Poetry: Leonard Dabydeen

Leonard Dabydeen

THIS LIFE

(villanelle poem)

Zindagi aur kuch bhi nahin, teri meri kahaani hai

(Life is nothing more but the story of you and me.)

This life is a story of you and me:

What’s in it that makes it so difficult

For us to sever bond of harmony.

In the beginning it wasn’t easy

How we dated each other as adult;

This life is a story of you and me.

Sometimes we talked about dreams endlessly

Of places, and then suddenly find fault

For us to sever bond of harmony.

Fantasies were beyond what we could see -

No turning back, only a somersault;

This life is a story of you and me.

When an empty dish would share our pity

We plaited our hopes, dreams not by default

For us to sever bond of harmony.

Oft times we toured the world, city by city

Not knowing we’d come to an abrupt halt

This life is a story of you and me

For us to sever bond of harmony.

TRY NOT TO BE ASLEEP

(A Villanelle in Pentameter)

Try not to be asleep, yet stay awake

 Pretence of the eyes plays tricks with the mind;

 Without sleep, you may undermine your stake.

Sleep you must, always, before next day break;

 A night’s rest from a rough day, hard to find:

 Never pretend to sleep, yet stay awake.

After a hard day’s work, rest you must take,

 Sleep your best remedy of any kind;

 No matter how causal, know what’s at stake.

Sometimes you’ve got to burn mid-night oil late

 To meet dead-line: you must stay on the grind!

 Try not to be asleep, yet stay awake.

Don’t make procrastination your play mate,

 It will result in havoc – strike you blind!!

 Sleep without pretence, knowing what’s at stake.

A good night’s sleep is God’s blessings to take,

 After a hard day’s work, best to unwind;

 Try not to be asleep, yet stay awake:

 Without sleep, you may undermine your stake.Sleep you must, always, before next day break;
A night’s rest from a rough day, hard to find:
Never pretend to sleep, yet stay awake.

After a hard day’s work, rest you must take,
Sleep your best remedy of any kind;
No matter how causal, know what’s at stake.

Sometimes you’ve got to burn mid-night oil late
To meet dead-line: you must stay on the grind!
Try not to be asleep, yet stay awake.

Don’t make procrastination your play mate,
It will result in havoc – strike you blind!!
Sleep without pretense, knowing what’s at stake.

A good night’s sleep is God’s blessings to take,
After a hard day’s work, best to unwind;
Try not to be asleep, yet stay awake:
Without sleep, you may undermine your stake.

ON THE MOVE

(sonnet)

Along come butterflies after May rain

 Fluttering excitedly at the sun,

 Glowing in such radiant hues again;

 How wonderful it is to watch the fun.

Where flowers of rich bougainvillea

 Bloom in the lush gardens of Trivago,

 Beachcombers sip cocktails in grand gesture

 Watching their children running to and fro.

There is much delight in this month of June

 Full of frolic and joy with people around;

 Jogging and walking, dancing out of tune

 Enjoying Life’s comfort in their surround.

No matter troubles and tribulation

We’re on the move in all situation.

Just Facts

(inverted Fib)

I

take

affront

with people

who bluntly extol

their bloated ignorance of facts.

Even when reality sets

in  variables

to white-wash

their lies

half

truths.

Stars of the Night

(a Fib)

Let

us

go places

where no one

has gone to before

let this journey be triumphant

let us play beyond the myriad stars of the night.

Keep Moving

(tetractys)

Wait

no more

for the sun

to climb the hills

rise with the shining light to reach the skies.

Setu, July 2019