Poems

Harlot

The silhouetted scintilla

Leaning against a miserly-lit lamppost

That sultry late night

Shuffled her solicitous erotica

Ensnaring my mind

In triumph

To her voyeuristic extravaganza.

Vapid eyes slid past slowly

Her curvaceous, sculpted form

Only to be got entangled abruptly

With those sullen eyes

Trapped in that vibrant body.

“Harlot….!”,

Wailed aloud the very perpetrators

Donning Puritanical masks.

The abyss of those crystal eyes

Echoed an eternal silence –

Of betrayal

To the professed beacons

Embedded in societal quicksand steadfast

Along the expanse of a morbid morality

Shattering the insulation familial

We all so pride.

– Bimal Saigal

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Unspoken

From the moment you took your first breath, the world tilted, and I was reborn. In your eyes, I saw the galaxies sublime, and I knew I would guard your heart with mine.

You, my only son, are the quiet strength, the pulse beneath my skin, the dream I cradle when the night falls deep, and the hope I hold when the days feel long.

I’ll watch you grow, catch you in stumble and help you rise, each step carving a path uniquely yours. And with each triumph, my heart will swell, filling — a silent song that only I can sing.

You are the spark to the flame of my soul, a beacon in the storms we weather. In your laughter, I hear the echo of my youth, in your tears, the weight of all I wish to heal.

I may not always have the words to say what lies deep within this heart of mine. But know this, my son, my only son: You are the reason I find strength to carry on.

In you, I see all that is yet to come — the man you are, the man you will be, and no matter the winds that bend you low, you will forever be my most sacred love

– Douglas Barnes

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In the Light of the Christ Child

In a world where shadows doom looms,

Divided hearts in discord boom,

Where political tribes clash in bitter strife,

And greed consumes the breath of life.

The siren call of wealth divides,

While empathy in silence hides,

Racism’s hand, a bitter scourge,

As love and kindness start to purge.

But lo! A star breaks through the night,

Heralding a humble birth, pure, meek, and bright,

The Christ Child born in manger low,

A beacon to the hearts that glow.

Multitude of heavenly host in praise

Glorifying God in the highest,

Announcing on earth peace among people with whom God is pleased!

He came to elevate, inspire,

To kindle hope, to lift us higher,

With every gaze upon His face,

We find our strength, we find our grace.

No more oppressed beneath the weight,

Of walls we’ve built, of forged estate,

In Him, we see the past unlearned,

And all who seek shall stand affirmed.

For love transcends each line we draw,

Word made flesh dwelling among us.

In unity, we find the law,

Embrace each other, human kind,

With open hearts and open minds.

So let us anchor, firm and true,

Our human rights in love’s soft hue,

Grace and truth came,

With the Christ Child leading through the night,

We’ll rise as one, and walk in light.

– Dudley McLean II