Saturday, 8 December 2012

Voice Of Mine

I walk tow'ds the blue headed mountains in search of my voice,
Lost,or perhaps hidden in an unknown space;
While I was busy with success in life's ever-changing race.
As I walk into the meadow full of daisy blooms,
The aching heart soothes a little where fear now, no longer looms..
I look up to the open sky,
Where are you, my voice?
Come back and I shall rejoice.

I soon encounter a precious silver stream.
the gurgling of the water,
quenches this parched heart of mine.

I look up to the open sky,
Where are you, my voice?
Come back and I shall rejoice.

I continue walking with bare feet
and kick a pebble that sets the others too in a gentle tumble
'click-tick-click-tick'
they run across the uneven way,
ending in the nestle of the dry hay.

I glance at the open sky,
Where are you, my voice?
Come back and I shall rejoice.

Building a little hope I carry my now weary feet
and come across two nightingales.
flirting with each other
they begin to sing,
perhaps as a feting prelude
to their coming offspring

I look up to the open sky,
Where are you, my voice?
Come back and I shall rejoice.

As the day prepares to leave
I finally reach the crest
looking down at the mesmerising valley,
the aches seemed to have disappeared;
the fear no longer will be reared...
Realisation has a dawn,
pricking me like a honey dipped thorn.
The hills seem to echo my lost voice
I earnestly ask;where have you been?
Almost in an answer, it seems to reply:
'I was always there, waiting to be heard
But only those of others you seemed to care,
So much so that in time, I became rare..
Once a while listen to me: I am and will always be'
a faithful companion.
For your shadow might forsake you but never will I
Will continue to always be with you,
Forever and  always true..................

(For Apurva, Medha and Gargi for helping me re find my poetic voice )





Tuesday, 14 February 2012

Footprints Of Love Left Behind..

Standing on the balcony
I  look across the night sky.
The ever beautiful moon reminds me that all all is not lost
My mind thus, is soon engrossed in despairing thoughts
which have come to me unsought.
She was once the apple of my eye
Or is she still?

But as autumn drew near, I was confronted with a worrying fear...
Would she forever be mine?
Strains between us showed that things were definitly not fine.
My hearty echoed many fears
and all enough soon  i had was only tears.
I let go of you not because i lacked the trust,
but rather because all we had between us had changed to dust.
But today as I prepare to move forward, I realise my love for you
is still alive,deep down,
Waiting again to be free.
Perhaps the distance between us shall not permit you to see,
 The voice shouting inside me
waiting to say....I shall  forever love you thee.

Saturday, 11 February 2012

From the Steering Wheel..:)

In a bid to reach my hostel early I quickly caught a cab outside the Cross Maidan Gardens where i had just attended a   classical Mohiniyattam performance..I entered the cab.I had to complete many projects and since the following day would be  a Sunday I did not complain.
The cabbie turned around to speak to me and said 'Tell me something ,are people mad to commit suicides?" I was taken aback.It seemed like a random question suddenly thrown at me.A startling one.Looking at my suprised face he continued,driving and narrating a problem he probably wanted to discuss.He added, ' Everyday I open the newspapers to find two to three cases of suicides.He felt that buying a newspaper was like buying a death tabloid.Murders and suicides. It is appalling. Adults hanging themselves or jumping into a river.You youngsters too fall in love and when things turn sour take to pills or the most unfortunate-hang yourselves.This world is like an ocean.There are many fish. School students are no less.Was not education supposed to enlighten them?

I pondered.It actually made some sense.When was the last time a cab driver spoke intensely about such an issue ? He continued."Please tell your friends and spread the message.I always wish to speak to youngsters.Those who commit suicide think that they are escaping from troubles, that have made living hell for them but in reality these people are cowards.By running from hell they are actually walking towards the gate's of hell'......I could see the anger and pain in his eyes as he spoke passionately with an open heart..I was still pondering.I could only share a Hindi saying with him which I recently heard for as I reached the gates of my college.Something like this:
'Zindagi humme bahot kuch sikati hai'
Kabhi hasati hai toh kabhi rulati hai
Lekin,,,Zindagi kay mushkil gadi mein jo hasta hai
Zindagi, usi kay samne akar sar jukati hai'
He smiled.Happy to hear that I listened to him and hoping that I would propagate his message.
I just did.

Friday, 10 February 2012

A helping hand (Concluded)


Hey guys sorry for the long delay…In the last post, I tried to speak about the humane idea of brotherhood.In this post let me try and take this innate humane idea to another level and merge it with with friendship: the ever so delightful word that brings to mind friendly crushes,coffee bar visits, birthday bumps and all the hugs and unending fights we have.Within the circles of our friendship we often have friends of all varieties (and sizes!!!!!!) Definitely in such a situation there will be some sort of friction that is bound to ignite at some point and continue to exist. This can hamper not only one to one relationships but one to group as a whole. This friction can result out of a variety of reasons like ego tussels,competition,personal enemity and other pressures of life.
How would you reach out by an extra mile to a friend who is probably ill or needs someone to console him by lending a patient ear to a sad incident he has to narrate? Even though you might find it difficult as  to some reason you tend to have a bad day. I am not talking of helping the ungrateful  rogue in your peer circle(by the way,these rogues exist in all friend circles) but  I am talking of the friend who finds it extremely comforting to speak out his woes  since he/she considers “YOU” to be quiet understanding(take pride I say!!!!) Would you let your silly and miniscule problems you  had  with other people let affect this relationship with the  true and humble friend? Try and sacrifice a bit more and help your friends and you will be reciprocated in double.It is said, “if you want to find a best friend, you first try to be one”
                                                                      
Sometimes, we have in our midst friends who visit bars and other places (am not saying do not visit,thats another issue altogether) just to vent out their frustration as no one is out there to listen to them and as a means of escapism from reality.Even not having a comforting soul around can drive you to the doorstep of a bar  .Be the friend you always wanted to have with the poor boy who plays with a broken toy or the shy girl from your group who is all alone in anticipation of a friend or maybe even still the friend who is pressurized by his parents all the time to study. Extraordinary people with ordinary problems you may think. Share a smile or a bouquet of flowers and I can bet you, that your joys shall  be doubled !!!! Adieus.

Sunday, 25 September 2011


A helping hand…..
         
BROTHERHOOD...How would one define it? Love and support towards another fellow being might be the all-say. But take a look around yourself. Its not unusual to find brothers treating their own like business rivals. In today's 21st century,brotherhood seems to have come close to extinction. In an era where Charles Darwin's famous theory “Survival of the Fittest is still relevant we have surely come across wars within a family that have ripped apart relationships. The strongest bonds of relationships have become feeble today. Hostility  even towards parents is prominently displayed by kids through their changing attitudes instead of reciprocating back with unending love and warmth. Why? Where are we headed to my dear friends? Brotherhood is definitely not only confined to a fellow being but begins with our parents,members of the family or friends. It is unconditional and irrespective of class,gender,race or nationality.
I am reminded of a beautiful episode narrated  by Nelson Mandela in his auto-biography regarding the war for freedom or particularly speaking-apartheid. While he was languishing in jail, the black prison guards used to follow instructions from the higher ups to beat him mercilessly. While they would carry out their orders, he noticed a shimmer of guilt and empathy in their eyes. This was enough to encourage Mandela to carry on with his struggle. He further said, man’s goodness is a flame that can be hidden but never extinguished” One of my favourite quotes of all times ……

When someone is in trouble and tossed by the storms of life, do we reach out to the person? The wounded beggar by the road, the pale mother draped in a torn saree carrying a not so healthy child in her arms or probably your friend who is confused and disturbed with life's happenings. Open up the closed windows of your heart and see forth a new vision with a touch of humanity. You do not need a rich dad to express brotherhood. Lending a patient ear, sparing a little from your pocket money or buying eatables like biscuits for the poor hungry kids by the road will help.. You do not need self-help books to teach you how to be human. All you need is a change of heart backed by a strong will and desire to do so. To start with,when you set out on the street tomorrow  share  something  as precious as a beautiful smile....  (to be continued)