Manoj was the first to go
Venkatesh was second
Naturally I’m the next one in
The last man now is beckoned
Helmet hides my sweaty brow
And offers me protection
From the ball about to be swung
In my face’s direction
The fiery paceman runs at me
Fire raging in his sight
My legs tremble at the prospect
Of my horrible plight
All my plans have gone blank
I close my eyes and swing
Hoping I won’t be the one
To make him a hattrick king
I edge the ball into the skies
It sails up, up and over
On the roof of the stadium
The birds are seeking cover
My captain on the other end
Comes and pats my back
“You’re the first to smash him
He’d want his ego back”
Month: April 2025
When You Return Home Late From Work #2
Open the door, darling
Open the door please
The neighbours are watching
When You Return Home Late From Work #1
When did I first call you?
Five
What did you tell me then?
I’ll be home in an hour
When did I call you next?
Six
Where were you then?
In office
What did you tell me then?
I’ll be home in an hour
When did I call you next?
Seven
Where were you then?
In office
What did you tell me then?
I’m just closing for the day
When did I call you next?
Nine
What did you do?
I didn’t pick up
Where were you then?
In office
What time is it now?
(You gulp and a drop of sweat trickles down your forehead)
not-poetry #7
not-poetry #6
not-poetry #5
a not-poem cares little
about enjambment
metre/speling
& worse = punctuality
~ rule #75673
not-poetry #4
not-poetry #3
we have a chameleon
living in places
a chameleon shouldn’t live
in a garden
watching
the flowers wilt
fall
root
rise
it just woke up one day and decided to become a flower
bees come for honey
the chameleon smiles
~ and feeds on them
not-poetry #2
not-poetry
as relatable as an ‘i do’
as short as a haiku
as deceitful as a magic trick
as shallow as a limerick
as stupefying as the universe
as ill-structured as a free verse
as convenient as an abbreviation
as useless as a quotation
~ a not-poem
Frank Solanki 