Zee…No! Zed…No! Zee
A to Z they ran the race
Hit the finish line
Exuberant, jubilant with a sense of
Achievement, they hugged one another
And grabbed the juice
Team effort paid off, they won the race
Parents happy, promised a movie and more candies
Community sports day ended on a high
When one youngster said, excuse me
And his team paused to look
Can we please say ‘Zee’ as in Zee TV
And stop splashing spittle saying Zed
But that’s how it’s said Zed, said his mate
Nope, its Zee, joined in another
My teacher said its Zed, pitched in another
The group split, juices down, candies forgotten
My teacher is right, no mine, no ours
They screamed
No candies, if you’ll fight, said parents
We don’t care
How dare he accuse our teacher!
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My theme for A-Z Challenge 2015 is ‘Free Verse’
#AtoZChallenge @AprilA2Z
Y???
Y ds he do dis, she Whatsapp-ed
Chill, I replied
Hw can i?
The boss’s secretary walked up to me
Unsatisfied with gadget communication
Am I his slave, she sighed, slumping beside me
Why doesn’t he understand I have a family
I have kids, I need to go, my mom is unwell
Here, have this, I said offering her a cup of tea
She barely took a sip, when he called her in
She dragged herself to his cabin
My Whatsapp pings…
Hs goin biz trip 2wks
Ask him. NOW, I hurried a message through
I did, he dint rply
Y????? Y??? dus he do dis 2 me always :(:(:(
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My theme for A-Z Challenge 2015 is ‘Free Verse’
#AtoZChallenge @AprilA2Z
X – the invisible management
We were all busy, as always on any week day
Meeting deadlines, when he stomped out
Threw a file across the floor and ranted
Ranted, yelled, ranted…
Loud, louder and more loud
All quiet, none asked
Except him
I will sack all of you and have a new team!!!!
Was the parting shot
Before he turned at his cabin door
And sweared one last time
Dead silence swept across
When one got up, picked up the paper
Read, looked around and read again
What’s it whispered one, two
And all others in unison
Passed around the paper
Whispers became murmurs
Talks, anger, sighs!
This doesn’t concern our department
Let’s ask him, said one
Yes, said one, two
And all others approached him
The management is not happy!!! he thundered
What makes you unhappy? They asked
Not me. The management!!!
Who’s the management, puzzled they asked
He glared and thumped on the desk
At least let us know our mistake, stammered one
Yes, said two and all others in unison
We have the right to know why we are terminated
They chorused
Ask the management
Who’s that!!!
He takes another copy of the file
Rants yet again
Pulls out a paper and crisscrosses the report
This X and This X and This X and this….
They will not tolerate this rubbish!!!!
Who??
He walks out.
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My theme for A-Z Challenge 2015 is ‘Free Verse’
#AtoZChallenge @AprilA2Z
Waiting wife
Wife in bed, he’s on phone
Wife shows baby, he pats and rushes out
Food on table, he’s on iPad
Family gatherings, he only speaks of business
Official get-togethers, he’s at his best
Weekends, he returns home late
Anniversary, wife runs behind with a bouquet
He smiles, taps her cheeks, rushes out
Wife talks of child’s school, he nods without reply
Wife gets a call, she rushes out
Holds his hand
As the line straightens
On the life support machine
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My theme for A-Z Challenge 2015 is ‘Free Verse’
#AtoZChallenge @AprilA2Z
Victory stand
I walked into my daughter’s room
Pride spilling over every step
And breath I took
To announce my treasure find
An old picture, my friends sent me
A once-upon-a-time memory
25 years ago to be precise
I stared at my younger self
Smiling at me from atop the
Victory stand on sports day
What are you doing on that, mama!
Squealed my girl, stifling laughter
What’s so funny, can’t you see your mom…
That’s exactly what I’m asking, mama
Who put you up there!
I haven’t seen you as much as walk fast
And you ran
As in RAN
Really!!!!!!!
Who lifted you up there!
Omy! My mama used to run!
Papa! Did you see this…she dashed out
Can you even imagine this!!!!
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My theme for A-Z Challenge 2015 is ‘Free Verse’
#AtoZChallenge @AprilA2Z
Umbrellas my own
For long many growing up years
I refused to carry an umbrella
To school, college and then to work
I placed an onion on my scalp, holding it by a scarf
Or placed a baseball cap in mismatching colours
During scorching summer months
Yet I refused to carry an umbrella
For I associated it with my grandpa, grandma, grand uncles
And all others in my hometown
Who never ventured out without an umbrella under their arms
When it rains they walk under it,
When it’s sunny, they walk holding it
When it’s windy, they walk with it
For long many growing up years
I refused to carry an umbrella
I was embarrassed
Believed it was outdated, old fashioned
Just not done
Until, I learnt about UV rays and the tan
Until when my skin gained prominence over ancestors
Now I have umbrellas
In colours myriad and materials fancy
With accessories hanging on them
To match my outfits
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My theme for A-Z Challenge 2015 is ‘Free Verse’
#AtoZChallenge @AprilA2Z
Tee’d him off
Carefully, judiciously, determined
She stood in place
Ready to strike
Just like that morning when she stood in the bus
And she saw him run to board
Carefully, judiciously, determined
She stood in place
Head held straight
Looking ahead
As if busy in thought
And he maneuvered through sticking passengers
To stand beside her
With her
Close to her
To touch her
First he shifted his feet
Then the outer of his palm feather-touched her dress
Before he got his hand under her
He jerked behind with a whimper
Never to harass her again
She saw him stand resting on his loft
Carefully, judiciously, determined
She stood in place
As he moved from under the shade to take a closer look
She stood still, head over strong blades
Her eyes focused, she tilted her feet
And tee’d off
Leaving him far behind
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My theme for A-Z Challenge 2015 is ‘Free Verse’
#AtoZChallenge @AprilA2Z
Smiling at a schemer
Slithering in a suit he walks in
The spineless schemer…
I had begun to write,
I already had the title, too, in bold
When my colleague came to me for autograph
She had bought my book from the store
Wow! I felt so good
Almost three years after being published
When I had given up on seeing the book sell
When none within my earshot feigned awareness
Here came a young girl, holding my book
I take it from her, thank God, bless her
And return to my doc
To continue with my words
But…
I felt ill at ease
I look up and see the schemer walk around his desk
Sip water and exhale authority
But this time, I smiled
Smiled
Thanked God and Blessed the sche…m..messed-up soul
Give him peace , give him joy, Bless him dear God
I said and
Here I end this poem
Thank you God!
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My theme for A-Z Challenge 2015 is ‘Free Verse’
#AtoZChallenge @AprilA2Z
RT – respect that!
A thank you popped up in my mail
Notification from a stranger
I had read her take on balanced diet
And retweeted it;
A thank you popped up again a few days later
From the same stranger
I had read her take on pre-marital relationship
And retweeted it;
Months later, thank yous continued popping up
Often with smileys and hearts
From the tweep who was no more a stranger now
Our acts continued…
I began respecting her
For her kindness, her acknowledgement
And then…. after a few more months, a tweet from the person read
‘Women need to be respected’
I again retweeted it
But with a reply
‘Not all women’!
My notification beeped,
Expecting a thank you I clicked open
To see a barrage of abuse…
How dare you abuse women, are you a woman at all…
Get your damn a** off twitter, will you!!!
I RT-ed that, too, minus the respect!
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My theme for A-Z Challenge 2015 is ‘Free Verse’
#AtoZChallenge @AprilA2Z
Queuing up
Lying piled up inside, I decided to sort them out
Placed them in order of the ache
Numbness, frustration they caused
The first time I honoured any of them
They smiled, sheepishly…
Crowding at the reception, some walked about
Others paced around, while most
Simply stood
Shifting their weight from one foot to another
They stood staring ahead
When a man walked past
Spoke to the receptionist
And stood aside
He slowly moved closer to the queue
Looked ahead, he stepped in behind the first person
The line of beings that stood simply staring
Now erupted
They yelled, screamed and some pounced ahead
He just about escaped being lynched
As he smiled
Sheepishly…
The noise slowed into a murmur
Boisterous crowd returned to a lame long queue
Panting beings became silent lookers again
They continued to wait their turn
Simply staring…
Lying piled up inside, I sort them out
Placed them in order of the ache
Numbness, frustration they caused me
And I set about making the ‘To Do’ list
At long last, I smiled
Sheepishly…
Pix Courtesy: MorgueFile
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My theme for A-Z Challenge 2015 is ‘Free Verse’
#AtoZChallenge @AprilA2Z
Nisha Sanjeev 
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