Destiny

(This is one of my older poems, and not a particularly good one. Is it because I don't really hold the opinions expressed in it?)

I don’t believe in luck.
I don’t carry the foot of a rabbit,
Or the tooth of a woodchuck.
I refuse to accept that it
Controls my destiny.

By the laws of probability,
The longer your run of luck,
The lower the probability
Of it staying stuck;
And you come crashing down.

I don’t believe in fate;
It is an excuse for failure
That I absolutely hate.
My life’s like this, I’m sure,
Because I made it this way.

Your actions today
Decide what you are tomorrow.
I have one last thing to say:
If your life’s full of sorrow,
Do not weep, but seek to set things right.

A Hint of a Tear

(Eleven days to submit my thesis, and instead of writing about PLC programs I ended up writing this poem. Some people are plain incorrigible I guess.)

He breathed twice, long and deep,
And forcing a smile onto his face,
Climbed stairs that never before seemed steep.
His mind was swimming in space,
But he managed to knock on the door.

She chuckled as she recognized
That characteristic double knock;
But she was quite surprised
When she opened the door and took stock,
For in spite of his smile he looked troubled.

Idle conversation did no consolation lend,
So he said the words he’d come to say;
He thanked her for being such a good friend -
The past few years, in his heart would ever stay,
But it was time for him to return to his homeland.

She stood rooted to the spot;
Her throat went dry, her heart nearly stopped.
But her expression betrayed her not,
And she looked merely concerned as they talked,
About the days that would never come back.

He relaxed in her company, as always.
He searched for some hint, some sign,
In her words, her face,
Oh! That face so divine…
Please just ask me to stay…

She did her best to make him feel at ease,
She wanted him to leave with fond memories;
But, she thought, just say the words, please,
Say you love me, say it, please,
And I will be with you forever…

He couldn’t bring himself to say it;
He would say nothing that could bring her grief.
Her concerned smile was like a beacon lit,
Strange: she the stalwart pillar, he the fragile leaf.
And as he bade goodbye to his best friend,
He imagined that he saw
The hint of a tear in her eye.

Rain of Emotions

(This was the first poem I decided to save for posterity. Suggestions for a change of title are welcome!)

When it begins to drizzle
Before the clouds sizzle
With lightning and thunder,
Doesn’t it make you wonder
How the weather could be so pleasant?

That ephemeral twinge of dampness,
That joyous touch of coolness,
Tangible, yet evanescent,
The sky, translucent,
With sparks of blue
In the gray misty ocean.

The ground is covered with spots
Due to the falling raindrops,
Vanishing as soon as they appear,
Only to be replaced by others.

Then the Gods show their anger;
The heavens roar with thunder,
And send forth bolts of lightning,
The experience is frightening.

Mercifully, finally, thankfully,
The sun appears in all its golden glory.