JUST KISSES

 The Lidder River smouldered with an incredible blue
While wild flowers of every hue
 Smiled and smiled
 While I stood beguiled .
 The trees raising their leaves as though in a salute
Filled me with a joy absolute.
The vagabond wind whispered happy notes
To the kids rowing their paper boats.
The curvaceous river  in a buoyant mood
Thrashed and whipped the boulders rude.
A little distance away stood a lame  shepherd old 
His eyes rheumy and cold, ah so cold.
His eyes fixed on the darkling horizon
Did his ears still hear the roar of a gun?

Tickled by the morning breeze 
The sleepy birds in the trees 
Rubbed sleep kinks from their eyes
Deciding to rise
And jump into the maelstrom of another day.
A ray
Nay,
Two drops of golden sun 
crept out of their fiery lair
Deciding to have some fun
The river supine and serene
 Suddenly appeared keen
To take the itinerant rays
 In a warm embrace.
But , lo and behold!
 Suddenly appeared a fog vile 
It accosted the rays infantile 
Trying to smother them in a gesture callous
Ah this was sheer malice.

 But the affectionate waves whipped them with kisses
 Misses and kisses Kisses and misses
And some more kisses.


Enthused by this love
In one burst of spunky mischief, 
The rays yanked away the shackles 
Raising  the foggy hackles .
The River lifted its muscular arms
Potent with its watery charms 
And welcomed the rays in its fold.
And lovingly whipped and rolled. 
And rolled and rolled.

The rays now with the waves merged 
With a new fervour the  waves surged 
The rampant malice was purged .
 In this game of give and take
 Nothing was at stake
The golden and blue tints merged 
And created a new hue
 Of love. 
There was no ill will now.


The love game, blissfully continued
There was no rancour , no feud 
No raucous voices to intrude.
Just kisses and kisses and more kisses.
The lame  shepherd watched the love game
 And leaning on the crutch of love
 Walked away with a smile , no longer feeling lame.