Author: rupali66

The Perfect Love Story

The king and the queen were worried.
The princess was yet to be married.

But none of the suitors were perfect.
In them, she always found a defect –

Too talkative or boring or fat or thin,
None of them, her heart, could win.

She was waiting for the ideal prince
Like in the books she’d been reading.

Until one day when with her friends,
She went to the riverside for a swim.

As they played in the cool waters,
A huge dragon appeared from nowhere.

Clutching the princess in its talons,
It flew off towards the high mountain.

The word spread around like wildfire.
The kingdom was gripped by terror,

But, one brave and fearless warrior
Took off on his horse to rescue her.

He shot an arrow at the huge dragon,
And a fierce battle then commenced.

The dragon roared and spat flames,
Yet, he was quicker and dodged them.

Finally, his sword found its mark,
And he pierced the dragon’s heart.

By the light of the pale crescent moon,
He brought the princess safely home.

The kingdom celebrated and rejoiced
As the princess then made her choice.

In the glow of thousands of candles,
They both exchanged rings, and wed.

And as a new dawn broke in the skies,
With it, in the kingdom, peace arrived.

And as the story ends, I say these words –
The perfect love story exists in this world.

There’s one for each and every person.
Love, like the wind, touches everything.

Just believe in it with your heart,
And welcome it with open arms.

The Road Itself

As we journey through our lives,
What stays with us is the road we tread.
Be it through pleasant or harsh climes,
The road unravels with every step.

At times, smooth, and at times, cobbled,
At times, dusty, and at times, cracked,
At times, graveled, and at times, potholed,
The road goes on as a neverending track.

Sometimes, it takes us down a blind alley.
Sometimes, it descends into a valley.
Or, curve till it reaches the mountain peak,
But the road we take is our choice totally.

The road is there, it always existed.
Waiting to be walked on and discovered,
Waiting to lead to new places and people,
The road unites with the one who travels.

Countless destinations are reached
All because of the roads people take.
Yet, we do not appreciate or notice
How life intersects with the road itself.

The Truth and The Dare

Today, I dare myself to –

Always care for my feelings.
Be mindful of my needs.
Choose my company wisely.
Divide and rule negativity.
Engage myself in self-care.
Forever be my best friend.
Go out to be one with Nature.
Have moments of rapture.
Invest in building my self-image.
Journal my thoughts everyday.
Know that I also have bad days.
Love all aspects about myself.
Motivate myself to achieve.
Never brood in self-defeat.
Overcome the challenges of life.
Prioritize peace at all times.
Quell thoughts of self-deprecation.
Reserve time for my ambition.
Sleep when I feel weary.
Try not to make everyone happy.
Unchain my thoughts and opinions.
Voice that I’m hurt by a situation.
Worry less about what others want.
X-cuse myself when I think I can’t.
Yield to my wishes to be free.
And
Zero out all that stresses me.

Once Upon a Lazy Day

Just when I thought I couldn’t take it anymore,
I felt a cool breeze, and … is that the boom of thunder?

Suddenly, with arms flailing, I start falling nonstop.
I see myself floating in the center of a raindrop.

Hurtling towards the emerald earth at lightning speed,
I feel a thrill moving up through my toes, and I scream.

With a splash, I land on the petal of a frangipani.
It’s so fragrant and so smooth that I can slide on it.

My dress swirls round and round as I twirl in a pirouette
To the lively notes of a guitar strummed by a cricket.

In the background, I’m accompanied by butterflies
Who flutter with their colorful wings shining bright.

And as the music rises in a melodious crescendo,
Across the grey skies, there arches a rainbow.

And everything within view as far as I can see
Is bathed in a halo of the seven colors so heavenly.

The skies above then turn a flaming crimson red
As the Sun rues he wants to stay longer instead.

But, the twilight grows, and the moon tiptoes in a bonnet.
The stars cast a net of light, and the image vanishes.

I slowly open my eyes, and in my room I am, on my little bed.
T’was but a dream, like gossamer, on a lazy day, as I overslept.

The Samudra Manthan

This is a story from times ancient
When there existed Gods and demons.
Cursed by Durvasa, the great sage,
For the disrespect shown by Indradev,
The Gods lost their power and strength
And were defeated against the demons.
The wheel of Fortune moved in reverse.
The demon king Bali ruled the Universe.
The Gods then approached Lord Vishnu,
Praised Him and pleaded for a rescue.
Lord Vishnu in a gentle voice suggested
That as the demons had an advantage,
The Gods should adopt a friendly manner
To strategize and regain their powers.
He told them about the magical Amrita
That lay hidden in the ocean Kshira Sagar.
He asked them to churn the ocean.
And, so started the Samudra Manthan.
Without strength, the Gods were helpless.
So, they asked the Demons to assist.
The demon king Bali compromised
As the demons desired an eternal life.
Mandaranchal was the churning rod,
And Vasuki became the churning rope.
Lord Vishnu put Vasuki in a deep sleep
So he would not feel any suffering.
With demons at the head of the serpent,
And Gods at the tail, the churning began.
But as the mountain was put in the ocean,
Due to its weight, it started sinking.
Lord Vishnu then saved the day again.
As a Kurma, He balanced the mountain.
With this, the churning then commenced.
Many things came up from the ocean.
The Poison of Water, the Kamdhenu cow,
The Uchchaihshravas horse, Airavat,
The Kaustubhamani, the Kalpavriksha,
The Apsara Rambha, Goddess Lakshmi,
And in the form of a girl came Varuni,
The Parijat Tree, the powerful Shell
And Dhanvantari Vaidya, with the Amrita.
The powerful demons snatched the jar,
And then, they started a violent war.
Weakened, the Gods couldn’t fight.
They couldn’t get it even if they tried.
Then Lord Vishnu became Vishwamohini –
He became a woman of great beauty.
Mesmerized by Her, all the demons
Asked Her to come and join them.
She said that the Gods and the Demons
Were from one father descended,
And so, they were akin to brothers.
It was wrong to fight with each other.
On hearing these proverbial words,
The demons gave Her the Amrita jar
And agreed to let Her serve the nectar,
To distribute as She saw fit to all.
In different rows, She asked them to sit
And started to give the Gods a sip.
The demons, in a trance of sarcasm
Forgot about the Amrita from the ocean.
But there was one demon named Rahu
Who understood the plan of Lord Vishnu.
In disguise, he sat among the Gods
And received the Amrita in his mouth.
The Gods, Moon and Sun observed this
And to Lord Vishnu, called out his trick.
The Sudarshan Chakra was then used
To cut his neck by the great Lord Vishnu.
Due to the Amrita, the head and torso
Became the planets of Rahu and Ketu.
They are the ones that cause eclipses
Of the Sun and Moon due to hatred.
Well, Lord Vishnu then disappeared
Having given the Gods all the Amrita.
The enraged demons then fought,
But lost and had to concede Indralok.
Thus goes the story from the Puranas
A tale that imparts valuable lessons.
No matter how grave the situation,
With God’s Presence, good always wins.

Gratitude

As I commission my pen to write about my inspiration,
I wonder how I can describe you in these limited lines.
In my life, you have made innumerable contributions.
Whatever I am is because of your meticulous designs.

I may not even be aware of them anymore these days.
But you were the reason for my morals and good habits.
The learnings I forgot, the learnings that, with me, stayed,
For everything I define and interpret, you get the credit.

Like the rising Sun at dawn dispels the night’s darkness,
You lit my paths as I journeyed towards knowledge.
At times with encouragement; at times with harshness,
You helped me shine and succeed like a diamond polished.

So I say this to you, my teachers, as you taught me, too,
For being my inspiration, the little magic words – “Thank you!!!”

PS: This poem is a Sonnet.

The Evolution

Today, I open the doors of my heart
To let in the Universe and all it brings
And flow with my evolution that will start.

Emotions hidden and kept secretly apart
Are released when I cut all the strings.
Today, I open the doors of my heart.

I let Love sculpt me into a work of art.
With Gratitude, I experience all things,
And flow with my evolution that will start.

I let Anger, Hate and Resentment depart.
Against them, I do not hold ill feelings.
Today, I open the doors of my heart.

I let in Prayers and the Peace they impart,
Invite Happiness with its unbridled wings,
And flow with my evolution that will start.

I make a concious decision to restart,
Let Grief leave, and count my Blessings.
Today, I open the doors of my heart
And flow with the evolution that will start.

PS: This poem is a Villanelle. The villanelle is a highly structured poem made up of five tercets followed by a quatrain, with two repeating rhymes and two refrains. The first and third lines of the opening tercet are repeated alternately in the last lines of the succeeding stanzas; then in the final stanza, the refrain serves as the poem’s two concluding lines. Using capitals for the refrains and lowercase letters for the rhymes, the form could be expressed as: A1 b A2 / a b A1 / a b A2 / a b A1 / a b A2 / a b A1 A2.

The Navratri Palette

The world is full of colors, that cannot be denied,
Different tints and hues from the earth to the skies.
But, it becomes even more so during certain times
Like on the days of Navratri, when Maa Durga arrives.

The first day is celebrated by wearing bright red.
It shows energy and fervor, and the soul is invigorated.
The second day is celebrated by wearing Royal blue.
It enables introspection, and is a very calming hue.

The third day is celebrated by wearing bright yellow.
It shows wisdom, optimism and an interest intellectual.
The fourth day is celebrated by wearing emerald green.
It promotes communication, both seen and unseen.

The fifth day is celebrated by wearing light grey.
It is neutral and peaceful, and encourages us to reflect.
The sixth day is celebrated by wearing bright orange.
A color that exudes bravery, vigor and enthusiasm.

The seventh day is celebrated by wearing pure white.
It has a calming effect and an influence that purifies.
The eighth day is celebrated by wearing baby pink.
It is a symbol of kindness and represents innocence.

The ninth day is celebrated by wearing sky blue.
This shade stands for hope and limitless potential, too.
These colors represent the palette of Maa Durga’s blessings.
O Maa! Bless me with each of these for a life enriching.

Om Jai NavDurge Namah!

Love Lost and Never Found

Love..sprouting like a seed planted in the fresh moist earth,
Unsure of the world around it, drawn towards the sunlight.
Reaching deep within with roots, leaf upon leaf unfurl,
Growing, growing and growing in the showers of desire.

Blooming with fragrant deep red petals like soft velvet,
Blossoming in the neverending, eternal, etheral Springtime,
Yearning every second, every minute, every hour, every day,
Longing to be known, acknowledged, realized and alive.

But what’s this? There’s something new and undiscovered
Sharp, dry, prickly, they can cut and draw blood outside.
Thorns… yes thorns of Ego, hidden among the red buds.
Hurtful thorns…with the passing moments, they too thrive.

Unrestrained,  they grow faster, weaving a net of bramble,
Piercing through all, even the petals, not heeding to their cries.
Till all that’s left is a woody, dry underbrush that’s dead
With buried memories of a love that was lost…and happy times.

From the Witch’s Chronicles

A long, lengthy time ago
There lived a king and queen.
They had a baby daughter –
The prettiest anyone had seen.

One dark night, an evil witch
Stole into the infant’s room.
The bonnie baby she then picked
And flew away on her broom.

A room in a locked tower high
Was where the princess grew up,
With blonde hair and blue eyes
And no company except the evil one.

One day, a prince wandered astray
And stumbled upon the tower.
The princess let down her long tresses
So he could climb up to meet her.

The prince tried hard to ascend,
But kept falling off midway,
For he loved his cakes and croissants,
And had a lot of weight on his waist.

Finally, after many many tries,
He made it to the princess’s chamber.
Huffing and puffing from the climb,
He vowed to save her from the danger.

That was when the witch arrived
And saw the prince with the princess.
The prince raised his sword to strike
But that only spiked his blood pressure.

The battle was short and one-sided.
The witch turned him into a frog.
And to add to his woeful plight,
She threw him into a muddy bog.

And so, it was that during rainy nights
One would often hear him croaking,
“O! I wish I’d eaten less and exercised,
And not slept through military training.”

Well, that was how this story ended.
And I hope this helps you realize.
Good health comes from self-discipline.
Don’t wait to lose it and then be wise.

The Perfect Present

The corridors of the Past are sealed and dark.
The Future is a trip on which we are yet to embark.
The Present is where we can make our mark.

The Present is the interface linking the Past and Future
Like the Windows home screen on our computers,
Lessons are used to create possibilities by us as users.

The Present is the moment in which we are alive.
It holds innumerable opportunities for us to try.
It is where all actions and manifestations come to life.

So, make your Present your best friend and comrade.
Dwell not in the Past, for it has already faded.
And worry not about the Future, for it is not made yet.

The nature of Time is to keep flowing away.
The Present is it’s boon, in which we are awake.
So arise, and in this instance, stake your claim.