Ode to sussegado. Ode to Goa.

cold sea shore

warmth of the rum in the glass

splashing waves, on the cold shore

can't see nothing,

it don't matter anyway

colours of a thousand odd hues, shades

a concoction of Konkani and English 

of the foreigner's type, too, you see 

cloth, ivory and tacky logos - 

elephant beaches in Goa, they say?

sand in the shoes,

that's a song, she tells me

palm trees, or coconuts?

sunrise over the hills and sets in the sea

candle-lit tables scattered

on the cold sandy beach

we drink to good times...and bad;

nope, there can't be any of those

this is Goa,

sun, sussegado and joyful company 

good times a-plenty, abundant

and yes, patraos, the rum, it helps too 

Days of summer

Sliding down a heap of gravel,

a trail of dust- his legacy;

Little limbs un-tired,

eager to climb, perhaps a tree…

Hard to catch, slipping under branches,

over boulders;

Running ‘cross grassy fields,

swampy marshes,

one day a king; another day, an explorer.

His scrawny elbow scraped,

his sinewy knees hurt;

The smile on the face never fades,

dirtied too, is his shirt.

Butterflies and creepy-crawlies,

stray dogs and tabby cats;

The birds in the sky, too- his companions,

he seems frightened though,

of the fox-eared fruit bats…

In the mornings he leaves,

sits under a tree, avoiding the hot sun;

A blade of grass in his mouth,

with a few human friends, tales they’d all spun…

Sunset they saw from the Three-Kings’ Hill,

racing back home- their final sport;

clothes muddied, knees bloodied-

his ma welcomes him home…

Before he sleeps, he thinks-

Tomorrow, there’s to conquer another peak,

another day, another fort…

Brothers in Arms

Dense jungles, desolate deserts,

Blood stains on city walls;

All across the wide world,

I’ve seen them all.

Violence, murder, genocide,

Seen my brothers fall.

But I’ve had to move on;

Because I’ve seen it all.

Villages burning, children dead;

It happens when duty calls.

Survived my worst nightmares,

And I’ve seen them all

Demons in form of humans;

I’ve seen them all.

Though they were all men,

I've killed them all.

Here we are

In forsaken lands,

A bond of kinship we form

With bleeding hands.

The confluence of blood

In barren lands

Has made us kin

For times to stand.

We fight, not for

The glory of our nations,

But for the innocents

Who need our protection.

Brothers in Arms,

We’re doomed to damnation;

Please say farewell

To my wife and children.

Brothers in Arms,

We’re meant to fight;

With courage and valour

Keep the hope alight.

Brothers in Arms,

It’s not the end yet;

Grim it may seem,

But our fates have met.

Brothers in Arms

Fight till your last breath,

Hold your ground, for

We've had no fear of death.

Brothers in Arms,

Road to salvation;

I’m glad to have fought,

And died by my brethren.