About CC

Dr Binod Mishra, Associate Professor of English at IIT Roorkee, has to his credit 19 books (15 edited and 04 authored) on various aspects of English language and literature. One of his books entitled Communication Skills for Engineers and Scientists (published from Prentice Hall, India, 2009) is used as a text book and reference book in several reputed colleges and universities. His first poetry collection in English entitled Silent Steps and Other Poems (2011) has been received well by readers. His second book of poems is in press. He can be contacted at mishra.binod@gmail.com.

1. A Silent Lover

I have left your city

without your notice

leaving no address

for you to ever trace

a silent lover you could ever find.

I have no regrets

we could never meet as passionate lovers,

seeking chances in parks or movie world

in unveiling longings for each other

like celluloid dandies.

I am yet happy

for I never bought pleasant moments

at the cost of my parents’ hard earned coins

given in the name of tuition fees

or career counseling.

I am my own counsel

moving from one metro to another

just for a livelihood, for a decent living

to love everyone---- my parents, you and people

I have only stolen your puerile smile

before leaving your city.

2. Nature

We always live in your company

and learn not your ways

to become everyone’s friend,

always keen, kind and compassionate

gratifying everyone’s needs

in all seasons.

We always unburden

all our shrieks, sorrows and severity.

You receive them gladly without groans

and never deceive like humans

in love, friendship and brotherhood.

Do our agonies make you strong?

We always recreate and yet you create

new meadows in deserts too.

We put to test your perpetual rest,

you always squeeze all our cries

into meaningful silences over the tops

and sweet notations

rise and flow in your daughter’s throat.

3. Waiting

With no one beside save a feeling

of an image, a body or an outline

palpitations of the heart faster than before,

the mind auguring all good and bad omens,

he spreads his eyes on trodden paths

yet no one around not even afar.

He tries hard to read the split pages

of the periodical bought for time pass

nothing but brutalities stamped in bold

of murder, rape and honour killing

for crossing the lakshamanrekha

our wise forefathers created with aplomb.

The beautiful noon melting fast

evening creeping in, he hears some sound

none around, he looks at cell phone still dead

the sound grows sweet, sombre, rhapsody at times

the dazzle, dim and discotheque of the riverside five star grate

and grumble, reddening the river’s swollen eyes petulantly.

4. You

You have been a riddle at all times

A ghazal for some, a sonnet for others

A heap of images and imagination

for your outline, sketches and curves

that make you beautiful.

Your body--- a mere covering, uncovered

by lusty eyes lures me still the most

your soul is yet intact after several battles

you fought alone, helplessly with ravenous rogues

that take your life and call you names.

You --- a panacea to all ills, lending voices to

generations treading you down with trade and tirade

your bulging eyes and sizzling body are but a prelude

to peace I foresee in various forms in my dreams

that await after the war of civilizations.

5. Block You

Unaffected, the youngsters busy themselves

twittering, chirping, blinking, hiding and un-hiding

over their slates, cell-phones or on their laptops

frisking with fun that becomes the run, the race

frightening them, later face the realities of life they ignore.

Unaware, the savvy techies visualize the icons

enacting living roles they model after

and pine for when disconnected even for a while

ferreting out everyone’s secret before the ghostly friend

fiend –like fending merely for frails and fragiles.

Unsuccessful, the modern day avatars of virtual world

find themselves deaf, dumb and defeated---

before the scorching and perspiring sunrays-- bare truths,

unable to accept their fiend-like friends as friends

firing them all with fusillades—“ Block you”.

“Block You”—mere obsession quirky techies often use

when their bubbling balloons burst to a pin,

they writhe in pain, pining for what is not

unbridled, they roam to anchor their boats

nowhere but resorting to “Unblock”.