To Sit Beside You I was hoping the gent next to you would go away I wanted to sit beside you The silvery beard well groomed Adding a dash of intrigue to your distinguished demeanour The northern complexion of peach drenched ivory, translucent. Roller coaster years had sketched, emblazoned and embossed Character lines of worldly wisdom I wondered if it happened to other humans too This irresistible urge to share the same space with an apparent stranger Just then you turned and your gaze met my startled one The universe must have eavesdropped on my thoughts The chair next to you was miraculously vacant And I sleep walking towards you . Copyright Lily Swarn The Confessional Emotions The shrews that won’t let me be Who can tame these irrepressible hooligans? Making me fawn and ingratiate myself Letting me shed my dignity and look like some dumb woman? Shredding my self respect and mashing my lady like stance into peace meal? Emotions Standing like gigantic sentinels over my poor brain and it’s reasonable accountancy Urging me to behave instinctively and impulsively with not a care in the world Carrying me on scented jasmine infused winds to castles of imagination ? Teaching me to be Rapunzel and Cinderella rolled into one Disrobing me of all pretences built by norms and mores ? Emotions Making a gullible fool out of me Letting me eat humble pie indiscriminately Allowing me to beg at heaven’s doors for crumbs of love Stealing my ‘good woman’ labels and prodding me to do and say things I wouldn’t have dreamt of if it wasn’t for you mischief makers ? Emotions Scourging my heart for its inflammable materials Corroding my sanity with scythes of silver Grasping me by the hair and flinging me on orange embers Cheating me of my rightful dues with allures of bliss Copyright Lily Swarn The Amber Sphere Ripened with your benediction I am inflammable now Keep a safe distance For I could explode any time An amber sphere of throbbing heat My limbs are weary with fire Let me shed the weight of the world And bury my head in the soft Earth Drop by drop, leaf by leaf I vanish into the ether Don't look for me tomorrow I think I will be gone! Copyright Lily Swarn
LILY SWARN: Internationally acclaimed, multilingual poet, author, columnist, gold medalist, university colour holder, radio show host, Peace and Humanity Ambassador is from Chandigarh (U.T) . Books-A Trellis of Ecstasy, The Gypsy Trail, Lilies of the Valley, History on My Plate Rippling Moonbeams, Yeh Na Thi Hamaari Qismat, (urdu)A Passionate Affair with Trees. She won over 70 international and national awards like Reuel International Prize for Poetry, Global Icon of Peace, Sahitya Rattan Award, Gujarat Sahitya Akademi Award, 2020, 2021 Order of Shakespeare Medal. Featured in international anthologies and magazines. Lily’s poetry has been translated into over 21 languages. Best Indian Author Award 2021 ‘for History on my Plate, Lily is the recipient of Chandigarh Sahitya Akademi Award for Rippling Moonbeams. Lily has been recently appointed ambassador of World Union of Writers and Artistes from Portugal. The Global Leaders Alliance conferred Diploma of Merit on her. “For her remarkable career in the fields of letters and culture generating an intangible heritage for future generations”
Confessions 