fire eater

it was you that became the reason
i came out and played with fire
light and heat my customary constants
burned brighter than i could have known

but this fire was not one i ever asked for
now it was all mine to embrace inhale
i drank with abandon fooling this head
only the gallant must play here for sure

then one day it became mine to hold alone
yet i carried it further, my precious light
who could persuade me of its empty hollow?
even when burns replaced the glow

so now i know you run retreat
to your empty excuse of a shell
i'll go tread places i've always been
tending my fires like i've done before

perhaps one day i'll see the burns
seared more deeply than my bargain
maybe i'll laugh at my own audacity
of letting this skin not fear the sun

precious scars on skin will surely tell
of a story that was worth the while
in one short life i've burned and brightly
than fizzle in silent safe compromise

---
reena
3/31/17

heard this song after aeons and it got this persistent poem come pouring out
"hum tere pyaar mein saara alam kho bathay kho bathay
tum kahtay ho ke aise pyaar ko bhool jao bhool jao..."
(translation: in your love i forgot the world, and you tell me to forget this love?)

faults

some of our faults were distant strangers
even to us our critical selves
even as we looked in the mirror
we thought we knew who that was
that stared back in dim confusion
for what life left at our door
was surely not what we sought
there must be some mistake
yet again it was a fault but not ours
we built a shield so strong
smug in our self assuredness
but our body knew exhausted by pretense
we thought we knew how to love
but maybe we didn't know how to be loved
to give ourselves a firm permission
to give our hearts away, and leave doors open...

---
reena
3/24/17

Entitled

Somehow I became
One who demanded too much
But were you not mine?

---
Reena
3/12/17

restless

will you write me a poem some day?
maybe it will have the secrets i search
after all i only ask for your words
for they may somehow quench this thirst

maybe you won't be able to say
maybe it will still sing my song
maybe i already know what it claims
maybe yet somehow i'll get it all wrong

but whatever it is i promise myself
it will take me to a place i belong
it will ask all questions unasked
for a soul that searches answers unknown

perhaps you'll only write me a word or two
just tired of these persistent woes
parched souls ask for elixirs impossible
perhaps some chapters can never be closed

but write me a few words i can take with me
indulge me my wandering fantasy
only you have the words that can bring
those calming intervals for this restless soul

---
reena
3/6.17