The sun sets and rises
Amidst this grind
There are answers
That I do not find
Time has stolen
My peace of mind

The honest person
That I was once
Am seeking childhood
In its virtual absence
Time has stolen
My innocence  

My love nest is
Nothing but wilderness 
I have lots of energy
That I cannot harness
Time has stolen
My hopefulness  

From far off I get
A whiff of romance
It’s not apparent
But from your glance
Time is finally offering
A second chance 

© Rakshita Verma
23^rd March, 2008

Shades of red
Pangs of passion
Eyes darting across
Love, contempt, hatred 

Cries in green
From far and near
See them all around

Some honest, some mean

Hues in brown
Time stands still
Dry tears rolling
Away from a frown 

Shadows in pink
Walking away…
Scornful smile
Puts me on a brink  

Tinge of yellow
Spread across
Days and nights
And evenings mellow  

Pains in blue
Soft and killing
Dreams unbound
Some false, some true 

Colours of white
Shaded in black
Life is but grey
Shining bright

 © Rakshita Verma

27^th February, 2008

Sab kuchh apne saath le aayi hun
Kuchh yun zindagi baant aayi hun 

Ek mutthi hansi, ek katra aansu
Ek naya chehra maang laayi hun 

Kuch tukde khayaalon ke samet ke
Har fikra se bekhayaal ho aayi hun  

Rishton ke tokre se is baar
Phir apna naam chhaant laayi hun 

Zameen se thokar kha ke main
Ab ek parat aasmaan laayi hun 

Ek dibbi bhar ke khushi se
Gham ka saaya laang aayi hun 

Sharm ki gathri ko chhod ke
Chehre ki surkhi sang laayi hun 

Kayi sapnon ko bhuja ke main
Sang apne naye armaan laayi hun 

Shama lekar baithi thi mushaayre mein
Nazmein apni kahin aur bhool aayi hun 

© Rakshita Verma
September 19, 2007

Hi All,

We are looking forward to hire designers (B'bay)  & copywriters (Delhi & B'bay) for web-based ads.

Exp: 1-4 years

If u know somebody, pls ask them to fwd me their CVs at rakshitav@rediff.co.in

Thnx a ton

Ret pe ghar banaa rahi hun shaayad
Jab aankh khulti hai to dikhta hai
Chauk kahin kho gaya hai 

Paani pe basera hai maano
Palkein jhapakti hun bas
Pados badal sa jaata hai mera 

Sab kuch badal raha hai har pal
Waqt bhi nikalta jaa raha hai
Zindagi magar tham si gayi hai 

Rakshita Verma
August 2, 2007

Saturday, 19^th May 2007, was my first poetry recitation in public. Whew! Quite an exhilarating experience I must say.

I wasn’t willing to read it out. The crowd was elite, intellectual, and highly talented. There was this 70-year old powerhouse of talent. He was singing classical music. And when the host suggested that I read out my poems, I wanted to make sure I read the best of the lot. Even then I wasn’t sure if I should read it at all.  

Finally I read out 3 Hindi and 1 English poem.  

Obviously the recitation wasn’t that good coz it was my first ever public recitation. But the response was phenomenal. When I got off everybody wanted to talk to me. And tell me that I was good.  

The next morning when I got up, lots of thoughts were making rounds. And I quickly penned them down. One follows, and the other one will enter my collection to publish.  

Mehfil

Lafzon mein khud ko pesh kiya
Kai logon ne sar aankhon pe kiya
Sirf chand logon ne hi samjha mujhe 

Main to apne aap se baat kar rahi thi
Na jaane kab ye mehfil saji
Yun laga jaise khud se begaani ho gayi 

Kuch hasrat aaj yakaayak poore huye
Aarzoo to aur bhi bahut thi humein
Sirf chand hasrat aaj dafn huye 

Aaj haath badhaaya to sab the
Mujh mein khud ko dekhte sab the
Sab mein lekin main kahin kho gayi 

Jo aankh khuli to koi na tha
Who baatein raat ke saath dhal gayi
Chand khwaab phir adhoore reh gaye 

Rakshita Verma
May 20, 2007

I would like to believe in innocence
Yet I tend to look beyond
Trying to read the mind 

I like to take things at face value
But I’m learning to read between lines
Trying to catch tricky signs 

Nothing is as it appears
When it’s foggy, I can aim
It’s crystal clear, I lose focus  

Can’t say the world is a cheat
They tell me I’m responsible
For being so damn gullible  

Rakshita Verma
April 23, 2007

I had just come back from my hometown after the Diwali vacations. Was still fondling with memories of my friends, parents, the bylanes, my bicycle, empty wide roads, clear skies, greenery…
A mixture of nostalgia & depression had overtaken while I was moving ahead in the herd of some 40 girls to board the train to Goa.

In a whiz, the past was left behind. And I was back in the present. Our hostel warden was taking us to Goa. 40 crazy girls and just 4 boys. One of them was the warden’s 5-year old son (we don’t believe in cradle-snatching), her husband (sorry, we were not interested), hostel cook (huh?) and, of course, our tour guide (ahem!). This oh-not-so-good-looking-tour-guide probably never got so much attention in his life ever ;)

Even before we reached Goa, our vocal cords was yearning for some rest. And also our fellow passengers, as nobody could sleep in our compartment. We touched Goa and suddenly jeans transformed into shorts, tops became backless and bandana was the biggest piece of cloth seen in the vicinity.

They crammed us into rooms. It was more like a dorm. The hotel food was horrible. But no one heard complains, of course, we are not talking about cribbing.   

This was my first trip to Goa… in 2000. And I clearly remember each moment with the sun, surf and sand. We plunged into the water each time we got a chance. Explored lots of virgin beaches. Bought cheap clothes and changed around the beach. Huge, tall and beautiful churches. River cruise and the band that rocked coz we were there! We put life into every place we went to. And popped two Disprins to alleviate the pain in our legs before sleeping. Did I mention that a lot of effort went into impressing this one single tour guide? None of us even knew his name. But that barely mattered then.  

We got back and the effect lasted for sometime… till our exam results came out. And we thought either of the past (exam time) or of the future (career).  

Sometimes it’s so simple to keep the past & future away and live the moment. And yet, most of the times we delve into the future or dwell in the past. But Goa seems to be just the right concoction to do so. Each time I need a break, I reach Goa… with or without a gang.  

Rakshita Verma

Away from confinement
I quickly run into another 
The irony of life began
In the womb of my mother 

Walking out of school
I dreamt of a land further
College was fun, though
Was confinement another 

Enter the big bad world
Carve a niche yonder
Along with worldly pleasures
Build a house forever

What did I run away from?
The same that I ran into
Confined I have been
Earlier and now too 

There is only one escape
Alas, I can’t live up to that
But will set myself free
One day when I’m lying flat

Rakshita Verma

Jaane ye kaun sa mausam hai
Na sardiyon ki dhoop hai
Na din yahan par kam hai
Na thand ka koi bhi roop hai

Na mitti ki khushbu hai
Na bheege yauvan mein hulchul
Na baadalon mein guftagu hai
Na chai pakodi ka hi koi pal

Dhoop bhi chilchilaati nahi
Na chaandni ka koi aalam
Na jharnon ki aarzoo kahin
Na ye chhuttiyon ka mausam

Sarson bhi nahi dikhte hain
Patang asma me ab tak na naacha hai
Naye patte bhi kahin na ugte hain
Na muskaraata koi bhi raasta hai

Jaane ye kaun sa mausam hai
Tum paas hokar bhi itne door ho
Har baat shuru hone se pehle khatm hai
Kaam ho na ho, masroof ho

Rakshita Verma