Home By A River

I stayed at a home 
by a river
A home it is, 
built with love, care and happiness
hardwork, toil and a dream
by a man whom I have come to admire
in the last few days, I met him.

It took him decades of hardwork 
and many a sacrifice
to find a dream and make it a home
It overlooks a river day and night
and every second in-between
and speaks volumes of 
the beauty that earth is
and what man can do
when he respects and values
our abode as it should be.

I have spent every morning
in silence and awe 
of the beauty of nature
that surrounds this home
gladdening my heart 
and making me smile.

I could have sat for hours more
just in silence
watching glorious nature
unfold outside
this gorgeous home.

I have spent many an evening
in reflective happiness
as I have watched the moon
play with the river
and wash the home
with its wondrous light.

The home, this home
has a wondrous energy
calmed me and my nervous nerves
as I sought to take a break 
from life's many burdens.

Thank you Babla Uncle
for building this dream
and for your generous
heart to share this home
with friends and friends of friends
Your generosity has given me
memories for life
of a home by the riverside
and the inspiration
of man who has a dream. 

~ 24th October 2010

Thank You!
For sharing your home with me these past few days! It has meant a world to me. Thank you Ishita for bringing me here and introducing me to Babla Uncle. He is a remarkable human being. 

A Nobody

Sometimes, Life reminds me
I could have been a nobody too
I don't mean this in arrogance
But in awareness

I wish I was a nobody
leading a life like most others
following the trodden path
well laid by million others
well paved too.

Career, money, marriage, kids
Holidays, weekends, drinks and politics
football games, technology, house and cars
day in and day out 
living an eternal dream
with no sacrifice or feeling of guilt
living for myself and my loved ones

Wish sometimes, I was a nobody
living life like everybody else
for today and a dream of a tomorrow
that included me and my family
and no bit of changing the world
or taking on an impossible challenge

wish I was a nobody
sometimes!

~ 11th October 2010

Languish

Languish, I do
Within me, deeper everyday
Hope dies every moment
and yet I hold onto 
of what remains

Is there a way to Un-languish me?
set me free from hope

When there would be no hope,
there would be nuthin to hold onto
and It might just set me free

Languish, I do
in moments of despair
in moments of memories gone past
in moments of stability too

Languish, fascinating a word
almost like a slouch
give me a bed and push me under the sheets
don't ever wake me up
let me go deeper
into the hope
I wish to let go off

funny, ain't it
that its hope 
pushing one to the edge
strange are the ways of humans
Languish, I do!

~ 12th October 2010

Within Me

I carry happiness and sadness 
with me through the day.
They are good company 
stay with me like quiet pets.

Sometimes they flutter 
wanting to jump out
triggering memories 
of joy and sorrow.
lifting my spirits
or pushing me to the very edge.
But they stay with me, 
like faithful companions.

In my travels,
People come to listen
seek inspiration
Needing to feel 
the world is still a happy place to be in!

They hear me, my stories 
Feel inspired, get energized.
They come to hear me 
someone telling them,
"He's my hero! You should hear what he says!"

I carry that responsibility
Even in my most vulnerable moments, 
with sincerity and gratitude. 

I am mostly honest 
Carrying my heart on my sleeve.
Being myself is part of that responsibility,
Being vulnerable at times 
with Honesty and Failures
with insecurities and frailties.
They see bits of them in my story
and sometimes people melt 
with my humble take on life
some say, 
I talk like a 70 yr old 
in the body of the 32 yr old 
and heart of a 9 yr old.
I accept it all
with gratitude. 

Inspite, 
it is in moments of loneliness,
sadness emerges from his shadows
almost creeps behind me 
catching me unaware.

I am glad, 
like a faithful companion 
It creeps in only when I am alone
sometimes, it scares me 
and I avoid being alone,
I like knowing its there, 
but don't like it all over me.

In those moments, 
all I wish is to curl up
or jump off the window of the highest floor
or drown in the seas
or jump onto a moving train

At times like these, 
I look up seeking
wishing to have someone near
not finding, 
I hang onto sadness
sometimes drop a tear
Beginning to lose them too,
they don't come easy anymore
leaving me more lonely
with, ofcourse, sadness
to give me company.

I dread,
its got a secret goal,
creating a hole 
deep in my heart,
making me cold as a stone
and empty too 
drying me of feelings
feeding itself on me
slowly and determinedly.

One of these days
It will engulf me for good

Strange is my day,
while I inspire the world around me,
I feel empty deep within me!

~ 20th November 2010

I Am An Aeroplane

Just as the sun went down

I set about on my journey,

I caught the last few rays 
of the pink, orange & red

gave it a dignified salute 
for being the constant

it always is

embraced with happiness 
the stars and moon

that peeked to guide my journey.

I love the abundant expanse of the skies,

It gives me peace and time to reflect

Cruising above the clouds

Looking at the sheer emptiness

moving towards infinity

It makes me realize my littleness

in the largeness of this universe

I wonder who I carry today

A parent going home to her children

A daughter going home to her parents

A lover to his beloved

or a family on a holiday

Is it a weary traveler,

worn out from the long journey

and treading the difficult parts of life,

Sometimes,
A traveler running away,

from life and loved ones

or broken hearts and promises.

I take them all into my embrace

without prejudice or caution

and give them those few hours of solitude

amongst hundreds!

I much love my relationship

with the expanse of the sky

my friendship 
with the moon, sun and the stars,

I love destinations too!

For they give my journey partners 
light at the end of the tunnel.

They tell them, home is always near

just a few hours away

and I am always here,

to take you home

to your loved ones or otherwise!

I am a loner in the sky,

sometimes winking at my friend

taking another route to another destination,

But, when on ground,

I love being amongst my friends

and the friendly chatter of the humans

who take care of me and nurture me

for yet another journey

I love taking the world into my bosom!

Into their destinations of life!

some coming home,

others running away!

I am an Aeroplane!

~ 23rd November 2010

Awake In My Mind

In the silence of the night,
my mind is in chaos
so weak and vulnerable
trapped in the frivolities of life
and its complexities.

You said this, I said this
I felt this, you felt that
I refuse to listen
My word more important
How I feel is more important
I am more important
than YOU!

I feel from the heart
act and react from my mind
It controls me and my night

A night I was looking forward to
Now filled with chaos
as my mind battles my own self
and revels in keeping me awake
in the mundane and the mediocrity
of life and its complexities.

~ October 2012

How I Know Love!

When I can't wait to tell you,

How much I love you

inspite of the inopportune surroundings

When others see in me

what I haven't seen yet!

When you let me hold your hand

trusting me with your life.

When we hold each other close

in our worst and good times

When we don't agree

and give space to argue our beliefs

never once fading the love we feel

When we are the mirrors

to each other's darkest fears

When we don't fear being honest

and knowing we will not be hurting each other

When we hold space

for each other when the other 

is at their learning edge

When we spend a whole year

searching for the right furniture

because everything we saw just didn't feel right

When we discover love 
at the unlikeliest of places

in crowds

and in the stolen moments

When we want each other to live our dreams

for we know they are important to us

When we see through each other

Help each see the reality

that we blur with our insecurities

When we uphold our beliefs

and our value system 

in the little things we do and say

in our daily lives

When we discover the simplicity of our being,

In the romance we find in our chosen lifestyle

In the rains that drench us in pursuit for our dreams

In the choices we make to living scarcely and responsibly

In the stray puppies we adopt and spoil them to bits

In our discoveries together,

of how much we have grown as human beings

and the way we help each other connect with our souls

In how much we are different,

thousands of my friends as opposed to your few

In your books and my movies

In your cocooned weekends and mine that are packed

In your reflections and my busyness

In your love for shoes and mine for comics

In your love for board games and mine for mindless television

In this and more,

I have learnt to know you and learn to know love 

through you!

~ 26th November 2012. Dedicated to my love.