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!