He Looked Sad...

He Looked Sad and Worried...

He looked sad and worried, so I asked:
'What's the matter, are you worried
About the impending winter's onslaught ?
It will eventually come, but for now,
Celebrate autumn with golden leaves.'
Looking at his own reflection in the lake,
He said,'Yes, I'm worried about the winter,
Not for myself but for the trusting birds
Who have made me their sweet homes.
When the winter takes away all  my leaves
Making my branches bare and brittle,
What will happen to these delicate creatures?
Though some might migrate to other lands,
Many will rot in the dust among my leaves.

© Portia Burton

Bed-time Stories

Aiming For the Peak

O Wandering Cloud!

The CLoud

The Cloud

The moving shadow of a cloud
Covers me, and, startled, I look up.
On seeing the funny shape of that cloud,
My heart becomes light, tends like a bubble
Towards it and the blue space beyond.
I am instantly overwhelmed
By the grandeur of the infinite sky
And the earth spread up to horizon,
As if trying to sip its blue!
Involuntarily I  get attuned
To the gentle humming of the wind
Among the rippling  blades of grass,
Who urge me to lie down on their bed,
Their tickling brings warmth to my cheek,
Making me relaxed, filled with a feeling
Of getting melted and dissolving
To become a part of something  I can't name,
But it matters not, as I now feel
That very cloud  moving through me,
How my heart gets drenched in its shower!

© Portia Burton

Ode To a Skylark

Ode To a Skylark

Isn't it a lovely scene!
Flowers swaying on the breeze,
Ignoring the droning nosy bees,
Foliage is green, lush and dense,
Vanes cuddling the bramble fence.
Shh, my heart, hold and hark,
There I spot my skylark!
Come, birdie, sing me a lay,
I'm tired of that jabbering jay,
But, tell me where you have been?

Have you forgotten your promise
That you had made the last May,
How I cherish that fateful day!
When you stared longingly at me,
As if asking for my company,
And said, 'Listen, I'll take
You to that unique mountain lake,
Where dwells a solitary swan,
Who sings at the break of dawn,
To him I will take you, O miss.'

But soon the spring was sadly over,
Autumn came to brown the leaves,
Stalks were bundled in clumsy sheaves,
Then hoary winter came along,
Determined to stay for very long,
The sun rose late in the East,
Fearful of the morning mist,
Trees became leafless, lean and sad,
Mourning the glory they lately had,
You too weren't seen at my door.

But, spring is here and so are you!
Now for our friendship's sake,
please take me to that distant lake,
Ask a fairy to use her charm
To make me small without any harm
Like those Lilliputian things
So that I'll sit on your wings,
Together let us merrily fly
across the span of the smiling sky
Until that lake is in clear view.

Put me gently there on the ground,
I will tiptoe to the languid lake,
Hope that swan is wide awake,
Basking in the morning light,
His white plumage shining bright,
Will he give us a warm welcome,
Or frowning at me, become glum?
No, no, he will welcome us,
And sing his song without any fuss.
Hope there isn't any other sound!...

Oh, but why are you flying away,
Leaving me in tears and dismay?

© Portia Burton

Magnolia and Me

Oh,Boy!

Night

How I Want...

Tattoo

Spring

Annoyed and Angry

Some day I am very restless...

The Girl Who Distributed Flowers...

The Girl Who distributed Flowers...

I was reading her words
While she was distributing flowers.
Turning away from Gertrude,
She suddenly looked at me,
Yes, yes, she looked at me
Directly from those printed words...

While I stared at her in disbelief,
She whispered, "please don't worry,
I have some flowers for you too.
Just wait for me in your dreams."...

That night I awaited her in my dreams
Which, as usual, were crowded with trees
Encircling a  large, tranquil lake
From which she emerged like a lotus,
Beckoned me with a lily in her hand,
And as I leaned over to take it,
She grabbed my hand and pulled me down
With her to the bottom of the lake
Where stars had become fragrant flowers.

© Portia Burton

You Don't Need Much...

You were sleeping peacefully...

You were sleeping peacefully...

You were sleeping peacefully,
I gently touched your serene face
Tracing its contours with my fingers,
And felt warm by its loving warmth.
My fingers tingled by its smoothness,
While I kept looking at your eyes
Their long lashes soft against cheeks,
Which you opened with a smile,
And amid terms of endearments
You gently put your hand over mine,
Guiding my fingers to the kisses
Of your gentle and pinkish lips,
In return I too kissed your hand,
Every kiss as a token of my devotion.

Mom, you alone are my real home,
Let me remain encircled by your arms,
This really is my tranquil sanctuary,
Where violent storms are forgotten,
When I am  anchored at your bosom.
Your loving words break all my shackles,
Allay my anxieties, doubts and fears,
Bring smiles to my eyes instead of tears.
In you I find the divine light,
Never let me go, mom, hold me tight.

© Portia Burton

Beautiful People

Beautiful People

How beautiful it would be,
Just to look into the people's eyes
And see the beauty of their soul,
Instead of seeing their physical body,
And judging them only by that!
Every age has its own unique beauty,
But as we age, we are judged
By our appearance instead of achievements.
 Look into a person's soul,
See that person in his own right,
How far he has gone in life,
And what all he or she has accomplished.
Listen to her laugh,see her smile,
Listen to her experiences, share her tears,
Look into her eyes, feel her real warmth.
Many people bring beauty into this world.
No,not just by their physical beauty,
But by their positiveness, empathy,
Their sharing, giving, caring, loving,
Sacrificing selflessly and nurturing,
Not only others but their own selves also.
I would like to be surrounded by
Only such really 'beautiful' people,
In order to learn more and grow as a person
Just being in their noble presence.
There light is so bright,yet so gentle!
 You can't help but feel and see their soul.
To me, there is no other kind of beauty
Other than the beauty of a pure heart!

©Portia Burton

When I Decided To Love You...

Please,sir...

Silent Symphony

Happy Mothering Sunday

Happy Mothering Sunday!

I hold myself back,
When I want to hug you,

Because in my zest, o momma,
I may perhaps hurt you.

I just sneak up from behind,
Kiss you on the cheek,
And then run off again,
Because you're so weak!

Sometimes I wonder to myself
What all I would do
Just to see you smiling,
Swaying gently and  humming,
With a twinkle in your eye
Which makes you so charming!

Oh, how much I have depended,
On your loving open arms
Which turn my sobs to giggles,
And protect me from harms,
And how my sky turns grey
When from me  you are away!

Do you know that,
I can't do without you
Now or anytime,mom?
And do you know that
Your love is my weakness,
That keep me strong?

But I'm really sorry, ma,
For I just can't express
What I really want to say,
'Cause at every right time,
All the words go wrong
And that moment slips away!

© Portia Burton

Call of the lake

I will accept your flowers...

when the Sky...

Poshy and Fiona

Offering

O Cambridge!