Just a thought

I thought this is an appropriate post on occasion of Earth Day, which just passed by, and the cartoon I found on the internet (courtesy caglecartoons.com) sums it up rather neatly. The poem, of course is by me. :-)

The Lonely Traveler

I had put up this photo on my Facebook profile and my dearest friend Mia thought that this photograph deserves a poem. And, how could I refuse her wish. So, this one is for you, Mia. Oh, btw, the photograph was taken by another friend of mine, K.R, so any praise for the photograph should go to her.

I walk alone through the untrodden paths

Beholding the sights that beckon me

Drawn to them like the earth to the sky

I seek no other pleasure or company

The paths I tread are my only destiny

Lead me to my destination, the endless horizons

Happiness

How do I treasure an emotion so fragile?
The harder I try, the more I seem to fail
I bring my lips into a semblance of a smile
My eyes betray the shadow of the tear trail.

Update from Nowhere

I am back. For those of you who care and have been wondering whether I had fallen off the face of the earth, I can say that I came close to that. I will save the yawn-inducing, tongue-wagging, shoulder-shrugging, eye-popping or mind-boggling (depending on your level of interest and curiosity) details of my oh-so eventful life and just say that I have been there, done that and now I am back to square one. Or maybe, I belong to a different demographic now. At this moment, I don’t know and I don’t care. For those of you who know what I am talking about and believe that I will bounce back, thank you all for your support and encouragement.

And to answer the question whether I have bounced back, all I can say is I am trying my best. I am like a yo-yo that has gone bad, down most days and coming up once in a while. Today is one of those days and the reason for this post, to talk about two special people in my life, who without their knowledge and without even trying have kept me afloat. And for their presence in my life, I thank God and maybe even forgive Him for everything else that should not have been.

My Angels

When I am defeated and question the meaning of life,
your guileless words make it seem so profound.
When I am in doubt and wonder if there is truth,
your adorable gestures make me want to believe.
When I am heartbroken and deny the beauty of love,
your warm hugs show me the essence of true love
When I am weak and ready to give up the fight,
your honest vulnerability gives me strength.
When I am scared and unable to conquer the fear,
your uninhibited smiles bring me hope and cheer.
When I am dejected and my soul needs to heal,
my dear angels, you prove to be my only elixir.
Things may come and things may go in this uncertain world,
but will there be anything more pure than a child’s innocent love?

The Dream

It was a splash of color in the morning light
Vibrant, bright hued, and effervescent
Flitting around from here to there
Dancing to the song of life without a care
It seemed to be aiming to the sky
Look at me, it seemed to say
I am happy, I am gay

There it was in the twilight
Strangely aimless and lost
The bright colors seemed a farce
Gone were the song and the dance
As it bobbed up and down in the wind
Downward bound it fell at the feet
For alas it was just a broken wing

...?

My mind loves to wander;
my soul knows no surrender;
my heart is its own master;
yet, I am bound in fetters
by the enigma called life.

The Stranger

Ever felt like a stranger to your own emotions? Imagine coming across a reflection of yours, your lips curved into a smile… and you feel like you are looking at a picture a person who seems just vaguely familiar… or a tear flowing down your cheek goes unchecked because you didn’t even realize you were crying…

Ever felt like a stranger to your emotions because deep within, you feel so numb that nothing seems to affect you… ever felt the feeling of not feeling something?
When I was going through one such moments of reflection, I came across this ghazal written by Firaq Ghorakhpuri which seemed to resonate with my thoughts completely…

I have penned down the ghazal and my interpretation…

ye to nahii.n ke Gam nahii.n
haa.N merii aa.Nkh nam nahii.n
Sadness engulfs me, I don’t deny
And yet, my eyes remain dry

tum bhii to tum nahii.n ho aaj
ham bhii to aaj ham nahii.n
You are no longer yourself
Nor have I remained as I

ab na Khushii kii hai Khushii
Gam kaa bhii ab to Gam nahii.n
No pleasure makes me glad now
And no sorrow makes me cry

maut agarche maut hai
maut se ziist kam nahii.n
Although there is no void like death
Life itself makes me wish I die

Pecking Order :-)

A spider climbed the wall
‘Oh,’ thought the ant, ‘what gall!
Just because he has so many legs,
he treats us like bloody dregs!!’

The lizard crept up the wall
‘Oh,’ thought the spider, ‘what gall!
Just because he is a reptile,
he comes and cramps my style!!’

When he heard the cat’s lazy drawl
‘Oh,’ thought the lizard, ‘what gall!
Just because he is big and sly,
I have to scamper to a nook so high!!’

When he saw the dog ready for a brawl
‘Oh,’ thought the cat, ‘what gall!
Just because he can howl and bark
I can’t even enjoy my lark!!’

When he heard the man call
‘Oh,’ thought the dog, ‘what gall!
Just because he can walk on his hind,
he makes us run and do the grind!!’

The man thought, ‘I rule them all!’
‘Oh,’ thought He, amused, ‘what gall!
Someday each of you will perish,
when and how is purely my wish!!’

(The first stanza is courtesy my friend, Meghna.)

Today is Special...

Today is special…
Because it comes with the reflection of yesterday;
of feats achieved and lessons learnt,
of memories made and dreams realized.

Today is special…
Because it comes with the promise of tomorrow;
of challenges to face and words to keep,
of hopes to build and dreams to fulfill.

Today is special…
Because this is the moment that is alive and real;
The eternal moment when the promise
unfolds before it becomes a memory.

Today is special…
Because it is the reason to celebrate ‘You’;
For you are someone’s memory,
someone’s reality and someone’s dream.