Success

Unless you seek inner guidance

'success' will always be a 'moving target'

a mirage,  exciting, all enticing

but never attained....

Unless of course, you seek inner guidance...

घोषणा

घोषणा तो हो गए
पर कब यह घोषणा
योजना बनके ज़मीन पे
दिखाई देगा ?

ऐसा न हो कि मज़दूर भूखे मरते रहे
और घोषणाएं  हवा में उड़ जाये 

भगवान से दुआ करे
ऐसा न हो जाये ! 

Thick Skinned

The old timers were perhaps wise
when they said "Marry in haste
and repent at leisure!"

Similar advice they gave
about thinking twice, three times
before letting out harsh,
false  words from one's mouth

you may have to eat them! 

No such worries in the present times
people prepared to tweet
retweet, forward thoughts
true or otherwise
at the split of a second! 

For they have said good bye
to 'shame' a long time ago
not ashamed to eat their own words
delete a post, a tweet
the moment it's uncomfortable!   

Winning Hearts

Speaking of stealing hearts

or even winning hearts

Most focus on an individual entity

it gives happiness, pleasure temporarily

but it is merging with the heart of hearts

that gives eternal joy, happiness!  

Of Kings and Subjects...

The name "Muhammad bin Tughlak" evokes laughter
and images of an eccentric,  erratic, foolhardy, monarch
who shifted capital from Delhi to Daulatabad in the Deccan
and back to Delhi again!

Some history texts suggest that the king
was no fool and that, annoyed with them
he wanted to teach the citizens of Delhi a lesson!

Whatever the reasons, it cannot be disputed
that the citizens of Delhi suffered and suffered badly
took them years/ generations to rebuild
 and restore normalcy!    

Elements of Life

The great poet Rumi equated love with water
would like to equate it with breath as well
for how can we live in the absence of either?

Sadly though, these days
it is a case of water,water everywhere
not a drop to drink!

Mothers' day, Fathers' day Valentines day
special days for demonstrating love
Hypes aplenty
hardly anything on the ground! 

Reactive to Proactive

As a country, we have been facing various challenges- Floods in various parts of the country, Foot over bridges of railway stations giving way and  many falling down to their deaths, citizens falling into open ditches on public roads in the monsoons, deaths caused by communal riots, outbreak of pandemics like cholera, tuberculosis, AIDS and Corona. Proactive leaders are most essential to minimize, alleviate and prevent the sufferings of  common citizens. This then is the theme of this poem.

In Indian movies, the police appear at the end
after the fights and hero has overpowered the villain
real life politicians in the country show up
shedding crocodile tears
long after a crisis- after many have lost lives
lost property, hope and will to live

What does it take to have
proactive people in responsible positions?
or is it merely a pipe dream
in third world countries
that masquerade as first world?

Denials and tall claims
take you no where
progress and way forward happens
only when you honestly admit
where you are in the first place

Yes, 'Acceptance ' is the first step to progress! 

Moving on

Governments all over the world
are lifting lock down  gradually
aspiring to come back to normalcy
perhaps the creative people also
poets, artists et al.  should quit
obsessing the virus...

Perhaps all of us should
quit posting colourful, magnificent pictures
of the enemy, instead start disregarding him/her
stop interpreting the neutral/ unconnected posts
everything, in the context of the virus

Perhaps, it is time to move on
perhaps this will serve as the first step
towards herd immunity....

A Penny for your Thoughts

It was early days of their marriage. Seeing her deeply in thought, he quipped " A penny for your thoughts dear!" But she would't say a thing, no matter how much he tried. He had had this belief for long that a couple should exchange with each other their deepest feelings, likes, dislikes and yearning. He pressed her to say what was on her mind. Was it something over which she was annoyed with him? or is it a matter of being home sick and missing her mother? She denied there was anything. When he persisted, she said "I was thinking what gravy to prepare for the supper". He gave up for the moment- told himself that with time he would change her to his way of approaching life.  However, nothing of the sort happened. In fact during a married life spanning 15 to 20 years it was his personality that had  changed.

He gradually learned to not blurt out whatever came to his mind-  those deepest feelings, likes, dislikes or yearning. In fact, he stopped expressing his opinion even on her cooking. If he said any dish was not tasty, it would disappear from the dining table for months. Of course, he being the kind of person he was, he didn't notice it at first. Once, when sambar ( A South Indian gravy preparation ) was prepared after a long time of more than six months, he remarked "Hey, it's a long time since we have had sambar". she replied casually " Well, you did not like it when I prepared it last. Thought you hated it" 

Slowly and steadily, he got the message and  learned the rules of the game. Soon, during the two decades of marriage, it is not known as to when exactly, he became a changed man . He realized that his original expectations and desires of free communication and openness between spouses was at best mere flights of imagination of an idealistic, immature, unrealistic young mind. Wisdom dawns with age and experience. The experienced, invariably choose peace and domestic tranquility over idealistic "nice to have" preferences! After all, he wanted not only his sambar and other food delicacies but also domestic peace which is the bedrock of the institution of marriage. 

The Show is not over yet

When sighs from deep within the heart
come out as a whimper
born  out of disappointment, regret
of "what might have been"

Do not worry, despair
the show is not over yet
not until the curtains
have come down for the last time!

You still have time
no matter what your chronological age
to live life 'your way', meeting 'your needs'
pursuing 'your happiness'

Many years have you lived
catering to others' wishes
heeding to what others think is the right
or the 'best way' to live!

It is now time to ask the voice within
to guide you to your happiness
doing what you love most, reclaim things
put off, deferred during 'the  busy days'....
remember, the show is not over yet! 

  

Translation of the poem to Albanian  Language   

Translated from English into Albanian Language by poet Delo Isufi Shfaqja nuk ka mbaruar Kur zemrën diçka thellë e mundon, Pshrëtima del jashtë si një rënkim, Një keqardhje a zhgënjim ajo kërkon, Nga : “çfarë ka ardhur ky shqetsim”. Mos u shqetso o zemër, mos u lodh kot, Se shfaqja akoma nuk ka mbaruar, Në skenë s’ka rënë sipari për tokë, Ke shumë kohë në jetë për të aktruar. Gjithomë ke kohë, ke kohë përpara, Ç’rëndesi ka mosha e vitet mbi shpinë, Për ta jetuar jetën të qet, pa andrralla, Shijoje bukurinë e jetës, lumturinë. Vitet që ke jetuar dhe pas i ke lënë, Ke menduar për të tjetët të jesh korrekt, Të mendosh se ata për ty ç’kanë thënë, Si mënyrë jetese që është më e drejtë. Është koha të dëgjosh zerin nga brenda, Që jetën tënde ta bësh më të gëzuar, T’i plotësosh dëshirat që të thot zemra, T’i largosh ngarkesat që vijnë nga jashtë, Mos harro se Shfaqja nuk ka mbaruar !

Haven

"Love" - so many thoughts, feelings the term evokes
of tenderness, concern, protection
sometimes of deceit, despair and pain
yet, what's life without love?
even if bitter- sweet
It is still a haven in a hapless world!

NB: Dictionary meaning of words
Haven: Harbour, port
Hapless: unfortunate, unlucky 

Law of Nature

As the words, voices of the wise
of noble souls echo
through my mind and heart
I realize, understand, know

That the old has to give way for the new
that the new is possible
only when the old dies
that it's a natural phenomenon
to be accepted, embraced, not feared!   

Forerunner

There he was
waiting for what seemed- 'ages'
expectant, yearning...
for that little drizzle
after a scorching summer, in life

Then, she appeared as the first drops of rain
the pleasant, sweet, distinct scent
that changed his life forever

The petrichor was a forerunner
to magical flora of greens and blooms
sustained and nurtured by torrential love rains
that left the parched grounds of  his past
a mere memory
so far, far away...