Sleep

I am so tired
Physically
But that's about all
that's left of me,
except for my heart;
Its still beating wild
and fast and distracted,
like the eyes of a child
Perhaps the exhaustion
is sent to slow down
the flying thoughts
and bring me around-
Back to the constant
thrum of being.
Down to the softness;
calm the seething
Of the fire and the flames
inside the heart.
Burning up names
like the ancient dragon's art.
Folding my wings
I am ready to fly
Death comes slowly
With peace, and a sigh.

Priyanka Rao
12th March '09

To be

To be a poet
is to see through the painting
of your eyes
and to hear
through the poetry
of your ears
and to sing the songs
of your heart

Priyanka
January 26th '09

The Flood of the Forest

The trees crash down
upon the others
crawling with creatures
of teeth and feathers

Lightning attacks
like angry sunlight
tearing at the leaves
with ravenous appetite

Insects scuttle
among the chaos
fear and greed
fill their brain mass

The rainwater’s strength
saturates the skin
numbness fills
the bodies within

The wet wood’s pungence
fills frozen nostrils
mixed with the coldness
of the deepest evils

The thunder’s booms
Are buried by rustling
of a thousand leaves
thrashing and shaking

White light glows
upon the air
shadows dueling
everywhere

The trees that shake
among the dead
stand on to challenge
what next the storm bred

Terrible winds
clawed at the branches
hurling them down
as terrible lances

Flying paws
of some powerful creature
drowned by the crash
of a falling trees power

The rushing of leaves
the booming of thunder
the crashing of trees
falling asunder

creaking of trunks
moaning of lumber
howling of wind
shrieking its hunger

Trapped she was
in the flood of the forest
witness was she to war of the bravest . . .

Her prison of trees
lay unheeded
enraptured was she
by this War unabated

Dreadful it was
raging about her
yet in it she saw
terrible beauty alive in the horror

All of those people
dancing in the Sun
who would ever know
when it had begun?

No one would know
when it was won
No one would know
when this epic was done

In a War without hatred
but only fear
In a War that only changes
the soul with an ear.

Escape was estranged
this was the place
death was accepted
on her intoxicated face

But could she leave
this tale untold?
To all the world
would it never unfold?
* * *
Once upon
A winter’s day
Ignorant footsteps
tread light and gay

Unaware
of the terrific past,
When something of interest
was seen as he passed-

Under the ferns
upon the moss
lay a page
runes running across

A knee did bend
a hand reached out
to read the letters
to yet find out . . .

A sudden wind
rushed into the light,
as if a ghost
of that terrible night.

Across the page
A story lived
The Flood of the Forest
was relived.

And finally came
the ending lines
faded
but lasting through all times

‘I’ve used my ink
I’ve done my duty
Tribute has been paid
to this torrent of beauty.’
P.L. Rao
17th October 2006

The Heart

You’re in the skies
your own life has made
you’re in the light
that cannot be weighed

The light that reflects
the light that spreads
the light that dances
through everyone’s heads

The light that glows
the light that dances
the light that knows
and through darkness prances

Alive and alight
like waters of the ocean
calm as a whole
but forever in motion.

Fantasies and dreams
evolve in this motion
bubbling like the surface
of some wonderful potion

Dreams of adventure
waves of voices
currents of drama
splashes of rejoices

Reflections of romance
Depths of affection
droplets of laughter
oaths of protection

Torrents of struggling
Storms of strength
Winds of rage
But for love with all faith.

God is life
quivering with emotion
sure as the Sun
and as young as an ocean.

Let me dive
into your sea
sink in your love
yet still stay me.

By P.L.Rao
1st October 2006

Wordeath

The words I feel
are pressed into my skin
like red hot iron
Branded upon
my arm, my shoulder
my throat
my tongue
fenced around my lungs
Every feeling
is shredded through a comb
of thoughts and facts
and I am a tree
with these shredded leaves
fluttering in the wind
but my roots are deep
In the earth
and my branches
are way up high
and my thoughts are silent
and I open my throat
but no words are there
Slowly I’m finding myself
in a wordless world
with only feelings
twisting feelings
in my gut
and I feel full
As though I have
all the food
I’ll ever need
in my stomach
and I know
I’ve found
myself
In the silent
tangible gullies
of being
who I am.
P.L.Rao
17th Feb. 2009

Glade

I love the dawn: there’s a fresh world
to see today
I love the quiet of a well
below the sunlight’s fray;
I love a home where everything else
is a world away . . .

I love the wild of a traveler’s road
and to hear the people of life’s every mold;
to see the pages of cultures unfold.

I love to see a plot at play-
From dawn to dusk; from gray to gay,
On books and tales, I love to prey.

I love these colors, deep and bold
I love to hide when its dark and cold,
I’ll love the world till I grow old . . .
Though, if asked why, I couldn't say.

жא☼Ж☼אж
-P.L.Rao

6th July 2008

Beauty Cage

My life still swells and falls
like the surface of the sea
And a thousand frothy bubbles burst
and yet somehow capture me.
жא☼Ж☼אж
-P.L.Rao
14th August 2007

If only

If only
If only
I could speak to time
I’m sure she would listen
to my pleading

If only
If only
I could show her my thoughts
I know she would
stop her speeding.

If only
If only
I could wear her down
stubborn though she may be
How popular she could be,

If only
If only
for a moment in time;
If only
If only
She waited for me.

P.L.Rao

Ambitious

A season ends
with murk and blood
Its time to pull myself up from the mud.

I feel fresh, I feel full
Of whirring thoughts, on which to mull
I step onto the window sill
And see the sunrise, misty but full.

I want to dive
from window to world
And touch the currents
of the sea
I want to dive
from the sky, unfurled
and feel it flowing
over me.

Can I face that wrenching cold
and reach out to the sunlight's gold?
Do I do this on my own
Can I fight the currents hold?
I want to weave
from present and past
a binding golden tapestry
I want to weave
something to last
throughout the stony century

O, but take these questions from me now
I never wanted to know how
to live an entire life alone
I just want to find a home
somehow

I want to lock
windows and doors
in the house surrounding me
I want to lock out
all the roars
of all the thoughts attacking me

I want a warming hand to hold
I want to paint the sky with gold
I want some love to share with you
I want this life to stay unsold

I want to live
from heat to pain
a life with love
but still so free
I want to live
through every rain
with the will to live
and a smile
that is me.

Plr

13th Dec. 09

Railroad Tracks

Chained by my wrists
to a block of stone
that is sinking in the sand
like a melting bone
Hardness of heart
constricts the breath
Solid as stone
Static as death

It’s hard to breathe
this dusty darkness
Am I full of emotion
or simply heartless?

The restless demon
calls this suffocation
Just stop- don't give
an explanation
The air in my lungs
an expanding load
A violent conclusion
-when I explode.
So foggy my mind
So full of the cold
So soft and grey
like I might have been told.

Kill me this way
by blocking me up
the phone is ringing
but I can't pick it up

I hear you're voice
From the vibrating phone
Scratching my nerves
with your endless drone

I'm folded and packed
into your suitcase
and left on the desk
along with your shoelace

The roof falls down
I fall to the floor
I slip down the stairs
but just miss the door.

I look up the stairs
coming down is a train
the railroad tracks
are slippery with rain
they are full of cracks
I might slip through
I want to be tied down
And broken anew
With hammers and picks
And the sweat from their backs
Till I sizzle and fly
from the railroad tracks.

Priyanka Rao
3rd Feb. ‘09.