Rum ‘n’ I

One March afternoon,
Drenched in Norwester,
She and me
Became we in a bar.

Each drank to the brim.
Throat ached, ears heated up,
Pulse increased in feverish warmth…
The mind registered nothing else.

Rainbow laughter days
Filled ashtray nights
Dreams dreamt and forgotten
In a canvas of hallucination

One, Two, Three, Four,
Many more to come…
I’m full,
The peg, empty.

Buying Miracles

Once upon a time, the bell tolled.
And people thought it was lucky!

They gathered around the square,
Eager for the news that’ll change their lives.
Media waited for the breaking news,
Mass waited for the annual budget.
The esquire waited for a stock market miracle.

The sun rose higher,
Yet the wait continued…
The meek and the mighty,
For the first time stood together
All eager for the lucky draw
Who doesn’t wanna be rich??

Finally, came the controller.
In his starched clothes and polished boots,
On the dais, almighty to the multitude.

“Big Bang! Diwali Dhamaka!
Bano Crorepati! Phodo Pataka!!”

Nothing much happened.
Big B stood up,
Stephen Hawkins sighed,
But the expectant multitude waited…

“Let’s buy a miracle,” cried someone.
And each sold what they had.
A Big B movie ticket, free popcorns and Pepsi
A Hawkins thesis, with free Nescafe

Finally they went home, satisfied.
Having bought an illusion of a miracle.