The Little Girl and Mount Everest

There once was a little girl
Just like every other little girl in the world.
She loved dresses, dolls, and parties
Just like every other little girl in the cities.

But alas! One day, tragedy befell,
And, in an accident, she lost one leg.
Then, followed days of tears and regret.
“She has no future,” all the people said.

“Even with the use of a prosthetic leg
She’d be a burden and always dependent.”
But, something stirred in this little girl,
Who refused to accept all these words.

With determination, she made a pledge
To conquer the peak of Mount Everest.
A step at a time helped her gain strength,
And, with discipline, she trained herself.

The sands of time saw her evolve
Into a warrior girl with steely resolve.
And it was with this never-give-up mindset
That she scaled the mighty Mount Everest.

When You Said Nothing, But I Heard It All

The best things in life don’t make a lot of noise.

Like the Big Bang that birthed the Universe.
Like the life that takes shape in the womb of a mother.
Like the pearl that’s made from a grain of sand.
Like our love that sprouted when you clasped my hand.

In that moment, nothing was spoken,
Yet a bond was formed that couldn’t be broken.
In that moment, I heard everything –
Your promises of a love everlasting.

It was more than you just being there with me,
More than just a physical touch that I was feeling.
At that moment, I saw my life in a panoramic view.
My past, present, and future were with you.

I could never reveal what I saw and felt,
But in that moment, when our eyes met,
Something in the way you gazed back at me
Told me that you, too, had the same feeling.

Once Upon a Grey Day

The day was grey.
Grey it was, in every way.
The grey clouds cast a pall of gloom
Like the sky was mourning some doom.
Even the air that flowed around was grey
Carrying a chill for all who inhaled.
The grey street just blankly stared
As folks tred on with hearts greyed.
And that was how I turned grey, too
As I sat on a grey park-bench and rued.

Suddenly, you floated into view.
You smiled and asked, “How are you?”
With your lilting and happy voice
That instantly made me rejoice.

In that moment, the greys peeled away
To reveal a bright, technicolor day.
The clouds were cottony puffs of white,
And a rainbow glittered in the blue sky.
The air, with perfume, was fragrant
And warm like on a summer evening.
The street was decked with gay festoons
As if a carnival would approach soon.
And, each person skipped by
Humming a song with twinkling eyes.

And oh! That was when I saw myself
Blazing like the sunset with happiness!

A Love That Lasts

We fought.
Like the skies during a thunderstorm.
A spark lit, and like lightning, I lashed out.
You roared like the gunmetal grey clouds.
We howled at each other like the winds,
And like raindrops, flew the accusations.
It seemed as though the end had neared –
The end of our love, our world, our Universe.

And then, with the dawn, tiptoed a light
Spreading warmth and color on all sides.
We both couldn’t help but stop and stare
At the resplendent beauty everywhere.
Just as it seemed the damage had been done,
And the crack in our relationship couldn’t be undone,
The golden light of love brought forth a horizon
And we were united once again as one.

As we looked back at the fight,
We couldn’t reminisce who was wrong or right.
But, of one thing, we did become certain –
Our love would outlast everything.

I Will Never Forget You

There are people,
And there are memories.
And then, there’s you, infused in all my memories.

There’s hardly anywhere I can go,
Or anything I can do
Without thinking of you.

There’s hardly any object I own,
Or any that I don’t
That doesn’t remind me of your love.

The other day, I was in the subway
When someone handed me a pamphlet.
It was of a store announcing a sale,
One of no remarkable interest,
And yet, I saved it till this day
Because its red shade
Reminded me of the roses you gifted
Me on the day we had first met.

Then, there were the tear drop earrings
Made of imitation rhinestones
Twinkling in the afternoon sun,
As, in the shop display window, they hung,
Very much like the light in your eyes
Whenever you looked at me and smiled.

You knew I loved birds.
The scarf with printed peacock feathers
That you bought for me is a reminder
Of the times we spent together.

I love you – that’s quite plain to see!
And I really like to think –
These knick knacks that bring forth memories
Are actually just you – always professing your love for me.

The Moment

‘Twas a moment wrapped in silky mist and silvery dew
As we strolled together on the wooded mountain trail.
The patches of sky visible through the trees were blue
And the breeze caressed each leaf to waltz and sway.

It was as if the forest, mountains, and Universe already knew
The emotions hidden inside me that sought an escape.
You walked on, talking, laughing, as always, being beautiful
Awakening within me all the thousand shades of sunset.

Then, you pointed towards a flower that in the moss, grew,
And asked me what I thought, but I was admiring your face.
At that moment, everything converged, and I said, “I love you.”
Never in my life can I forget the awkward silence that prefaced…

The smile that lit up your eyes as you said, “I love you, too.”
All my inhibitions suddenly vanished without any trace,
As, in your eyes, I could see the promise of a love so true –
A love that all the moments of our lives would forever grace.