Read the poems at your leisure

Buy the e-book version of the best of my poetry from Amazon.com on the following link and read the poetry you like, whenever you want.

http://www.amazon.in/gp/product/B013ZJB8BC

Thursday, December 27, 2012

Are we Respect-able?

I have often pondered and wondered with disdain at the difference in the behaviour of our generation with reference to what I think we should be. When I say "we" I mean the Indian Generation Z.

I do not have the wisdom or the knowledge to talk of the new generation in other countries , but of my own country I can say but this. The youth of India are more liberated, educated and knowledgeable, but they have achieved that by unlearning the basic learnings taught by the elder generations

We were all taught to respect our elders, yet we find a boom in the old age homes, elderly people being deposed from their own homes, youths turning a blind eye and a deaf ear to the words of the elders in homes, colleges and elsewhere. It pains me to see a high profile, extremely wise person narrating to us stories which we would take a lifetime to learn, speaking in front of an audience who are physically present and mentally absent. Where is the basic learning of respect for elders gone?

We were taught to respect women , our mothers, sisters, daughters and even unrelated passer-by. Yet in Delhi and other states , rape cases are on a high and the attitude of the government does not help. Raising slogans for protests and a more draconian law will not change the mindset of the people bend of committing such crimes. It is the mindset that needs changing , not the set of laws.
Where is the basic learning of our elder generations gone?

We were taught to help our friends and respect them as well. Yet many a time we hardly treat them fairly. It strangely reminds me of the scene from "Pyaar ka Punchnama" about the tirade of one friend , while the other friend listens wide-eyed, and at the end has nothing to say. The only exception being the friend is not listening but is on mobile, laptop, sleeping or chatting. Have we forgot the basic courtesy to lend an ear to our friends when they are speaking? Where is the basic learning of our elder generation gone?

Is the younger generation even Respect-able? In terms of both giving respect as well as receiving it, Generation Z seems to be lagging behind by a large margin. The festivities of the elder generation which used to honour and respect families and friends in ways like Holi, Diwali and Raksha bandhan have now given ways to festivities like Valentines Day, Rose Day, New Years Day etc where the motive is Individual rather than Collective.

There seems to be a tear in the fabric of morality of Indian youth. Is this tear a sign of breaking the shackles that was keeping Indian youth behind with respect to other countries, or is this tear a breach in the respectability of the Indian Youth.

I seem to have more questions than answers as always......


Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Time




I do not know what time may bring
Will it be winter or be it spring

But all I know it will bring
A reason to cry and a reason to sing

But ones who sing should wipe the tears
of the ones who cry and hold them dear

For life comes in many shades
some are bright and some do fade

But a master knows how to blend it all
And make a masterpiece for his wall

A window to the life gone by
Filled with a smile and a cry

Forget it not for it may be
a window to the future, unforseen

A future where the bright lights fade
And the faded ones are filled with jade

You do now know what time might bring
A long winter or a short short spring


Sunday, November 11, 2012

The Spirit of Success


Chennai Speakers Forum
CC Project 10
The Spirit of Success

Toastmasters, what do you define as a successful meeting? One that fills us with happiness? One that gives us some learning? One which helps us become better? All this is possible only when everyone has been successful in doing their own part in the meeting.. isn’t it?

Call people on mobiles? Every time each one of us use these items, we all pay tribute to the success of not just one person, but several people, men no different from us, raised in the same environment as us, who achieved success due to their hard work, aspirations and perspirations. 

We are surrounded by the success of ordinary men doing extra-ordinary things. Bulbs, telephone, watches, mobiles, glasses, currency, air-conditioner, CSF – Creating Success Forever!!!, all are examples of a person’s grit and ability to do exceptional things.

But how would you define “Success”? What criteria would you use to measure success? Money?fame? status? Degrees? ...... They all are the outcome, not the measure. It all lies in a Spirit and I am going to tell you the tale of this spirit in one person.

He was born as the first son of the eldest son of the family. Naturally the entire family had high hopes from him. But right from the time he was 2 hours old, he was declared to be ill and has since been poked, prodded and been tested upon for the rest of his life. He was suffering from a rare genetic issue .The doctors had all given up hope of him having a normal life.

That person had a very different childhood. One filled with medicines, syringes, tests, hospitals, sickness and what not. He used to stay at home, read books, play video games all the time, not so socially active, shy, average minded.. in short-sheltered from the world. No one harboured high ... no...any hopes from him. All they wanted was to keep him happy and safe.

As the years progressed, the issue got worse. So much so that he had to stop going to school and put on a strict diet..... Boiled vegetables and bread. Can you imagine a 10 years old, so fond of chocolates, burgers, chaats and fried items suddenly being asked to stop it ALL??  Asked not to go out and play, take several medicines every day, spending half his childhood waiting outside the doctor’s cabin, just so that he can have the toy his mom promised him??

He got a hearing impairment, visual impairment, bp, kidney failure, weak bones and several other problems.

Do you think he had a bright future? Would you expect him to achieving something important in life?

[Pause]

He then moved to a different city, got treated by the best doctors and resumed his journey. He went on to become the topper of his school, became the best orator of his school, an officer in the school committee, won awards and accolades for himself as well as his school, joined a top ranking University of India and graduated with Distinction. He did not stop there, but went on to experience corporate life, become the best team member, and then went on to his post graduation degree after gruelling rounds of tests, interviews and discussions. But that was not enough. He got recruited by the one of the world’s leading banks for Summer Internship as well.

He has climbed the Great Wall of China, went to the world’s tallest building, travelled in world’s fastest train, has done white water rafting, open jeep safaris, writes poetry, fell in love and has a lot more to live for.

Today people come up to him as say “You have a bright future... you will go a long way.....tell me your mantra of success....You are an inspiration for me.....”.

The same person whom people had given up hope had now achieved something he could be proud of and make others proud as well. From hopeful, to hopeless to hopeful again, all because he truly believed that “Life is not because of.... it is Inspite of..”

He still has to take medications and precautions but now he sees them as a way of life, than as a drawback. He has achieved some success and continues to achieve new milestones, taking on more challenges, tougher ones, higher ones ...not because he has anything to prove... but  “Because it’s there”. J This spirit is what drives him to succeed in whatever endeavour he takes up in that stupid head of his to achieve. The Spirit to overcome challenges, pluck up the courage and struggle, strive and excel is what keeps him going.

If this spirit can make a medically challenged child like that... me.... to grow up to be a successful adult ......go from hopeless to hopeful, IMAGINE what powers it must have.  Keep alive the “Spirit of Success” and understand that no failure is the end of Success as well as no success the end of failure.

One thing that life has taught me is that “In life, there is no Dead End, there are only U bends and this spirit of success will help you navigate those bends and show you the path ahead.

There are innumerable quotes and phrases over success. Take up one quote which suits your life and attitude and always follow that as a guideline for success.

For me it is a poem I read long ago when I was in school and which still inspires me and motivates me.

Success comes from a fellow’s will
Its all in the state of mind .
Life's battles don't always go
To the stronger or faster man.
But soon or late the man who wins,
Is the man who thinks he can.



Thursday, November 1, 2012

Nature's Fury


The petrichor is in the air,
The dark clouds shielding the glare
A string of pearls are being poured on earth
Giving rise to Hope, Nostalgia and a new birth

Wind is gushing and rushing
Knocking out all in its path
Mother Nature is showing us her Fury,
Anger and Wrath

Beware my fellow comrade
Cower under her tirade
Take solace wherever you can find
She flows and blows with her own mind.

Monday, October 22, 2012

Perfect

Be Perfect - Positive, Ethical, Rational, Faithful, Enthusiastic, Caring , Tough

Sunday, October 21, 2012

Sounds of Life


The impatient tapping of the hands
while one waits and stands
The melancholy humming as one awaits
the opening of the theatre gates
Are the sounds of life

The pulsating heart and worn feet
the sweating brow under the harsh heat
the rapid breathing and adrenaline rush
eyes all alert and the cheeks flush
Are the sounds of life

The muffled crying and the tears
the boisterous enjoying and the cheers
the aching pains from stretched muscles
the tingling wounds for childish tussles
Are the sounds of life

The breezy wind at the mountaintop
The fiery bargaining at a Turkish shop
The screeching breaks as a train stops
the loud shattering as a glass drops
Are the sounds of life

there is a difference between living and being alive
all that matters is our own thirst and to strive
to wake up every morning and hear
the awesome sounds of life...

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Promise Me This


A promise said is a promise made
With time it doesn't fade
To keep a promise one had to
do what they said they would do.

Breaking a promise is more than just
stop doing what you must
Making a promise is easy to do
Find me a person who keeps it too

Now and then and time again
Something in the heart of men
Does not keep the words it made
The bond of trust and friendship made

To make a promise or not to make
Is a decision we need to take
With heart and mind and soul too
Make a promise and keep it too







Saturday, October 6, 2012

The Cyclops Syndrome

Have you ever heard the story of Cyclops, the one eyed Giant? If not, its a worthy reading and extremely fascinating, not because of the mythological characters but because of the insight it provides to human nature.

It was only recently that I was impinged with this idea of how many of us are like Cyclops, with a single eye right in the middle of our minds/heads which looks at only one thing at a time, like a horse on a race track.

But then had that been the reason of our existence, why do we have 2 of them?
I am well aware that , scientifically, we need 2 of them to make a proper 3D picture, with depth and stuff, but it can also be argued that having 2 of them gives us a broader field of vision than with just one of them.

When we have been endowed with such a broad viewpoint, why do some of us narrow it down so much that even the tip of a pin doesn't fit into the eyesight , people who refuse point blank to even hear the other's vision and those who see nothing as an alternative. Its either black or its black....

Some retort that its called "being focussed" but if you ask a photographer, he would always say that the actually breadth of the landscape is more beautiful than when it taken from the lens of a camera. Being focussed is an activity, not a way of life, which I believe is the point I am trying to make in this post. This "Cyclops Syndrome" affecting many of us. 

Some of us are so focussed, we literally abhor anything that does not fit into that razor-sharp edged focus frame , so its either fully in or fully out, but no dangling in the middle.

But then a man is only as worldly as he knows about the world... not only his own, but of others as well. 
A monocle is a tool, which when used always will only show you the smaller things in life, but never the true bigger picture. In the same way, focus is a tool, meant to achieve certain purposes in life, but that does not mean we eliminate the free flow of ideas and views from our eyesights itself.

I am not sure if I focussed on an idea in this post or not, but then, look at the bigger picture and enjoy it :)

Till later....

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Happy Teacher's Day


The hand that hold a candle of knowledge
The spark that ignite the fire in us
The mind that has taken the sacred pledge
To share the joys of teaching with us

Today we celebrate those
The souls who chose
to hold a light to enlight
making our future shining bright

A person who wears many hats
Who scolds you and also pats
your back when you achieve greatness

This is a tribute to them I pay
Happy Teacher's Day

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Sons of the Motherland


A soldier at the warfront
searching an enemy to confront
His mother praying for his wellbeing
without his hands to hold or him seeing

A wife awaiting his arrival
with a baby yet to come
Him at the warfront
fighting for survival

The television blaring out the news
about the countries in a fray
the public merrily celebrating
the Independence Day

Do we realise the costs they pay
with their own sweat and blood
Courage and pride their only might
Against bullets and bombs in the night

I write this poem as a tribute
for the true patriots of the land
I salute the flag of our nation as a symbol
of my obeisance to the sons of my Motherland

Friday, August 3, 2012

The Elemental Truth



SIBM Bangalore Toastmasters Club
CC Project 9
The Elemental Truth

It was 7.00 am in the morning; the air was filled with the chirping of birds, the ringing sound of the milkman’s cart and the call of the newspaper guy. At 7 , usually the sun is out shining but I did not even bother to go the window and look outside, because I knew that at that time, the air is filled with pollution which makes visibility almost zero. It was preferred to buy bottled water because the pollution made the metro water unfit for drinking. Oh , as well as I didn’t have power for the last 2 days.

Toastmasters, do you know that the Rs 18/water bottle[wave it to the crowd] which we pay is not because of water scarcity but because of water wastage, the recent grid failures ,not once but twice are not because of power scarcity but because of unchecked exploitation of natural resources,  every time you use the axe deo[wave the spray], I am not sure if angels are falling,, but  the pollution level is surely rising.

Had Newton been alive today, he would never have discovered the Law of Gravity, because there are no trees nowadays from which an apple can fall.

The capital of Iran was forced to declare 2 days of extra holidays because the pollution level reached beyond permissible limits.

And that, friends, is the Elemental Truth.


Toastmasters...
Imagine a world with no power, plunged into darkness, a place where the moonlight is hidden by polluted air and the sunlight is too harsh to stand. A planet where even a spark of light

Is a welcome feeling, the warmth of the fire is a luxury, the sight [switch on the lights] of a fellow being a blessing.

A planet where you cannot distinguish water from a drink [show 2 bottles, one full of black coloured water and another a real coke bottle] .

[Forcefully, asking some individual toastmasters] Do you want such a planet? Would you live in such a home?  Which bottle would you drink from?

 [Pause....]
But where there are shadows, there is always a light somewhere. And the good thing is that the light is shining bright, far off, but still shining. While some people are ignoring the environment, 300,000 trees are being planted every day. The change is has already begun. And we need to be a part of it. We should be.
Research has shown that the coolness of the shade given by a full grown tree is equal to 10 room sized air conditioners running 20 hours a day.

In winter, trees help to keep the area warm and the heating cost can be reduced by 25%.

100 trees can help stop the soil from getting washed away by water equal to 400,000 litres of water.

1 tree can store 20 kgs of toxic carbon dioxide in a year and give out oxygen for 2 human beings.

I am sure you would be asking “How? What to do? I love clean air, clean water and a clean life but I am not sure how I can pitch in."

All you need to do is just PLOT.

PLOT stands for Plant Lots of Trees

Every one of us can help our planet by making PLOT the keyword in our daily activities.

Can we not plant a sapling in our own backyards and neighbourhood, wherever possible? Can we not nurture this sampling using our daily kitchen wastage?

We can ask the kids of the neighbourhood to plant a tree, nurture it and have a competition on whose tree grows the fastest.

For every happy occasion in life we can resolve to plant a sapling.

When we are booking tickets online, be it for travelling or a movie, there is an option to donate a small amount for planting a sapling.

There are NGO’s like The Sapling Project which have exclusive drives in neighbourhoods for planting trees.

By way of PLOTting , will can ensure a future which is bright as the sunshine, clear as river water, free as the air and solid as the earth.

We would then be leaving a legacy for our successors, because,

“We have not inherited this world from our ancestors, but have borrowed it from our successors”
Toastmasters, I’m pledging to PLOT to share this wonderful gift called Earth. Will you also do the same?


Wednesday, July 25, 2012

The Trail Goes On


I think of her every now and then
I remember her and I pick up a pen
To write my thoughts before they fade
To express my feelings truly made

Time heals all wounds or so I thought
It pains and It weeps, filled with wrought
Reliving, not the sad moments of the years
But nostalgia about the happy tears

You pick up the pieces and walk ahead
only to find another piece you shed
A piece of the heart that broke
With one syllable she spoke

You walk ahead and then look back
the trail you made on the beaten track
you look ahead and the trail goes on
meandering and whimsy, forever on.

Thursday, May 31, 2012

Liquid Sunshine


The wind was blowing
The clouds were slowing
The sun was glowing
My thoughts were flowing

With a glass to share
living without a care
with my back to the sun
watching others having fun

My heart was sad
thinking of life I had
glad to be among such friends
there for you till the ends

And then it was that it rained
The wallowing feeling within me drained
The mind which till now was strained
My soul uplifted after long being chained

The drops like pellets of sunshine
warming me up, leaving me calm and fine
The stage beckoned me to come
I got high without whisky or rum

the adrenaline rushed through me
I put one step in front of the other
Arms opened wide in glee
I danced in the rain and shuddered

With no concept of time and space
I moved to rhythm and to pace
forgetting all my whims and whines
just enjoying the liquid sunshine.

Monday, May 21, 2012

The Briefcase


Chennai Speakers Forum
CC Project 8
The Brief Case
Props: 1) A briefcase 2)Poker Chips 3) Dice 4) Cards 5) Dealer puck

[Walk towards the stage with a briefcase in hand.]

Ladies and Gentlemen , Today I would like to introduce to you a personality like no other. A personality whom we all intimately want to know. A personality who means different things to different people.

A personality about whom thousands of books have been written, millions of articles published, scholars for centuries have tried to write a complete biography but failed, the personality who has many children including Fate, Hope, Desire and  Greed. Today we will meet the personality and his 4 kids as well.

I present to you the Briefcase of LIFE.[Opens up the case to show the contents 2,3,4,5]

Think of this briefcase as yourself. Think of the contents inside. There are 4 types of contents here

[Displays the 4 contents conspicuously to the audience and arrange them on the table in a row.]

You have all the children of Life within you. Each one of us has them within us.

Fate – Show the cards
Hope – Show the dice
Greed – show the Chips
Desire – Show the dealer PUCK

It’s how we nurture each of them that fill up our life. The games of life are the games we all play.

[Pick up the cards] This is the game of Fate. Life deals you a hand;[give one card to the front row audience] you have to play that hand. You do not have an option. Sometimes it is good hand, sometimes it’s a bad hand. Sometimes it brings happiness, sometimes it brings sadness, but the trick here friends is not to give up. Play the game, play against Fate because you can be sure that one day Fate would be defeated. As someone once said “A man’s character is his Fate”. Change your character. You will change your Fate.

[Pick up the dice] This is the game of Hope. [Role the dice on the floor along the aisle]. In life, you role the dice of action, and hope for the desired outcome. Sometimes you hit the jackpot, sometimes you miss by one turn, and sometimes you cannot hope to win. But still.. Hope lives. Hope that the next turn will bring you the results u wanted. His actions i.e the results are called the Re-actions .  Control your reactions and you will control Hope.

[Show the Poker Chips] Another mischievous child of Life is called Greed. For him everything is less. Nothing is enough. We keep on building our life on greed [build a chip stack], sometimes so high that it eventually falls on itself [make the chip stack fall].  You have more chances of winning a game with Greed when you know when to quit and when to move on. Control the chip stack. You control Greed.

The last and the final game of Life is called “Desire” [Pull out the puck]. There is no way to win against Desire. Because you see, he never plays. He just watches the fun from afar. He gives a puck to someone[throw it to someone in the audience], and watches others envy him, hate him, befriend him ONLY to get that PUCK. The desire to get that PUCK. In that desire to achieve the puck, we close all our senses to logic and focus on the PUCK. As soon as you have done that, you have lost.  Avoid Desire and you are better off.

So now, having met the kids, I shall introduce to you the personality.. Life itself. 

Life is humble, gentle and caring.

In fact the word defines itself. LIFE. Look Inside For Everything.[Close the briefcase].

In words of Mother Teresa,
 “Life is an opportunity, benefit from it.
Life is beauty, admire it.
Life is a dream, realize it.
Life is a challenge, meet it.
Life is a duty, complete it.
Life is a game, play it.
Life is a promise, fulfill it.
Life is sorrow, overcome it.
Life is a song, sing it.
Life is a struggle, accept it.
Life is a tragedy, confront it.
Life is an adventure, dare it.
Life is luck, make it.
Life is too precious, do not destroy it.
Life is life, fight for it.” 

I am going to do that. Are you?
 [Walk back]




Sunday, May 13, 2012

Lingua Franca


Chennai Speakers Forum
CC # 7
Lingua Franca
Do you know whats the difference between the words “I am” and the words “I do”?
Well.. the first is the shortest sentence in the English Language and the other is the longest sentence of our lives.

How many of you think that there is a difference between the English and the French language? The grammar between the English and the French Language?

Toastmasters,  we all are here , speaking a common language, creating history and giving birth to leaders, but have you for an instance, paused to reflect on why we use English as our language? Do you know the history of English? Would you like to join me in the quest to know more about English? [Expecting a yes/no]

Come .. Then let us join English in his home for a quite chat.[Move from one end of the stage to another].
3 generations of the family were living in a bustling city centre, a market place where people of all nationality were interacting.  The Father, his Son and his 2 grandsons .

I went to the Grandfather and asked him.” Grandpa, please tell us about your life.”  The old man smiled feebly and said “My child, I am more than 1500 yrs old and almost extinct from the real world. I was born when Britain was invaded by several tribes like the Angles and the Saxons. The Angles came from a land called Englaland and the language they spoke was Englisc. That is the root word from which words England and my name English has been derived. My parents were speakers of these tribes and with their marriage I was born.  Growing up, I was influenced greatly by a man called Latin. Almost half of my knowledge has been taught to me by him. No one knows me nowadays but my grandsons are very famous and widely known.”

His son, Middle English then took over [Move to centre stage] and said “My dad then married my Mom, a French lady who had come to Britain when French invaded England some 900 yrs ago. She was a member of the royal court where French was exclusively spoken. As a result of it, I became proficient in both languages. Most of my knowledge has deep roots in both my father and my mother. I frequently use the words envelope, bon voyage, café and so many more. I taught the great poet Chaucer- who is considered now as the father of English Literature”

The elder of the two grandsons Early Modern English came forward. He looked familiar and seemed to talk pretty much as I did. He added on to what his father had said. [move to other side of the stage]
“At the time I was born the British had just started their world conquests. That was more than 400 yrs ago. This bought them in contact with a wide variety of people. My mother was one such lady. I signed up for the British Navy and enhanced my knowledge with the languages of the other civilizations. During my time standardization of English came into effect. Grammar was perfected, spellings were corrected. The language of London was made the Language of English. That’s when my younger brother was born.”
 [come back to centre stage]

Surprise of Surprise, I saw my own Teacher standing right there. Professor, this is your family? I never knew. It’s an honour to meet your family Sir!!

The professor laughed  at me and said. “Rohit, the only difference between my brother and me are the words we know. I don’t want to brag about it, I do know more words than him!!!. Words for things the he didn’t have a word for. Like Yogi, Bangle, Chutney,Guru etc from Indian Origin”

“So now Rohit, do you think you know just 1 language” , he asked. I smiled up at him and said “ No sir, I know all the languages of the world, including English” J

Toastmasters, the English Language is a living , breathing, growing language. It was born out of a union of languages and keeps on growing by fusing with many other languages. There is nothing called as Pure English Language. Has that been the case, we would not have had so many revisions on the Oxford Dictionary.

There are more than 2 billion people speaking this language all over the world and more than 400 million people are native English speakers.

There are over 2,700 languages all over the world, but only if you know English would you be able to understand over 75% of all email communications, 50% of all scientific journals and 80% of all information stored on a computer.

English is slowly becoming the Lingua Franca i.e the bridge language or the connecting language all over the world and is our link with the rest of mankind. There are more than 500,000 words in the Oxford English Dictionary, but, how many of them do you know?

Thanks

Sunday, April 29, 2012

PUSH PULL


Chennai Speakers Forum
Project # 6
Pull-Push

Toastmasters – We all know the story of the hare and the tortoise, don’t we? How many of you think that the moral of the story is “Slow and steady wins the race”? But what If I told you that is not the only moral of the story?Do you  know what happened after the race? Do you want to know that?[Expecting a response]

IMAGINE - you were at the finish line of that race. The hare came whooshing past, smiling  and sweating, staggering and swaggering at having surely won the race , can you imagine what would have been the look on his face when he saw the tortoise sitting there chewing green cabbage?

He was baffled, confused and thought he was having hallucinations. But after having a carrot and still seeing the tortoise patiently chewing away decided he indeed had lost.

He went up to the tortoise and with great sportsmanship said “So you have won, fair and square. Congratulations. I should not have been overconfident and should not have taken the nap. What do you think?”

The tortoise, weary after the long race, smiled feebly and said “Thank you. Yes you were over confident and should not have taken the nap. But I think there was a way we both could have won.”

The hare astonished remarked “We, both, win. Then who loses?”

By this time a small crowd had gathered around.

The cow exclaimed “Ooooooooooo... how is that possible?”
The goat said “meeeeehhhhh, Impossible”.
The donkey started laughing “ heeeee haw heee haw, The tortoise has gone mad”.

Amid this entire din, the tortoise smiled and said “We all believe a race is to be won by a single person. All the others lose. That basically is what you define as a race. You ‘PUSH’ yourself forward to be the first. But think what would have happened if the hare had taken me on his back and we both had crossed the line together, or if I had woken up the hare on seeing him sleeping? “

The crowd murmured...”Oh what a brilliant idea ... why didn’t we think of it.... the tortoise makes no sense...told you.. he is as dumb as a dormouse.” The hare was intently looking at the tortoise and trying to figure out the meaning of the words. 
He slowly nodded his head in agreement and said “Oh wise tortoise, what you say makes sense and I now see how foolish I was to ‘race’ against you. Life is a race only because people are PUSHing themselves. We never stop and see who is lagging behind and never ever try to PULL them up so that we together can enjoy the benefits.” 

The crowd was stunned; silence was reigning supreme as each one tried to figure out the implications and impact of these words. The cow stopped chewing cuds, the goat stopped braiding his “goatee” and the donkey as usual was “dumb”struck.

The tortoise with a contented smile on his face said. “In life we all have a choice, that of Push vs Pull. Performance vs Progress... Activities vs. Accomplishments. Many of us always chose the former. We always push for performing better which is why we enter into a race. All we hear is that Life is a Rat Race. No offence to you dear rat. But for how long do you run? Forever?  How many of us have ever stopped , looked back, saw people lagging behind , went back, pulled them up and progressed together towards the goal.  One complements the other , each pulls the other along . The progress may be slow, but it is a progress nonetheless. This way we all benefit and we all share our progress.

Life then would not be a race but a GRACE

With that ... the tortoise entered his shell and went to sleep.

Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement, and success have no meaning.

Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.

Progress lies not in enhancing what is, but in advancing toward what will be.


And that Toastmasters is the moral of the story.


Oh ! I still have a few minutes time... Do you know what happened after the all the rats had jumped into the sea by the song of the pied piper? [No....?]   They all died....

Thank you.

Friday, April 20, 2012

Ti Amo


Ti Amo

This is a poem
Written out by me
At a time I was feeling blue
And also without a clue
As to what went wrong
Between candy and chocy
I would give a lot to know
Why everything became so rocky

You and I were different
I cannot deny you that
But the point was to make it work
Even after that.

If you were confused
Then why did not you tell
I poured my heart out to you
And now it feels like hell.

Your sorry will not help me
To forgive about those things
Those times are the ones I cherish
And the feelings that it brings




For you are the one I love
Without a tense attached
Without you I feel so lonely
Miserable and detached

You are the one and always will be
The person to whom I gave my heart
And although you may not feel the same for me
Whenever you call I will come to thee


For love need not be a 2 way street
Love doesn’t require a return
Even though we may not meet
It is a feeling that eternally burns
Within my heart.

I still don’t know what went through your mind
But you have stolen my peace of mind
Everything I see or hear reminds me
You and everything that could be


I may never know why it didn’t work out
There will always be in my mind a doubt
As to why did you do what you did
Why did you keep your confusion hid
That one mistake of yours
Had ruined my heart and mind
But at least I lived a life in which I loved
And experienced ….briefly
The Divine.

First Love


FIRST LOVE

BEFORE I GO TELLING THIS TALE
HEARKEN ME
I AM NOT ONE WHO HAD THE BLESSING OF LUCK
MY LIFE WAS ONE SORROW AND IT SUCKED

LONG HAVE I LIVED
WITHOUT HOPE OR JOY
SEEING WORLD THROUGH TEAR STAINED EYES
HIDING MY HEART FROM EVERY EYE

BUT ONE DAY CAME AS SUCH
WHEN MY HEART CHANGED SO MUCH
THE WALL OF LONELINESS WAS KNOCKED DOWN
BY A SINGLE PERSON WITH EYES BIG AND ROUND



I FELT THE WALL CRUMBLE
ALL AT ONCE
I WASN’T ABLE TO UNDERSTAND
WHAT TURNED STEEL TO SAND

MAYBE IT WAS HER EYES
BIG AND ROUND
ONE LOOK FROM IT
AND I FUMBLED

MAYBE IT WAS HER LAUGHTER
SO CLEAR AND LOUD
THAT I STOOD
RIVETTED TO THE GROUND

MAYBE IT WAS HER HEART
SO KIND AND PURE
THAT I FELT INSTANTLY
I WAS IN LOVE FOR SURE
SHE DIDN’T KNO ABT MY FEELINGS
FOR A VERY LONG TIME
AND I LOVED HER EVER MORE
AND MORE AND MORE

WE WERE GOOD FRNDS ALL THE WHILE
AT EACH OTHERS THROATS ONCE IN A WHILE
I DO NOT KNOW ABT HER
BUT I ALWAYS MELTED SEEING HER SMILE

I FOUND OUT THAT MY HEART COULD FEEL
THAT IN REAL IT WASN’T MADE OF STONE AND STEEL
BUT IT HAD SUFFERED A VERY GREAT DEAL
WHICH ONLY LOVE AND CARE COULD HEAL

AND THEN CAME THE DAY
SOME CALL IT MOLE DAY
FOR SOME ITS JUST 23RD DAY
BUT FOR ME IT WAS AND ALWAYS WILL BE THE D-DAY
EITHER SHE GOT IT OUT OF ME
OR WHETHER I WANTED HER TO KNOW AT LAST
AT LAST, THE TRUTH WAS OUT

SHE SAID SHE LIKED ME
AND NEEDED TIME TO THINK
TO LET HER LIKENESS TURN TO LOVE
AND THUS LEFT IT AT THE BRINK

WE HAD SOME UNFORGETABLE TIMES
MOMENTS OF HAPPINESS NOW LOST IN TIME
I YEARN FOR THEM
SEEING HOW IT IS NOW

ITS BEEN A MONTH SINCE D-DAY
WE HAVE SHARED JOY AND SORROW
AND KNOW EACH OTHER WELL
AS BEST AS WE MAY


WE FIGHT AND WE CLAW
WE LAUGH AND WE SMILE
WE HUM AND WE HAW
 WE CHERISH AND WE DELIGHT
WE FREEZE AND WE THAW
FOR WE KNOW
AT END
WE LOVE AND WE LIKE
EACH OTHER

SO I STILL LOVE HER
AND ALWAYS WILL
ALWAYS

LIVING APART FROM HER IS NOW MY BIGGEST FEAR
AS I HOLD HER TOO CLOSE , TOO DEAR

Monday, April 9, 2012

My Love


Chennai Speakers Forum
CC # 5
My Love
Her blazing eyes, the stylish looks, her well toned curves, the graceful walk, I was so much in love with her. She was all that I had ever wanted. Her dark colour, set off her brilliant eyes seemed to entice me towards herself.

”Come here darling!” she seemed to be saying. I was so spellbound; my feet took decisions on their own. They moved towards her, my eyes glued on her every aspect. I admired her from top to bottom, front to back. I couldn’t see any problems. She was P E R F E C T.

As I was admiring her, I was also thinking within me “Dude, this lady is gonna cost you a lot of maintenance. “ Petrol prices being what they are, I had to agree with my inner voice.

Yes fellow Toastmasters, I was looking at my first car, my very own Skoda Fabia. A better car didn’t exist in my smitten mind. I was so elated; I didn’t catch the glimpse of pride and love in my parents’ eyes.
My parents gifted her to me for my 21st Bday and as a graduation gift. I christened her Chocolate. Why I did so is worth a story of its own J

It was but another milestone in a journey that began long ago....

I still remember, when I was a kid, i was sick quite often and due to that my mom and I had to travel to a lot of doctors, from Kolkata to Mumbai, Chennai to Delhi, who used to prescribe a lot of tests. For each of the tests, I used to throw a tantrum and demand a toy. My mom would always get it for me, and I would have to go through that horrible test with tears and terror , my mind only upon the toy I would play with when I returned home.

That went on for quite a while and I had with me a large collection of GI Joe vehicles, Shape changing aliens, awesome looking cars with imaginary superpowers and lots of missiles and nuclear bombs.

Today when I look back at them, I realise how much trouble I would have caused my parents. I did not know if they had enough resources to buy me the toy I wanted, I did not see the tears in their eyes when I was being tested. I was suffering from a very rare genetic disease, the cure for which was not yet discovered. I didn’t not care for that... I was happy with my own toys.

As i grew up, my demands also kept growing, from toys, to books, to video games, to mobile phones, to watches , to computers, to laptops and finally to Chocolate!

Where I should have been using the toys and loving my parents, I was doing it the other way round.
People were being used and objects were being loved.

Slowly, over the years I came to realise the seriousness of my conditions and the troubles my mom had to go through with me.. for me. Sometimes I can see a hint of sadness, the fleeting glimpse of pain, trial and tribulations that lay just beneath the surface recollecting the times gone by. For me that was what constituted my childhood, for me, it was normal, for her, it was a punishment .

The love my parents had and have for me cannot be measured. The toys, the education, the cars are just the tip of the iceberg, what lies beneath is truly priceless.

Toastmasters, we live in an era where everything has a price tag attached to it. Ironically, the smaller the object, the bigger the price tag!!

How many of us can put a price on our happiness ? How many of us can measure our love for a loved one?
Jewellery, cars, homes, mobiles , vacations  everything is being sold in shops. But does anyone of you know about a shop selling happiness? Love? 
None.

Yet we measure our success, our achievements and our wealth not by what we have here in our hearts but what we have in our pockets

This piece of paper can get you friends, spouses and kids, but can it get you their heart?
This piece of paper, however crushed, still finds another hand. But a heart once crushed can never be whole again.
There are some things money can buy, but  for everything else there is our Mastercard.
Use that card, not to buy yourself a Chocolate, but for bringing a smile on the lips of ur Loved Ones.

Thank you.

Long Lost Love


I loved her so much
So much I love her now
Time has been standing still
I love her very much still

We never were very close
It was an illusion I chose
above the reality of truth
it made my heart to soothe

So enamoured I am with her
So much in love
She has no idea about it though
about my feeling or my hearts throes

I call myself a fool
to love her so
And a bigger fool
To not let her go

Its hard to hear of her
as a stranger once more
Happiness and sadness exist together
I have experienced it so.

Her disarming smile,
her frowning face,
her childish tantrums,
her innocent ways
I remember them as if it was yesterday
I remember her as it if was yesterday
She is my
long lost love