Un(answered) by Shobana Gomes

Once, I looked across the distance, It had the makings of an age-old civilization, Intrigued, I saw two people walking, they created another kind of distraction. Maybe it was the girl, or was it the boy who followed behind, quietly, maybe hoping the girl wouldn’t turn back, Shy and awkward, I sensed he wouldn’t know…

The Art Room by Shobana Gomes

Of what do you make of the atelier, The one that I have filled with brushes and paint, the colors do add to a painted ensemble, of ruses and misgivings, beauty and shadows, of tilting landscapes and landmarks of yore. I once asked him the name given to a medieval room that locked artisans in,…

Nothing is as it Seems by Shobana Gomes

Nothing is ever as it seems, Not the world and all its jargon, Or the endless proclamation, Of words, spoken and written, that conjure up no meaning, No, not even when the pen runs out of ink, An unfinished tale, left aside, with no ending, Does it hearken any implication? Nothing is as it seems,…

A Life to Choose by Shobana Gomes

I don’t know why the world is weary now, weighed down by fighting, torching fires ignite huge flames of discord. I try to look away, but those images keep repeating in my mind, tortured souls that once fought wars, now lying in tombs that some may never know or hear of, buried under the earth’s…

Nostalgia by Shobana Gomes

The shimmer of the setting sun glistens against crimson clouds, its façade, unblemished. The lighthouse stands regal, as a stoic witness. The waters create a contrasting veneer on an evening of nostalgia. Nothing can disturb its peace, not even eager tides beating against quiet sands. People have walked, embracing, on those tacit sands. There came…

The Speeding Train by Shobana Gomes

A little girl of six She sits legs folded beneath her Watching for the speeding train, As it whizzes past her She is enthralled by its speed and time is lost to her within the seconds of its speed -SHOBANA GOMES Shobana Gomes lives in sunny Malaysia. She believes that poetry is a culmination of…

What is Beauty to You? by Shobana Gomes

What is beauty to you? he once asked me. We stood among the flowers, on a hill where sunrises never set. The day remained gloriously endowed by all that charmed. I stared ahead at the wonder of it all. Would a question like that require a tender heart, or would it be in passing that…

And then there was Solace by Shobana Gomes

And then there was solace, Here where the sun’s light trail, Between trees, On the fallen leaves, Caressing my uplifted face, Seeking silence, Of the quieted woods. I have watched its touch, heal the wounds, of tree barks, of the surviving leaves, that lay un-crumbled  upon the ground, where I sit, unperturbed by the, undisturbed….

The Beautiful Woman by Shobana Gomes

I know that I am a wonder to you, Hailing from someplace unknown, I stand on beaches that seas rush to, With sand on my feet to show. O hail the sky, That measures up to me, And treats me as the beautiful one, A woman am I, Distrusting you see, Of the camouflage that…

Far Too Late I Realized by Shobana Gomes

Once when there was life in me,I took it for granted,I waited far too long, thinking I had timeMaybe to say “I Love You” or just to be aroundTo light up someone’s life and maybe even mine I put off the day and then realized far too soon it was nightTime had passed through my…

What’s in a Name by Shobana Gomes

Knitted in the document of names, the journey beginsOf what do you see the traits begin or howHow does the trail reveal its rootsA name stands to gain footage on scrollsLike a mushrooming tree, it gains its footholdA surname likened to a familyThe name that catapults the flames of identityTo know the branches that hold…

Argentina by Shobana Gomes

Argentina, I have heard about you… You were of days gone old, Sultry looks, pouty lips, a sculptured face, Your sensuousness redeemed a nation’s creed. Argentina, the crops once grew wild, Where the wars ravaged the gardens that thrived, I often thought about the way The Americas shook with rage, At the wickedness that besieged…

Of Lipsticks, Little Girls, and Big Dreams by Shobana Gomes

She was about five or six With lovely piercing eyes Not one to miss out on details She looks around. She caught my eye No smile but look again she did My look warm, my eyes smiling, She turns away Was that look one of beguile? Her little barbie doll clasped in her arms, Her…

On a Starlit Night by Shobana Gomes

O that the intrigue is undiminished, Upon Earth’s darkened skies, Breathing fires bequeathing, Of a silent worshiper, Of hopeful anointing. Tiny sprinkles fill the dusted exterior, Wherein deeply lies, The clouds that creep in the hours for sleeping. We walk under the starlit night, Not wanting to escape, A universe’s exhibition. In chastened colors do…

The Bells Are Tolling by Shobana Gomes

The bells are a tolling, A little babe is brought into this world, In a celebration, Amidst the haystack, And, The animals grazing. A child born to poverty, Risen to lead the world as a King, The King of Nazareth is He. A tale of when Christmas was born, An intrigue every year-round, Wide eyed…

When Your Cup Runneth Over by Shobana Gomes

I was thinking the other day about how long it took me to be bold enough to showcase my writing to the literary world. I had always kept it private, not wanting anyone to know that I had this knack of writing down my thoughts or delving into the deepest part of my soul to…