वोइसस फ्रॉम वित्हीं US

VOICES FROM WITHIN US

“A chapbook of love poetry”


TENDAI र MWANAKA

PATHS OF LOVE

Like wild raging seas
rough are love’s paths

But a speck in the middle-
of this vast surging mass

In its paths to find,
claim and conquer

Of sunshine and honey
a paradise yonder

Love’s paths are rough
like little mountain lines.





FIRST TOUCH

I had assumed this,
would stay our first touch.
And I had hoped that,
we would hold through.

The blue and yellow butterflies dancing,
in September’s sunlight.
is the susurrus breaking up of the bubbles,
a short-lived awareness?

And like the winter’s pool on the dry,
we keep loosing our waters.
Always flying in the paths of our angers-
the eagle’s talons!











THE WOMAN IN ME

On a sunny lovely May-morning.
I found a rose red brightly blooming.
Besides the road, under a shade Baobab tree.
Oval features implanted so craftily!
Upon such a lovely shape and face.
Soft red-lips, spring of such a voice!
Doubtlessly sweet, fresh and promising.
I will suckle her lips like a bee on honeysuckle.

“Oh, you are so sweet like honey!”
Can I posses you, can I be possessed?
Fix you, fire you, cradle you, case you.
Come on, come nearer, I will reach you.
Breathe the same air that I am breathing.
I will circle you in my arms like ivy on a tree.
My lips on your lips, your heart on my heart!
Sating this awesome yearning, this thirst too!

Think of her as the Woman in me.
Let me mould my Eve, Sculpture her for you.
Let her candid doleful eyes seek yours,
And her sweet-song voice calls for you.
Let her footsteps as she comes and goes
Be like bird-markings appearing faintly-still,
After a full day’s disturbances and winds.
And she will dwell in you like the Woman in me.

I find in her eyes, an innocent heart-truthful.
No pencil can sketch her picture truthfully.
Neither the poet, not a song can sing a true song.
No words, not even thoughts can express her so.
She touches sympathies that are too deeper for words,
Too deeper for my thoughts and feelings.
And to my visions, dreams, hopes and heart,
She bestows life, strength, beauty and light.

She is as fresh as the sun awakening.
She makes us aware of our hearts.
That we have them, they are now timbering.
Awakened to the love they see lustring.
Welcoming this joyousness into our lives.
She fills a void in our spiritual being.
We are ourselves, we are now over-brimming-
In happiness, life and laughter.


She is nurse to wounds still painful,
A prescription the doctor ordered for.
She is stem to sprouting green leaves.
Against the Sun, winds, colds, and rains-
She nourishes and shoulders my heart tender!
And lets her love like the sunset surround me
Stirs feelings no other woman has ever.
Deeper sources no other woman ever sounded,

“O”, the sensations, I can sigh over them.
Pity me, despise me, laugh at me!
I will confess it with outmost humility.
I love her, “O”, how I love her!
I will be her wall against the suns, winds, colds, rains
Her faithful shield against all wrongs, trusting!
I will guide her through life’s shoals, rocks and thorns.
Living and loving, “O”, being loved too!


IS IT


is it your warmth
is it your beauty
is it your courage
is it your sweetness
what is it?

it must be your breath
it must be your voice
it must be your laughter
it must be your smile
what is it?

is it when you breathe
is it when you talk
is it when you laugh
is it when you smile
what is it?

is it husky
is it sassy
is it soft
is it sweet
what is it?

is it because
i am in love with you
what is आईटी?

IF YOU ARE GOING

If you are going
Linger a little while
Like the setting sun’s rays
Touching the coming night
If you are going
Touch the coming night

If you are going
Linger a little while
Kiss me good night
Hold me for the last time
If you are going
Hold me for the last time

If you are going
Linger a little while
Say you cared a little
Come for good-bye
If you are going
Come for a good-bye


COME BACK LILLI

Arise!
My darling,
My beautiful Lilli,
And come.

Behold!
The winter is lasting.
“The cold is over and gone.”
Flowers appear on the Lea.
The season of singing has come.
Let me sing that love song once more.

Show your face-
Let me hear your voice.
Come, my darling,
My beautiful Lilli,
Arise!

You went away,
Without saying goodbye.

A painful morning.
A hurtful morning.
A sorrowful morning-
So many years ago.

Did I hurt you?
Wound you,
Disappoint you,
I wonder!

What did I say?
What did I do?
What did you hear?
That made you walk out.

You left,
Without saying goodbye.
You just went away Lilli,
Without a goodbye.

You left a deep void in my heart,
Return for the wound to heal.

All of my life,
I will never find someone.

To compare with you-
My love,
My Lilli,
My angel.

You are as fair as the Moon.
As brighter as the Sun.
As majestic as stars in procession.


As sweet as honey, with your delights,
“Oh love....!”

You helped me when I was down and low.
You helped me get through all depressions.

All moods and all moments.
All sorrows and all pains.
All joys and all agonies.
All passions and all desires.

With you,
I always want to live.

Without you,
Life has never been the same.

You, without-
Life will never be the same.




Life is so sad,
Signifying nothing-
A shadow so lone!
How loveless lies this heart full once of love?

Come back Lilli.
Come my love,
Come my darling.

Memories of one day,
One cherish,
One life.
Floods me like holy waters of the fountain of love.

When I was so much heartbroken,
Discouraged,
Depressed.

From failures in love,
In life,
In myself.
Suffering from the darkest depths of hurt and pain

Shadows, dark,
Frightening...., fiery
Over me, surging!

Want of light;
To guide me through this dark mine.
I could die from all these,
Unending troubles.

“Oh, Mother Venus!”
You took me into your arms.
Like the young Mother embracing her tot.

Warm, quite,
Peaceful Lilli!
Your arms Lilli!

Softly breathing,
Like the sigh of an Angel.
Your heart tingling,
Like bell tolls afar.

Could it be so?
It must be so.
That,
I still feel the tingle in my heart





Your voice Lilli-
A faint whisper,
Lovelier, soulful...
Caressing.
You said,

That you will always love me?
That you will always love me Lilli.
Love me Lilli!

“So much for love in this mortal sphere.”
Never was there a worry for tomorrow.

A day full of love!
A day full of happiness!
A day full of wonder!

Do you still want me?
Like I do.

Do you still need me?
Why did you leave?

Do you still love me?
Where is the love Lilli?

Come,
Come my love,
Come my darling.

The day you left the world collapsed.
The basis of my life and soul lapsed.
It touched the cavity of my heart,
Where birds of heaven lived-
A nestle of addled eggs.

Everything came crashing down,
With nowhere to go.
A world forgotten,
God forsaken,
Faith lost!

An endless circle,
In the desert,
So desolate!

As a desert plain,
As level.

A ceaseless painful treading,
Your feet so hurtful.
Sweet agonies;
When I think of you I want to cry-

Tears from this heart,
Tears from this soul,
Tears for my care,
Oh, tears for my love!

Distrust;
A disappointment here-
A failure there!

But hope like an echo is faint,
Yet it grows.
Like a thought un-spelt,
It feeds and shows.
Like the moss grows on top of the mountain’s stone.
Like the cactus defies the suns and sand.

As light with its brightness-
Lights up,
Dark nights.
As old give way to new-

I tried it with Cecilia,
With Lana,
With Norma.

Always in their faces,
I saw you.

Always in their voices,
I heard you.

Always in their touches,
I felt you.

“Oh, where is the Woman who used to carry this light for me?”

Second,
Minute,
Hour,
It’s just a godforsaken pattern.

Day,
Week,
Month,
A journey never reached.

Summer’s rains all through winter’s colds,
And with bloom-
Eliding into spring’s greens.




Year after year.
“Oh no, the years!”
Year after year,
The years...
Rolling away.

Yet there you are.
Always shinning so bright.
And it seems like yesterday,
That you were here.

Oh, hearts are victors!
Shinning so bright.

What are you doing?
Where are you?

Away from love,
In a land so far.

What are you doing?
As I cry for you?

What are you thinking of,
As I wait for you?

Bring back the light of your loving
Bring back all those happy memories

Do you still remember those happy times?
Do you remember them?
Like I do?

When tomorrow was there
Timeless..., always

When yesterday was tomorrow,
Forever...., was today.

Those carefree..., loving,
Flying happy days.

Let me be happy,
Just once more Lilli.

Come back Lilli.
Come my love,
Come my darling.









NEED SOMEONE?

You have let them come.
You have let them go.
When there was no reason
To hold onto them anymore.
You have walked all alone.
And it’s now a lifetime-
For you without meaning.

You are not free Caitlin.
You have condemned yourself.
To a life of solitary confinement.
You keep wanting to hide,
Behind that thick wall
That you have built around you.

You will never benefit.
Not from this lonely walk
You will never benefit,
Not from them.
If you can’t let someone
Stay for a little while.

You will never be free.
If you can’t let someone-
Take care of you
You will never be free.
If you can’t learn,
To love them in return.

Don’t you ever need
Need someone Caitlin?
To love and trust,
For you to really live your life.
To the fullest.