny path caught my eye

And I realized what love had cost

As I stood there looking, all alone

At the vast and barren land

Escaping my lips was a whimper and moan

And emptiness in my hand

Wiping my tears I moved ahead

Knowing the pain I'd face

I chose to face the strain instead

Than return to the rat race

Dawn

Dawn

The cuckoo chimes its wake up call,

The birds chirp at dawn

The rustle of the leaves,

In the morning breeze

And the dew drops on the lawn.

I see the first ray of golden light

Spreading the warmth of sunshine

Passing through the cold gray clouds of the night

The whole new day is all mine

I stand alone and stare ahead

Watching the clouds clear

Dispel the darkness we all dread

The source of light appears

I gazed hard at the beautiful sight

Wondered what was in store,

Nature’s power and all its might

Now just a memory and then some more.