Published Poems


What Is Love?
What Is Life?
What Is Death?

Song of Love
What is Life?

A Lover's Rejection
Joyous Nothingness
Celebration of Life

WHAT IS LOVE?

FOR THE HEART: IT MAY BE "A TWINGE OF A TWANG"
"A CLING OR A CLANG"
A STAB OR A THROB"
FOR THE SELF: IT MAY BE "A PSYCHOLOGICAL MOOD
OR A SPIRITUA L FOOD"
"A SUDDEN FEVER THAT TAKES OVER
OR AN SOS SIGNAL THAT THE EGO MIGHT DISAPPEAR"
FOR THE EXISTENCE: IT MAY BE " A WOUND IN BEING'S HEART
FROM WHICH YOU NEVER RECOVER
OR THE NATURE'S MYSTERIOUS WAY
FOR TWO BEINGS TO BEGIN TO DISCOVER"
FOR THE LOVERS: IT MAY BE
"WHERE THE MYSTERY OF THEIR BEING IS HIDDEN
OR THE SAVORING OF AN ECSTATIC EXPERIENCE
WHICH IS NO MORE FORBIDDEN"
FOR THE LIFE: IT MAY BE
"A UNISON OF TWO SOULS WHO WILL BE EQUAL PARTNERS
IN LIFE'S SORROWS, JOYS AND FIGHTS
OR A REMINDER NOT TO GET ATTACHED TO ANYTHING MATERIAL
WHILE TAKING IN EVERYONE OF WORLD'S DELIGHTS"



WHAT IS LIFE?

A GIFT DIVINE SENT
OR A COSMIC ACCIDENT
THE VERNAL SPRING OF THE VITAL FORCE'S HISTORY
OR THE DEAD END OF A DARK MYSTERY
A CLEARING IN THE FOREST
OR THE SPIRIT'S ATTEMPT AT OBJECTIFYING ITSELF IN EARNEST
AN UNCONSCIOUS HISTORICAL SAGA OF THE BIG BANG
OR THE MENTAL RAVINGS OF A COSMIC MAD MAN
THE UNIVERSE COMING TO AN UNDERSTANDING OF ITSELF
OR THE EXPERIENCE OF ITS OWN NOTHINGNESS IN A NUTSHELL
THE COSMOS OFFERING ITS MOST PRECIOUS COMMODITY
OR REVEALING ITS UTTER IMPERFECTION THROUGH THIS UNIQUE ODDITY
A COSMIC EVOLUTIO NARY BEND
OR WHERE ALL MEANINGS BEGIN AND END
THE SOURCE OF ALL STORIES AND HISTORIES
OR BY ESCAPING ALL DEFINITIONS REMAINING EVER A MYSTERY
HAVING BIRTH AND DEATH AS ITS TERMINAL POINTS
OR BEING THE BRIDGE AND GLUE OF THEIR JOINTS
A CONTINUOUS FLOW INCAPABLE OF BEING CAPTURED OR DEFINED
OR A PERFECTION IN MOTION THAT CAN'T BE REFINED



WHAT IS DEATH?

AN ABSOLUTE TERMINATION
OR LIFE REACHING ITS CULMINATION

THE END OF ALL AWARENESS
OR THE OPENING OF A NEW VISTA AWAITED IN EAGERNESS

LOVE'S IRRECONCILABLE OPPOSITE AND SET POLES' APART
OR THE OTHER ESSENTIAL WHEEL OF LIFE'S CART

AN EVENT GREATLY FEARED AND IGNORED
OR THE FULFILLMENT OF LIFE AND BE ADORED

THE SHOCKING EXPERIENCE OF ONE'S FINITUDE
OR THE SAVORING OF AN ECSTATIC MOMENT OF INFINITUDE

THE ABSOLUTE FINALITY WITHO UT AN ESCAPE
OR THE FINAL MOMENT WHERE LIFE'S CHALLENGE IS MET FACE TO FACE


Song of Love

When you are in love's sway
There is so much you want to say
But there seems to be no one right way
And the closest closeness still feels far away
Lover's kisses are like dew drops on the petals of your eyes
Love's whispers are recalled through every one of your sighs
Lover's touch inspires the fires of passion
Heart speeds up without a lesson
Lover's sensual smile
Takes you a mile
Lover's sonorous sound
Attests to life being so profound
The sight of the lover's form
Has supernal mystical charm
My love is a glorious mystery
Who is fast becoming my story and history
My love is a colorful butterfly with golden wings
For whom mind creates poetry while the heart sings


A LOVER'S REJECTION

A BLOW TO SELF-ESTEEM
OR EFFACING OF EVERY FUTURE DREAM

A MERE REACTION OF DISTRESS OR ANGER
OR BEING ENCOMPASSED BY LANGUID DEPRESSION OR LAGUOUR

A SEETHING HATRED TOWARD THE REJECTOR
OR INTERNALIZING OF LOATHING BY THE DEJECTOR

A GENUINE IMPULSE TO HIT BACK
OR GENTLY SUFFERING BECAUSE LIFE IS OFF TRACK

A NOSTALGIC REMINISCENCE OF ROMANTIC DAYS
OR SELF-ABHORANCE OF OBSTINATE WAYS

A SAVORING OF INTENSE PASSIONS OF THE PAST
OR REMORSEFUL INDULGENCE IN GUILT WHICH ONE HOLDS FAST

A LOVE PHYSICALLY OVER AND YET EMOTIONALLY ALIVE
OR LETTING THIS LOST LOVE'S DISTRESS TO THRIVE


Joyous Nothingness

Out of nothingness I was born
So were you
Into nothingness I will go
And so will you

Without periphery is< BR> This mysterious nothingness,
This infinite consciouseness,
Its centers are I and you

We its centers!
What a stupendous deception!
What a fabulous perception!
What a marvelous inception!

When the creation began
Separated were I and you
Nothingness waited for eons
To give form to I and you

Now the two centers of nothingness come face to face
Rush towards the other for a long await ed embrace
To end this eternal solitary diversion
And to embark on a joyous excursion


Celebration of Life

Two beings isolated by nothingness

A physical separation
An uncanny situation

An imaginary aberration
A mental creation

Then with a startling flash
Without doubt or mental clash

Cognition of one's other self
Self's unison with th e self

Insight struck that this is the one
Realization that I and you are spiritually one

Two equals in a temporal companionship
A model for eternal relationship

Darkness and light
Blended in a rainbow

Two rivers of life
Merged in a confluent flow

Dancing
To the music of spheres

Today, tomorrow and eternally
Without angst or fear


WHAT IS LIFE

IT MAY BE A BREATHING PUMP
OR A HIGH JUMP

IT MAY BE A PLEASANT SENSATION
OR A PAINFUL LACERATION

IT MAY BE A HEART'S BEAT
OR AN IMAGINATION'S FEAT

IT MAY BE AN EMOTIONAL SOUND
OR A THOUGHT PROFOUND

IT MAY BE A GREAT SINGING NOTE
OR AN INSIGNIFCANT SOUND AFLOAT

I T MAY BE A QUIET PHILOSOPHICAL REFLECTION
OR NOTHING MORE THAN A NEUROLOGICAL ALTERCATION

IT MAY BE NATURE'S FRUITCAKE
OR ITS GREATEST MISTAKE

All poems Copyright © 1997 Dr. Ashok Malhotra. All rights reserved.