That Coffee Shop

Poetry by :Shakun Grover

Outside that dimly-lit coffee shop

He stood

waiting for me

while I ignored him,

coyly.

I stared at my phone

aimlessly

waiting for him

to come hither.

Such are first times?

I wonder.

I stole a glance at him

my heart pounding,

trying desperately

to hide my anxiety!

In that dimly-lit coffee shop

he held a constant gaze

I couldn't hold my eyes to his

for I would blink in that blaze.

Outside that flickeringly-lit coffee shop,

the coffee shop of comfort and quiet

We stood

after an evening of hushed giggles

and stares inadequate,

of casual poking

and entwined fingertips,

of my fingertips that tickled

to run through the little dent

on his cheek.

I stood

gulping down the fear

of him being

just another

almost-lover.

Miles away

from that lovely, small, barely-lit coffee shop

after a kiss on his cheek

and a hug so long,

walked away

my tall and handsome,

rekindling

my heart's fire

but not before

making a promise

of another beautiful evening

in that coffee shop of love and desire.

Hello, 2017

It's been some time that I have not posted, and this is the first I'm time i'm posting in 2017. Do life events wait for the annual calendar to turn over? Does the new year magically turn over a new leaf, full of exciting possibilities? Do birthdays do that? Does anything really?

Before you think I'm turning into Ebenezer Scrooge (I saw an extremely mediocre rendition of Dickens' 'The Christmas Carol' on Christmas Eve last year, by the way), hear me out. Yes, new years, birthdays, festivals, and the like give you an opportunity to look back, and possibly step into something new. Its like we are virtually stepping in and out of invisible buckets- ones we have created in our own minds. While its good to take stock of one's situation every once in a while, these days are just one of the many, where we can take the opportunity to do so. Parties are best when they happen on an impulse. Resolutions can be made any time. And broken any time. Nothing is set in stone.

So just live in the moment, and don't forget to breathe.

Well as new years go by, this one so far has been extremely tough for me. I'm trying to take every day as it comes, deal with situations in the best possible way, respond, not react, and keep my cool. Work has been tough, challenging, and amazing in certain ways - but life, not so much.

I feel i'm achingly close to finding the answer to what I want to do - to do next, anyway. It's like i'm standing on a springboard, ready to take a leap into the unknown, but too afraid to jump. Not just afraid, uncertain - and lazy, even.

Meanwhile, I have found the time to do something creative everyday. Something that might be small, as trivial as a crayon drawing or a well-crafted insta-story. (If you don't follow Shubhi's Revels on Instagram, you might want to think about it now :)

And I hope that as the year progresses, I will keep at it, and it grows bigger and bigger everyday. The blog is of course a place where I plan to keep sharing what I do- It has given me so much over the years, and I don't intend to give it all away.






We are nothing but stories, and it's a shame if those stories do not get told.
For those of you that read my Manhattan Chronicles, there is a part II coming up, and on the way. A more cheerful and less sombre version of the first part :)

Until then, adios, cheers, and may the new year bring new light!

Love,
Shubhi