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Gap Ballooning Upward

imagine a mind
wandering free
and going to
spots magical
those spots one
doesn’t find  on
maps or charts
there is a gap
an ever wide gap
ballooning upwards
sky a habitat
for human mind
and those wisps
of wonderment
hailed as thoughts
it’s not our mind
as such but
what we put
or others than
ourselves yet
culprit lodger
is you oneself
so mind oneself
who shall plead
guilty when charged

Amigo

The new kid at school who just moved here,
Always lonely and sad
Kept on his face not a smear
Of the joy that he once had.

Every day at sunrise
He would put on his black colored shirt
Wearing dark pants to his demise
To the school yet he would convert.

The bell rings for lunch
And all students rush to go
But instead of him joining the bunch
He sits quietly and low.

I realize I’ve fed him loneliness.
Why have I not assisted him?
Am I a part of this coldness?
My mind spun around a basketball rim.

Warmer

Something cold around the corner looms.
On the cusp of December, it awaits.
And though the spring is yet to bloom, 
The winter has sealed its fate.

On the edge of all the lands,
Dark water rising slowly
Beckoned by man’s outstretched hand–
Grasping, greedy, unholy.

And though these lands will disappear,
The higher worry not.
For when those in the valley fear,
There is no dismay upon the mountaintop.

Crying out

In the quiet peaceful moment Does cry out a baby's loud And in wonder I consider What it's thought it gives forth All about me people call out So many words they do say Many things they do tell us Of the thought they do have And in simple uncaring actions In their last days quiet action Simply being what they may Say the sum of their life's

Befallen

Mouth of the orange-flavored lollipop
Hands of the bicycle on the yard
Eyes of the doll playing days
Saw nothing
But easy death snatched the child

Piles of tears
on the red valleys of corpses
prayed the naked pact of
The world weapon business!

Nobody dies but
the hearts of barbarism
on the worried thrones
to save the truth of Scriptures

Humanity or civilization
The Dome of the Rock or the life
Now in the befallen wish of God

Impotency

Not the truth of hierarchy
I loved the lie of life

Naked truth kills the humanity of falsehood

There is no religion
Death is the peace of heaven

Holy ground or the barbaric war
There is a tomb of screaming

Blind I see much
Deaf or dumb I speak much

No human is important
But God or imaginative prophecy
makes an impotent world

©Mahtab Bangalee/2025_April

Crisp Morning Air (Swop Quatrain Form)

I lose sleep on a red dawn smile
by indulging  our world awhile
from traffic lights and shrill beep beep
on a red dawn smile I lose sleep

With this shout to embrace my day
please don’t worry please don’t delay
heaven’s orb in the sky  no doubt
to embrace my day with this shout

And gold  rainbows like crystal tides
handsome bridegrooms and lovely brides
there’s some opulent zest it glows
like crystal  tides and gold rainbows

Warm heart beat as  crisp morning air
Bombay stalls and Middle East fare

Stranger at the River

Someone stood by the river, I was glad I wasn’t going to be the only one, I was to come with my grandfather, But he had been unwell and we were running out of supplies. I greeted the man, He only nodded in response, I gazed at him but he seemed oblivious to my scrutiny, He was busy with his net, A cold wave of unease washed through me as I turned my eyes away from him, I pondered what had caused that feeling. My grandfather had warned me to be wary of strangers at the river, He mentioned that mystery often surrounds this place, He said some persons had mysteriously disappeared after being
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