Sweet Shankaranti Wishes

Sweet Shankaranti Wishes

A flat bread of life,

One without any major strife,

Layered in, is the sweetened future,

Encased in soul’s robust nature.

As the sun travels to the north,

Warmth and growth coming forth,

In the gentle western sky, soars a kite,

A new season full of optimistic reason, takes flight.

An elaborate southern earthly gaze,

A Feast, an obeisance to the luminary daze,

With amalgamation of farm’s harvest,

A brimming pot of season’s best.

Such is this earthly celebrations,

Homage to Mother Nature’s bountiful creations,

An assurance of a place in universe’s lifecycle,

A reminder not to disrupt the fragile miracle.

2021 Year Wishes

May the future chime,

The effective joy of being alive,

The collective bonhomie of having survived,

The serenity acquired in a storm,

The calm now surrounding your family dorm,

The prosperity in spite of turbulence,

The subtle reassurance of a divine presence.

 

May life bestow upon you,

Flowers of inner peace,

Climbers of creative treats,

Trees of boundless might,

Shrubs of dainty dreams in flight,

Fruits of the eternal dedication,

And all the nature’s allocation.

A Bond with Ruskin Bond

 

A Bond with Ruskin Bond

 

Got acquainted with Binya,

When I was aged ten,

As she walked about with a blue umbrella,

I tagged along, enchanted by the words from your pen.

 

Admire your simple storytelling,

A unique way of true events evolving,

Keeps me glued to the seat,

Till I read the end of the adventurous feat.

 

Years passed by,

My kids are hooked to your story’s cast,

All of us have read and re-read your stories,

Especially when holidaying in quite valleys.

 

With many a memories,

One particularly sneeks up,

My son reads “A face in the dark”,

When all alone in a resort room in Corbett.

 

Now every day,

As a family we congregate,

To hear you read”The story of the day”,

Thrilled if it’s a story, memory could recollect.

One to Ten in Numberland

 One to Ten in Numberland

One sighed at the ton of papers to be corrected,

Two served breakfast to the customers few,

Three finished her assignment and decided she way free,

Four started fixing the broken garage door,

Five typed a leave letter, saying he has hives,

Six looked on the luncheon spread, while giving the salad a final mix,

Seven exclaimed “looks like heaven “, while admiring the new nursery,

Eight asked nine out on a date,

Nine happily accepted with one word ‘fine’,

Ten closed shop and returned to his den,

This is the way everyone in the village ‘Number land’,

Spent their little time at hand.

It Changed The Way We ....

It changed the way we....

I don’t believe in digital payment,

Said someone in analogue,

Rather I stand in a que in the hot sun,

Now I pay my bills online,

As say it’s absolutely fine,

It changed the way we pay.

I never finish meals without sweets,

It’s a necessity not a treat,

Clattered the sweet teeth,

Today the shops are closed,

Small meals are eaten sans any sugary toast,

It changed what we eat.

Always purchased the latest trend,

Up to date as the ads ask us to spend,

Blurted the shopping bag bulge,

Roll up to the present day,

The spiders rule the racks,

As many make do with the essential stash,

It’d say, it changed what we buy.

Dressed tip top,

An elaborate walk to the workshop,

Pleasantly present the office goers,

Dawns the day that begins and the same way, every single day,

Now it is decked in decent t-shirt, preferable without a fray,

It changed the way and reason we dress.

Clocking the office from nine to five,

I has no shortcuts, no naps time hives,

Ticking precisely tuned to the office clock,

Now a days I simply pick up where I left, a few hours ago,

Work is all 24 hours vertically split up into shifts,

It changed the way and hours we work.

Some changes are for the best, I accept,

It is imperative old annoying habits are laid to rest,

While some other changes should not settle,

It might aggravate the metal muddle.

Up surging and methodically, it came in waves,

Changed the way we live, believe and behave,

And yet we can only accept silent pains might stay unrelieved,

We are in the company of anguish, distress periodically,

A virus completely changed the way we think.

A shift in the way we perceive a future life permanently.

Lockdown!

Lockdown

Lockdown!

In every town,

No one to roam the streets up or down,

Until three week’s sundown.

Need a reason to venture,

To stop people from adventure,

Police strict and vigilant,

Punishing many who are adamant.

Carry a pass to enter,

Working for hospital or an essential vendor,

If its medicines or death,

You shall pass with bated breathe.

Shop shelves run dry,

Buying list difficult to comply,

Many make do with alternates,

Quite a few forgo impulsive intakes.

Each day passes slowly,

Each night the count rises quickly,

Will the virus creep into me today?

Wouldn’t know till a week later its mayday!

The uncertainty continues,

No one is amused,

Work goes on from the safety of where we stay,

Increasingly difficult without a single shimmering ray.

This too shall pass,

As it tests the resilience for your tasks,

Says the analytical mind,

Just search deep within thy self to find.

Each Year. a New Year

Each Year, a New Year

Each Year,

Happiness comes in batches,

Sadness has its own time patches,

Tough decisions have monthly dispatches,

But we push ahead resetting all arrangements.

Every Year,

Raw mango smoothens sour mentalities,

Chilies point to the harsh realities,

Neem flowers remind us of bitter choices,

Jaggary sweetens taste buds like laughter noises.

Year after Year,

We remember misses of the past,

Strive to keep our resolve till last,

Learn a few new tricks,

To better one’s self brick by brick.

This Year,

Wishes start with a global gloom,

Every individual searching for their bloom,

Once found, pass it on around,

Only way to pull away from impending doom.

Happy New Year,

Have a thoughtful new year,

Remember the lost near and dear,

Become more humane,

Wither away the disdain.

Alone

Alone

We arrive into the world alone,

We leave this earth alone,

But there is no reason known,

To live the life all alone.

Childhood must be spent,

With others of many different intent,

Some encourage the book worm in you,

Others open doors to games, quite a few.

As young adults we bond,

With souls of the same intellectual wand,

While some friends finish courses simultaneously,

Others start new jobs concurrently.

Middle age usually has a companion,

Someone who considers you a champion,

That special one who shares biscuits and tea,

The only one who listens to you for free!

Old age is uncertain,

Intention is not to be a burden,

Some grand kids come visit,

Wisdom prevents you from demanding it.

As, we arrive into the world alone,

We leave this earth alone,

But there is absolutely no reason known,

To live the beautiful life all alone.

Women

Women

Multilayered with magnificence,
Radiating the atmosphere with her sheer presence,
Wades through tasks with tenacity,
Protects her surroundings with intensity.

Understands others need to be superior,
Balances all without the word inferior,
Not often does she wait for appreciations,
Accepts life with all its depreciations.

She is a women through the ages,
Nothing much changed in numerous pages,
Forever trying to break the unseen wall,
Among fellow humans, she stands tall.

To Paint a Picture

To Paint a Picture 



Once I took a fancy,

To draw a large picture crazy,

To paint it in colours beautiful,

In between time of two chores dutiful.



Before starting the endeavour,

Decided to collect all my equipment's together,

Turned out a task not so ordinary,

Gathering goods took time primary.



Special paper from the perch high,

Sketching pencil, that isn’t dry,

An eraser to obviate us of mistakes,

Identify a spacious workspace.



A board to keep the paper large,

A side table to lay the colours and brushes apart,

Neatly arrange the brushes ascending,

Water to wash away traces of colours residue.



All ready and nicely planned,

Sat down to draw images grand scale,

Clocked ticked away minutes ten,

In came my boys, requesting a quick snack in their den.

Saturday Morning Sights

Saturday Morning Sights 



Sun has a weekend slumber, slow in waking up,

Clouds shifting shapes in predawn cusp,

Slight breeze enveloping early rising mortals,

Transporting them to a cleaner portal,

Walkers in twos and fours take to empty streets,

Sweating out the goodies of last night’s feasts,

Busses whizzing along, bright and yellow,

Collecting young minds that refuse to mellow,
Mother and child duo riding an engine on two wheels,

As latecomers follow the bus close on its heels,

Milkman on scooter with sacks sagging,

Newspaper boys busy bundling and flinging,

Usually cycling into traffic from reverse direction,

Surprisingly escaping deadly situation,

Trucks laden with cackling chickens in tiny coops,

Opposite to a merchant selling vegetables that droops,

Tea shops selling ordinary hot refreshments,

Alongside juice stalls peddling exotic herbal concoctions,

Ignorant of these sights are workers on daily wages,

Men and women walking to sites where construction rages,

A church getting ready with a sermon and choir,

Cars parked in lanes by people in beautiful attire,

 Passing through all these fanfare,

Are the mother and son pair!

Excited about an hour of intense fun,

Dribbling the ball into a basket while on the run.

The Flower Carpet

The Flower Carpet

A daily ritual of walking among plants and flowers,

On a clear morning rejuvenates the inner power,
Looking around, soaking in the green cover,
Ground sprinkled with white and orange petal shower.

Picking up the delicate beings,

Savouring the immense pleasure it brings,
Over many moons, you come to expect the daily colours,
Not for once imagining, a day without any flower.

Then one day the unthinkable happen,

Your power and spirits seems dampened,
The white and orange carpet vanished,
Not for just one odd day,
But many successive days, it’s banished.

Resilient as it is, the mind,

Restarts to empower itself with another find,
A different scene, to revamp the daily grind,
Enjoying the new, yet not forgotten the dainty kind.

Suddenly in the morning sunshine, the eyes behold,

A familiar carpet of white and orange, retold,

The parent plant acknowledges your presence,

Bringing forth feeling intense.

Admiring nature’s numerous ways to nurture,

You realise every day is not of the same nature,

Sun sets and rises to put forth a new persona,

Each day has to be perceived with a new manoeuvre.

The Child in Me

The Child in Me 

Not so many eons ago,

Gallop and hop was the day’s logo,
Carefree and with delight,
And with steps full of flight.

Anything was possible.
Everything could be set right,
Confidence border usually spilled over,
Alas, the feeling does not last forever.

As adults, comes the realise,

Some tasks near complete, suffice,
Conscious clashes with responsibility,
Feet stay on the earth permanently.

Now you walk a straight line,

With purpose and time,
With age comes grace,
Is it all a passing phase?

Somewhere the child in me fell asleep,

Under scores of social manners heap,
Do I wake him and kindle?
Or do I let him sleep and dwindle?

Rain is Boring

Rain is Boring 

It’s raining,

Oh! Its pouring,
Gladly lakes are brimming,
But why does it feel boring?

Radio seeps out musical tune,

All day, night and noon,
Songs that the heart knows,
Melodies that danced many a toes,
Even these could not tweak,
The brooding weather bleak.

Pretty dresses liven up any day,
Adorable colours bright and gay,
Disguises that bring about cheer,
Matching trinkets to dress dear,
But today’s drape does not embellish,
The sulking clouds to perish.

Pick up a book to browse through,

Time tested way to induce schemes new,
An intriguing tale fuels exultation,
Suspense or comedy, book beckons jubilation,
Yet it missed the marked ray,
On this gloomy solar day.

Food that warms in and out,

Spicy or bland, grub curbs mental doubt,
Soup or curry mind slows the thoughts,
Fresh bread and cakes opens forth clogs,
The presence of table laden with goodies, sets in weariness,
 Not one dish dispelled the dreariness.

What will it take to disperse gloom?
Anything that will make the mind bloom!
Is there a new task that brings sheer delight?
Someone share the new secret to capture euphoric light.

Two Beings

Two Beings 

Two beings awake at the middle of the night,

Both look at each other through the thick iron lines,
Each gearing up for the upcoming thunder and light,
Preparing their fragile minds.

One scampers to the nearest tin shelter,

Runs to get away from the rain pester,
The other looks on into the dark skies,
Could she see a plane fighting the thunder, as it flies?

Both are awake in the uncompromising night,
Battling inner fears with all their might,
The cat purrs from under the porch lantern,
While the lady awaits her husband’s return.

A Strange World

A Strange World

Can a lioness be an heiress?

Can bats eat oats?
Do turtles know how to turn tables?
Does a wounded octopus get pus?
What happens if a butterfly forgets to fly?
Do you know of a giraffe, good at plotting graphs?
What a strange world would it be, to live in!
Might be more entertaining than the present day daily din.

A Poen in Need

A Poem in Need 

Staring at a paper white,

I wonder why, no ideas bright,
Seems to have hit a writer’s block,
The more I try, more I hit a rock.

Maybe I am upgrading my ability to charm,
As long as the end is not head in the palm,
I need to gather new sounds and sights,

Possibly write about human plight.

Words said by a person esteemed,

Open invite from a magazine,
A friendly advice from someone dear,
To break all shackles of fear.

All these thoughts come circling in,
None of them go into the dustbin,
Through sickness and pain,
Mind is meandering aimlessly in one lane.

So until the charms are refreshed,

Or many tiny ideas get meshed,
I note, observe every incident,
Panning out both humorous and serious bend.

Such is a Friend!

Such is a Friend

When you are surrounded by gloom,

Suddenly you hear a voice that gets you in full bloom,

You are burdened by work for weeks on end,

But still manage to make time for a visiting friend,

Such is a friend!

Countries and miles separate people apart,

But you’re still connected with words of heart,

Years’ spent in letters and messages, as life walk,

Need a small pretext to meet, have a catch up talk,

Such is a friend!

First person you call to share a happy gain,

Last person you want to see in pain,

One person you wonder, how would she react?

Last person you say words, you later want to retract?

Such is a friend!

You walk into her home uninvited,

You trust in the person is undivided,

Encourage one another to explore new turfs,

Appreciate each other’s smallest handiwork,

Such is a friend!

Someone responsible for your uncluttered mind,

Has qualities that intertwined two of a kind,

Someone you remember even in your daily work grind,

Such friends are hard to find, even tougher to retain!

 Happy Friendships day!

In the Heat of May

In The Heat of May 

School declare summer holidays,

Students look forward to jolly days,

Playing with friends indoors and outdoors,

Army of kids besieging every floor,

In the relentless heat of May.

Parents prepare for extra duties,

Driving to and fro their lively babies,

Coaching classes for all ages,

With varied timing ranges,

All in the glaring heat of May.

Family and friends get together,

Some seems to stay forever,

Pleasing company for a couple of days,

All this happens under sun’s glazing rays,

In the scorching heat of May.

Plans are made instantly,

Sometimes shopping insanely,

Other times eating out occasionally,

Catching up with long lost mates annually,

Not bothering about the heat of May.

A dish of ice-cream every day,

If only testing new flavours pays,

Homemade lemonade and ice-tea a plenty,

Fruit salads and smoothies fill fridge to party,

Anything to keep away the heat of May.

Some take a family vacation,

Cooling off in a hill station,

For some it’s foreign tours and travels,

To soak in manmade paintings and natural marvels,

Everything possible to get away from the heat of May.

Then there are the simple few,

Who soak in only the artificial dew,

Work and family take priority,

Improving plain hobby to a business majority,

Not wasting even a bit of the heat of May.

A House ... A Home

A House … A Home 

A balcony full of spring flowers,

Which shades us from sun’s powers,

At times a places for open hearth,

For memories to give birth,

This makes the house a home,

A family under love dome.

A table that hosts parties to boast,

Drinks are placed on it after pleasant toast,

Where cakes are cut post results,

Plates full of food to calm nerves troubled,

This makes the house a home,

A family under care dome.

  

Siblings fight till bitter end,

A common thoughts forces them to bend,

Pain and anguish shared,

For in your heart you know you cared,

This makes the house a home,

A family under empathy dome.

Parents stay awake many nights,

To plan for the children’s future bright,

Some days are spent alone,

For the companion is airborne,

This makes a house a home,

A family under responsibility dome.

 

Warm food that feeds hunger,

Quenches stomach’s bangs of anger,

Favourite dishes are lined up without delay,

Especially on a beautiful tray,

This makes a house a home,

A family under protective dome.

With memories a plenty,

Surrounded by friends laughter bounty,

Joy and happiness wrap home as a quit,

Never to let the peace and blessing wilt,

This makes a house a home,

A family under God’s graces dome.