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 25, 2014

2014

Another year has gone by
Giving as much as it took away
Happiness , sorrow, joy and laughter
Moments to take your breath away

Teaching us the lessons of life
Letting us fall and rise again
Holding us steady in tumbling times
Unleashing our spirits again

Walking through the sandy beach
Picking up the shells by chance
Throwing away a rare find
Ignorant of its true pride

Some fell in love, some out of it
Some made new friends, some broke it off
Like a puzzle with missing pieces
Trying to make it all fit
Making sense of it all

Some started on a new journey
Some returned from a long one
One embarking to onself find
Other returned with wiser mind

With ups and downs the year flew by
making new memories and forgetting some
Putting again a soothing salve
on those wounds of long by

Another year has gone by
Some will cherish while some will sigh
Looking ahead to things new and unseen
Welcoming year 2015.

Tuesday, December 9, 2014

Heaven and Hell

I have thoughts I want to tell
let me put it nice and well
life is a path we all need to walk
some just walk and some just talk

but this is not about what is said
but this is about what lies ahead
a meandering path through heaven and hell
in which we all walk for a brief spell


while all paths are not the same
some might take a longer lane
some will go through ice and flame
while some will walk on wider plane

some will meet some fierce monsters
which will need some grit to defeat
while some will enjoy a quite sojourn
drinking water and berries to eat

and then the world turns topsy turvy
the path will turn,sharp and curvy
the unknown shall again arrive
needing some grit to again survive

when heaven turns to hell one cannot tell
on one foot the world is shining bright
the next one brings a scorching blight
while another brings joy and delight

while going through hell, keep going
while going through heaven, keep going
the path does not end in heaven or hell
when it ends.... only time will tell



Thursday, October 30, 2014

The Days Gone By

While watching a child on the train
giggling and laughing at the pouring rain
hearing a lazy yawn and a shrieking cry
I wondered... How the days have gone by

From splashing in a rain made slush
to watching it fall from an office plush
From leisure dinners to a quick burger and fries
I wondered.... How the days have gone by

From getting dirty playing all day long
to doning ironed clothes, whistling a song
from untied shoelaces to suiting up a tie
I wondered.... how the days have gone by

The merry laughter and the innocent glee
that came from licking an ice slushee
to having a martini neat and dry
I wondered... how the days have gone by

We vowed to grow up one day
and for that we prayed and prayed
and that we are all adults now
We wonder... where those days have gone and how

Tuesday, September 9, 2014

Untitled

I do not know what life may bring
another twist or a new beginning
smooth sailing on calm waters
or rough rumbling from all quarters
broken friendship or a new companion
losing the race or another medallion
a sadness that seems never ending
or happiness that was long pending

I do not know what life may bring
I am aware of just this thing
times will come and times will go
a river does not stop to flow

life is made of ups and downs
yin and yang go round and round
one must always keep alive
the spirit of fire and to strive
though one knows not what life may give
one must always remember to.... live.









Thursday, May 22, 2014

Phoenix

From the ashes it arose
defying all those
who thought it was the end
it, unable to again ascend

Pheonix- the mythical bird
Proud and golden feathered
Teaches us all a truth
about life, death and youth

One may be battered and charred
Tired, sunk and forever marred
The shell may be on the pyre
but a heart filled with fire
Can rise again from the embers
Ready again to face dangers

From acorn to oak to acorn
Life, death and to be reborn
Thats the life for you and me
Made of heart, mind and body
There is never an absolute end
Just a descend and then an ascend

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

The Fox and the Wine

All of us know the story about the fox and the grapes. We have all read it in our childhood and use it in our daily lives time and again to refer to things which we cannot achieve or are forbidden to achieve. We have conditioned ourselves to take solace in the fact that "we must not be destined for it" and hence what cannot happen is also for the general benefit of the society and specifically for you. Proponents of this belief will find a plethora of examples to justify this attitude, so ingrained it is in them, and also because it keeps them from being "disheartened, dejected, depressed and downcast" over things they cannot get their hands on.

Now let us assume that the grapes had not been sour, but were sweeter than nectar (or anything which you feel is the sweetest one earth). Now, would letting go of the grapes be the right thing to do? Imagine if we let go of things we really want and console ourselves that it happens for your own good, were actually not for your own good? What if your life could have been way different had you plucked those grapes and made wine out of it, which only got sweeter as the years passed by? What if every time you consoled yourself and held back, was a new turn in your life and multiple such turns took you to altogether a different path ?

What if "it happens for your own good" is really "you did not take the path you wanted, but took the one you could"? Could this be the reason why we keep searching for our purpose in life? Because the purpose we were meant to serve , we walked past the path that led to it. How can we be sure that the track we are on right now, is the track we are meant to tread?

As always, I have more questions than answers, but I hope the answer emerges, while I enjoy the wine I made, from the grapes I plucked while on my way.....

Sunday, February 9, 2014

The Peacock

It started with "who are you?"
The talking to a chosen few
Blazing eyes and a jumble of hair
graceful, haughty and very fair

A hard shell with a soft inside
It was difficult for me to decide
was I talking to an angel or a breed rare
to find in this jungle of devil's snare

Over the years I got to know
How she ebbed and how she flowed
when she laughed and when she smiled
Warmth and glee filled inside

Food and wine are her flair
Don't ever call a toffee , an eclair!!
She will kill and dump you in a ditch
the fairy turned to an ugly witch!!

Her highs and her lows
are like fire and snow
Raging across burning it all
Or shaming a snail with her crawl
Its a "Go" from the first call
Or a bear hibernating in fall

Quirky, crazy and has her way
She can swing and dance the night away
But make her cross and you will find
the meaning of pain and a mental mind !!!

That's all I know about her yet
Since the time we have met
Approach her at your own peril
You might meet the Dieu or the Devil !!!









Saturday, January 4, 2014

Anchored on High Seas

Wrote this story for a competition. Thought to post it here as well

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Alex was sitting at the dockyard, at the very edge of the pier, legs dangling over open waters. The wind blew the tides towards the pier and they crashed with the poles of the pier, splashing Alex’s feet with cool seawater. Alex seemed to be lost in thought, mindlessly throwing pebbles into the water creating ripples. He was distressed, discouraged and depressed.

He was a typical teenager, naughty and mischievous. His family, being fed up of him, had sent him to a boarding school far away from home. He disliked everything about his school- the other students, teachers, classes and even the food. He wished to be back at home, where he was in his element and the ruler of his own realm. He loved his sheltered life at home and wished to always stay there.

He was woken from his reverie by a voice right above his head “Hey there. Are you lost, little one?”
Alex lifted his head to see the inverted face of an old man, with a weather-beaten look and the drawl of a sailor. He replied “In a way, I am, Mate”

The sailor sat down next to him and said “A penny for your thoughts, young hand? You can get whatever is troubling you off your chest.”

Alex smiled ruefully and said “I don’t think anyone can help me. My family doesn’t like me. They sent me to this stupid school far away from them. I hate everything about this place. I want to go back to my home.”
This time, the sailor smiled knowingly. “Ah. So that is what is troubling you. I guess that’s a problem alright.” And the sailor became silent for some time.

The sun was past its high point and soon it would be dusk. It was that time of the day when it’s still light, but the sun is not visible and a good breeze blows. Against this nostalgic backdrop, one could find these 2 figures sitting along the pier, silent and serene.

The sailor broke the poignant silence and asked “You want to hear a story mate? It seems we both have time to kill.” Alex simply nodded, but seemed to cheer up with the prospect of one of those famed stories of the sailors.

The sailor looked towards the horizon and began: There was once a young kid named Nat, who used to live around here. He used to frolic around and cause trouble to the sailors, upsetting their routine or hiding their tools. Yet, he was good and innocent at heart. He wouldn’t wish to cause real harm to anyone. He loved his life and the place, as it was always bustling with activity and new sailors to trouble. He was content.
One day, his father, who was a second mate on one of the ships, came home. He was a big, burly, gruff man, kind but strict as a father should be. He greeted everyone enthusiastically since he had been away for a long time and had not set eyes on his family all that time. After the cheerful welcome, the family sat down for dinner.

Towards the end of dinner, the father rose from his place. Everyone’s eyes were now fixed on him, full of expectation and further happy news. The father cleared his throat, said warm words for the welcome he had received, expressed his happiness at being back with his family. The after a short pause, he said “I have decided that Nat is now old enough to work on a ship. I have already talked to the captain of one of the ships leaving day after tomorrow and he has agreed to take him on as a helping hand. The ship will be at sea for almost 5 months before reaching its destination. Another 5 months to come back. Therefore, we will not be seeing Nat for the next 1 year. I wish Nat fares well, and may there always be wind in his sail.” With that he sat down.

All eyes were now on Nat. Nat looked spellbound and utterly at a loss of words. “Ship....Sea....Away.....family.....joy......sadness......” were a few things going on within his mind. He did not know how to react. Slowly, the panic set it, the fear of leaving home, away from his cherished world, his world turning topsy-turvy in a short span of 1 min.

It was then that everyone started talking at the same time. His mother came up to him with tears in her eyes and hugged him hard, all the while crying and patting his back. All she said afterwards was “I will help you pack.”
...........

It had been 3 weeks since Nat left his family at the pier. He still missed them but he hardly had the time to think about them. The life of a helping hand on the ship was a demanding one. It was rigorous and backbreaking work as well. He had been physically sore for the first 2 weeks on the ship but now the daily routine had set in and the pain was not so much.

Nat had met every sailor, 50 in all, present on the ship and was intrigued by the myriad backgrounds they came from. There were sailors from all parts of the world, from places he had not even heard of. He was determined to find out all he could about the various places. Slowly, Nat forgot his initial apprehension about leaving home and began enjoying the new experiences which came his way due to being the part of the ship crew. From being stuck in the doldrums for days together, to seasickness, to the various languages spoken aboard, to the stories narrated by the sailors of their homeland.

Nat realised that there was so much more to see, hear, learn and experience, that he started to realise how foolish he was to have wanted to stay back home. He learnt the meaning of life and belief as well as knowledge on that ship. Each journey he made, taught him more about life, enhanced his knowledge and strengthened his belief system.

After many years of sailing around when he came back home, he decided to write his memoirs on the high seas.  He called his memoirs “Anchored on High Seas”.

With this, the sailor pulled out a small book from his pocket and handed it over to Alex. It was dog eared and smudged with various stains but still in good condition and all the pages were present. The sailor said, “Nat was a friend of mine. He gave me this book before he left for his final voyage. This book has given me a lot of insight into my own life. I hope it helps you the same way as it helped me.”

Saying this, the sailor got up, ruffled the hair of Alex in a friendly manner and left. Alex was still in the world of Nat, on a ship exploring strange new lands.
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Alex was back in his room, still lost in thoughts about the life of a sailor and the varied adventures they have. He still held the book in his hand and opened it to some random page. He began reading it and found a lot of florid, vivid descriptions of lands Nat had visited. Along with that, there was also a section on what Nat learnt about life through the life of a sailor. Below are a few chosen extracts Alex found relevant to himself.

Day 105: Today was the 3rd day since we have been stuck at high sea due to no winds. All day long, the crew sits on the deck, staring at the sails, in hopes that it would fill up with wind again and they can proceed.  We are literally “Anchored at High Seas”. It has been a good time to talk to the sailors who are otherwise busy. One thing I could figure out from them was that they had utmost Belief in their destiny. They truly believed that they were present right here, on the seas, stuck with no winds for a purpose. Their belief was their Anchor- the Anchor of Life. It was this anchor that kept them sane and provided them solace in times of need and also in times of joy. Hard times only helped to harden their resolve and good times made them believe they were on the right track to their destiny. When asked why they are so devout, they said “If I don’t have this belief, I am lost. I couldn’t wake up in the morning. I couldn’t go through the day. I would have an existential crisis”. Their belief system is the very core of their life, their Anchor which connects the free spirit within them to the materialistic nature of this world. If they do not believe in themselves and their goals, they do not exist. One belief defines them. I learnt from them that man is as man believes. His belief system in something is what drives him forward. It’s the force that continuously pushes him ahead towards his destiny. One sentence from an ancient mariner summed it all up for me. “Look closely at what you believe. Because it encompasses how you live.

Be-LI-e-VE.

Day 710: You do not meet such erudite people often; people of such faith and humility, yet with the wisdom of the world in their eyes, and maturity of the ages in their thinking. It was happenstance that I came in contact with such a person exactly at the time when I was pondering over the questions- “I have seen the world. What should I do now?” It seemed quite useless to keep going places without going anywhere. Yes, I have been to several parts of the world, seen various cultures, but what now? It was at this junction that Mr. Yusuf Ali came in contact with me. He lay down on his divan, with strong Turkish tea to sustain himself while I sat opposite him on a straight backed chair, feeling uncomfortable. I had recently brought back an assignment of precious cargo for this gentleman, and he, taking a liking for me, had requested a quiet chat before I departed.

He looked at me for some time with a penetrating glance, as if searching my soul, and then seemed to have been content with what he found. He let the silence between the 2 of us build. At last, being fed up with this game, I asked “What do you want?” to which he replied “The truth”. It confused me further “Truth, about what?” He replied – “Truth about what you seek”. I blurted out “I seek the truth about Knowledge. What should I use it for?”

Yusuf smiled and nodded. “The fact that you have asked this question shows that you have matured. Like wine stored in a barrel, like a well simmered Iraqi tea. What you seek is not knowledge, but where would you apply this. You seem to be frustrated with this mere gathering of information with no viable use of it. Knowledge is secondary. Your intent is primary. A person, unless he gathers information for a specific use, is now said to be knowledgeable about that use. Without intent of a specific use, knowledge is just information. You are a sailor, you must know about the direction of the winds. That is information. When you know how to change the sails to get the best draft- that is called knowledge.

No one in this world can be knowledgeable about everything. But we can all attempt to be as knowledgeable as possible. The more knowledgeable we are, the more situations in life we can tackle. The more situations we can tackle, the more experienced and successful we are. Knowledge is all about storing the tools of learning in the attic of mind, to be retrieved whenever there is a need for such tools to repair, destroy or build something in this world. Knowledge is your ultimate arsenal. It is the weapon which no one can take away from you, and which you alone know how to control. It can be constructive or destructive depending upon the way you use it.

This encounter changed my perspective on how I viewed knowledge. It was then, that I realised, what I had thought off as knowledge was nothing but information. From today on, I shall seek to be more knowledgeable, than informed.

Day 1879: This is one of my last pieces of writing. I have run out of things to write about. Most people ask me, how your life has been. All I have to say to them is “It has been OK. Nothing to complain about. Could have been worse.” But I have been pondering over this answer I have been giving and have come to some realizations. Life is not what you make out of it, it’s how you take it. Life is not a journey to seek a goal. It is simply a journey. The goals keep changing with the passage of time. The Anchor of Belief and the Thirst for Knowledge are the 2 key factors that propel us forwards to seek newer heights. And thus, life has a very simple definition.

LIFE – Look Inside For Everything


With the right belief and knowledge, life is a great journey.

Alex didn’t realise when the sun went down or came up. He had been so engrossed in the memoirs that he had read it through the night. He now realised, how wrong he had been in being distressed, depressed and discouraged. His life was at a point of change. He was free to pursue his own dreams, gain new experiences and stand on his own two legs and face the world.

And face it he would. With his belief intact and the expanding horizons of Knowledge, he had his Anchor and the wind in his sails to propel him into an exciting journey called – Life.