The leash was strong but not strong enough
To keep a lioness in check
For over a year she was bound
And helpless as she
Let others pelt stones at her
And her lion, who too was
Bound and helpless
They instigated her for no reason
Provoked her and scarred her
She kept quiet and suffered
She was taught to ignore the fools
She was told to forgive and forget
But kindness is often viewed as weakness
And they kept pelting her
Day after day
Night after night
The ring master and her staff
Thought it to be a sport
A little fun to pass the time away
It was indeed all fun and games for them
Till one day the lioness snapped
And with her the leash
She unleashed herself and her fury
Upon the men who dared
To disturb her and her lion
And tried to suppress them
And turn them into passive slaves
For entertainment and chores
It had been a long time coming
But coming it was
When it did, all hell broke loose
The lioness roared
Tag: Photography
Molded
I gave my body a shape
Molded it into something different
For your sake
It was perfect when you were
Here with me all the time
Like two pieces of jigsaw
We intertwined
And laughed the seasons
Away with locked arms
Now I see myself as crooked
And that’s how the others
See me too; they laugh and
Tell me that I have been
Twisted and deceived
Made to become
Something I wasn’t
It is true what they say, isn’t it?
I am no longer
The missing piece of jigsaw
I am not even
Part of the puzzle
I find it difficult
To straighten my back
My body is deformed beyond recognition
It is not how I used to be
It is me, yet it is not
Like You Used To
If you hold me
Like you used to
Then these thorns and rain will go away
Hear my story
Like you used to
When the night has taken out the day
With the rain falling outside
I’m trapped in my own home
Trying to escape the thoughts
Only brings me closer to them
I’m worried
I’m uneasy
As I watch the flowers wilt for want of air
If you hold me
Like you used to
Then these thorns and rain will go away
Hear my story
Like you used to
When the night has taken out the day
My eyes witness melancholy
My soul shoulders the blame
All I have is the distance
Where one day a bridge shall stand
I’m thinking
I’m hungry
My body will take no other nourishment
If you hold me
Like you used to
Then these thorns and rain will go away
Hear my story
Like you used to
When the night has taken out the day
Untitled #12
It doesn’t feel like we’re meeting for the first time
It may have been another universe
It may have been another lifetime
Another time; another age
It feels like I’ve known you forever
Untitled #11
Time came to pass
Swiftly, cruelly
Leaving no sounvenirs in my hand
We didn’t even say goodbye
We just waved
Untitled #10
The king spoke to his only son
“Soon I’ll give you my whole kingdom.”
The prince said, “I don’t want your name
Just let me play my video game.”
Alone On A Beach
I find myself alone
With the seeds I have sown
On a beach – cold, dark and stranded
Where no saint has ever landed
Where the hearts turn to stone
Be Less Sorry Be More Grateful
Be less sorry
Be more grateful
Remember your love
Be less forgetful
Be a little braver
And less fearful
Be a lot awesome
And less awful
Be a little loving
Be less dreadful
Be more adventurous
Be less careful
Be less arrogant
Be more thankful
Be less sorry
Be more grateful
Still In The Game
So much we gain, far more we lose
Each ecstacy comes with a bruise
Dwell not on what you could have won
With each breath your life is gone
Your body will presently depart
Cherish! Relish it with all your heart
You may not hold a claim to fame
Yet there you are still in the game
Love Is That Holiday Destination
Love is that holiday destination
Which flashes before your eyes
As soon as you open your social media accounts
Because that is where
Your friends seem to be going
Your neighbours seem to be heading, again (only this time with their kids)
Your colleagues have planned to go
And they are all posting exquisite pictures of themselves and that place all the time
You cannot avoid it
How long can you shun social media?
You must go there and see it with your own eyes
Experience it with your own body
Breathe it with your lungs
Taste it with your tongue
And so you check your schedule
Fix a date
Make the reservations
Book the tickets
Off you go to scratch that itch
When you land there
What do you see?
A deserted landscape
Nobody but you
You wonder if it is the right place
You check your phone and confirm so
Why, then, is nobody else in sight
Then a drop falls on your hand
Then another, and another
You turn to look up
And see dark clouds gathering overhead
A storm is brewing
Now you know
Frank Solanki 