The Night

The dark is not always scary.
Black is not always taboo.
At times, the night is a blessing,
And the absence of light is needed, too.

When the last traces of sunlight fade,
The night with her magical ways
Helps our minds and bodies rejuvenate
Giving strength to seize the next day.

The day is like a cluttered room
With chores, tasks, and nonstop chatter.
The night helps escape this chaos, too.
With sleep, life seems so much better.

Sleep! This word is paradoxical!
As we see dreams with our eyes closed,
And what happens is so illogical –
It’s like we’re awake in a parallel world.

The night is full of mystery,
Something that can never be explained.
So, let her weave her own tapestry,
While the world slumbers, unrestrained.

The Joy of Music

There are many things
That make me glad,
That brighten my days
When I feel so sad.
But none lift me up so much
When I’m feeling bored
As the black and white keys
on my musical keyboard.
Sa, re, ga, ma, pa, dha, and ni-
These notes bring joy to me.
Alankars, ragas, and melodies-
To my heart, they all appeal.
With them, I have realized
Music, in everything, resides.
Be it the hum of the microwave,
Or the beats that a clock plays.
To perfect the notes of a song,
I can practice all day long.
If not once, then twice or thrice
Till I can get the tune right.
There’s a song for every situation.
There’s rhythm, even in silence.
Yes, Music gives me happiness,
For it finally leads me to myself.

The Wager

‘Twas the summer season
In the great Indian plains.
The heat was unforgiving
In every town and village.

On one such lazy afternoon
In the village of Nenaanoo,
Little Jon and his pals, too
Wondered what to do.

It was too hot to play ball
Or Chupa chupi or Pithoo
Or Gilli Danda or Kho kho
Or Five Stones or Lattoo.

Soon, they started arguing
About who was more clever.
And in the heat of the moment,
The lads agreed to a wager.

The target was a mango tree
Owned by the uppity Mr. Wick.
It was guarded by ol’ Kenie
Who carried a wooden stick.

The tree was heavily laden
With mangoes ripe and golden
Whoever picked five of them
Would be the cleverest one.

And so they crept to the tree.
In silence, the race began.
They heard ol’ Kenie snoring
And soon climbed up a branch.

But ol’ Kenie wasn’t asleep,
He woke up with a loud snort.
And he started chasing them,
So the plan they had to abort.

Down the tree, they all leapt
And scrambled to run away.
But they all stumbled and fell,
As they got in each other’s way.

And so it was as the Sun set,
They returned black and blue.
For ol’ Kenie had caught them
And given them a thrashing, too.

That’s how the story ended
Of Little Jon and his friends.
They never laid a wager again
In the heat of the moment.

A Season Called Autumn

Somewhere on the horizon
Between Summer and Winter
Lies a bridge named Autumn
That links them both together.

As warm turns to chilly cold,
And the leaves prepare to fall,
They turn red, orange, and gold
For a final round of applause.

Only Nature can pull this off.
A show of Death, so beautiful.
A bright and fiery curtain call.
Before She becomes icy cool.

As the air turns cold and crisp,
It’s time to wear the woolens,
And apples await to be picked
Along with plumpy pumpkins.

The fields yield their harvest.
Folks gather for Thanksgiving.
They remember the departed
On the day of spooky Halloween.

Autumn is a season of change.
It’s the season of letting go.
It screams of happiness in endings,
And celebrates Life’s perpetual flow.

Lullaby of the Stars

It has been a while since the Sun said goodbye.
A blanket of darkness is spread out by the night.
And, in the pale glow of the crescent moon’s light,
I hear the twinkling stars sing a melodious lullaby-

“Lie down on your bed and close your droopy eyes,
Sail slowly across the prussian blue midnight skies
On the ship of dreams drawn by iridiscent butterflies
As it takes you to the shores of a beautiful paradise.

On the way, see the magical fairies twirl and smile
As they waltz to a celestial tune with the fireflies.
Look at the rainbow-colored waves fall and rise
As golden mermaids, on their crests, take joy rides.

Take their hands and dive into the aquamarine tide.
There’s a many-hued oyster with its mouth open wide.
Rest your head on the pearly bed laid for you inside.
And sleep till you hear the birds chirping at sunrise.”

The Past’s Perfect Memories

“He was your great grandfather,”
My grandmother said matter-of-factly.
I took a second look at the photograph
Among the many scattered around me.

I looked at the dark-skinned old man
Dressed in a white turban and dhoti.
“He was a farmer,” my grandma went on,
“And he was an expert with the sarangi.”

“Yes, that’s correct,” my father added.
“As a child, I used to sit on his shoulders
And listen to the melodies he played.”
I was intrigued by the man in the picture.

The ancient photo was black and white.
Even then, I could see it was very sunny.
So many questions arose in my mind
About this stranger from my family.

What was he like? He seemed nice.
What was a sarangi? I wanted to listen.
What did he grow in the fields? Rice?
My curiosity piqued in that instant.

“Put it back carefully,” my grandma said,
As I returned it into the old red album.
But, just before she turned to a new page,
I looked at my great grandfather again.

And I noticed his eyes in that picture.
He was gazing straight at me, it seemed.
I saw the affinity that was in his nature,
And, to date, I can also see that in me.

My Favorite Thing

The gold inches across the skies.
Night discards her veil of darkness.
The haze lifts from before my eyes.
I breathe deeply with thankfulness.

The birds chirp away, singing melodies
Melding with the song the radio plays.
My heart dances to this lovely medley
Creating a new tune to which I sway.

The wayside flowers seem more colorful
Nodding their heads in the cool breeze.
The dragonflies and beetles wake up, too.
With more buzz than the news on the TV.

In a distant temple, bells start ringing.
Their chimes lead to an inner awakening.
For the beauty of this wonderful morning
Was even more due to the tea I was sipping.

Hope – A Story

The train started from a tiny village
Deep within the Indian hinterland.
And, in one red and black carriage
Sat Ami with a brown bag in her hand.

The train was bound for the big city.
The journey was of a night and day.
Soon, the whistle blew, and it slowly
Moved with a chug-chug on its way.

Along with Ami in the compartment
Were a bunch of old men and women.
She did not have to give any explanation.
They could see that she was pregnant.

The women smiled and gently asked
Her about her family and her baby.
In casual conversation, the time passed.
Then night fell, and they all went to sleep.

Sometime before dawn, Ami awakened.
The pain had started like ocean waves.
Her wails woke up the men and women.
They realized the baby was on its way.

The news spread throughout the cabins
As the women rallied around her to help.
Water, towels, bedsheets, and curtains
Were all arranged around her small bed.

After hours of the painful contractions,
Ami delivered a beautiful, pink baby girl.
Everyone wished her with congratulations
As she kept weeping with joyful tears.

Slowly, she revealed her life’s story.
Her husband was martyred recently.
All that was left of his love was the baby
Whom she named “Hope” in his memory.

The Hues of Love

Love’s first hue is Harmony.
Just like the colors
Of the sky’s palette in the evening
Or a bouquet of flowers
Create a vision so appealing.

Love’s second hue is Acceptance.
Just like the colors
Of a rainbow arching in the Heavens
Or the butterflies in the bowers
Come together in perfect balance.

Love’s third hue is Sacrifice.
Just like the colors
Of Fall give way to Winter’s white
Or when the Moon’s silver shimmers
Come alive after the Sun sets at night.

Love’s fourth hue is Purity.
Just like the colors
Of the Lily of the Valley
Or the blue firmament in summers
Stay spotless in their eternal beauty.

Love’s fifth hue is Love itself.
Just like the colors
Of the blood that pulses in veins
Or the ink in the quills of lovers
Run deeper than the ocean currents

The Rain Fell

The rain fell,
And it washed the green leaves covered with dirt.
It also took away the colors from my tie-and-dye shirt.

The rain fell,
And it cleared the air of dust, smoke, and pollution.
It also took away the scent of the roses in the garden.

The rain fell,
And it brought forth saplings from the earth.
It also took away lives when the rivers overflowed.

The rain fell,
And it whispered constantly with a low pitter-patter.
It also took away the tranquility with the roaring thunder.

The rain fell,
And it cooled the heat of the summer nights.
It also took away the twinkle of stars and the moonlight.

The rain fell,
And it made the peacocks sing aloud and dance.
It also took away the solitude by kindling romance.

The rain fell
And it changed everything –
Life itself… and how we live it.

Ganesh Chaturthi-A Story

‘Twas the most awaited time of the year
As the fourth day of Bhadrapada neared.
And everywhere, the believers prepared
For the advent of the God they so revered.

For Ramu, it was a special occasion, too.
He needed blessings to give an interview.
Lord Ganesha’s idol sat in his puja room
With flowers, dhruva, modaks, and laddoos.

At the prescribed auspicious moment,
He performed the Aarti and sang bhajans.
Then, at night, as he fell into a deep sleep
Lord Ganesha appeared in his dream.

Ecstatic he was, and he fervently prayed
For the Lord to remove obstacles from his way.
Lord Ganesha smiled and said that would be,
And for all success, He would give him the key.

“In the morning, when you get up from your bed,
With closed eyes, eastward, take five steps.
Then, open your eyes, and you will clearly see
Your biggest obstacle, and, to overcome it, the key.”

With that, Lord Ganesha vanished away.
As the Sun rose on the morning of the new day.
Excited, Ramu did exactly as he had heard.
And, he soon found himself in front of the mirror.

As he kept staring at his own reflection,
He pondered over Lord Ganesha’s instructions.
“My biggest obstacle – Me!
My key to overcome it – Me!”

That day saw the birth of a wiser Ramu
As he went on to prepare for the interview.
Yes, he succeeded and grew in life
With Lord Ganesha’s blessing by his side.

Om Gam Ganapataye Namah!

A Navratri Tale

Tucked away in the hinterland,
There once was a little village.
As the month of Ashwina neared,
The villagers prepared to welcome the Goddess.

The houses were cleaned till they shone.
New dresses were stitched to be worn.
The markets were busy as people flocked
To buy the Puja items from the shops.

Soon, the excitement reached fever pitch.
On the Shukla Paksha at Pratipada Tithi.
The Puja started at the designated time.
But what’s this?! The diya refused to light!

They tried replacing the ghee and wick.
They tried another diya and every trick.
Yet, the tiny flame refused to ignite.
O! They were all in a state of plight!

But that was not the end of their woes!
The Puja flowers wilted and fell on the floor.
The sacred Bhog offered turned stale.
And this happened everywhere in the village.

That was when they all realized
That the Goddess did not arrive.
Together, they rushed to the main temple
To consult the head priest about the events.

Meanwhile, the head priest was equally confused
As the Goddess had not arrived in the temple, too.
When all the villagers gathered in the square,
In all her glory, the divine Goddess appeared.

In a booming voice, She spoke to them
Saying She wouldn’t grace them with Her Presence.
“But why?,” they asked with tears in their eyes,
And this was what the Goddess replied.

“In this village, little girls were indecently assaulted.
And, in some homes, the husbands beat their wives.
In some others, mothers were disrespected.
And yet, in others, women were ill-treated.

Your houses may be spick and span
But, about your hearts, can you say the same?
In the idols you worship, you search for me.
Why can you not see me in the living and breathing?

Why, then, for nine days, should I accept your invitation,
When all year round, I am subject to this degradation?!”
And, these were the words that the Goddess spoke.
And these words pierced the hearts of the village folk.

Then, the people realized their mistake,
And to appease the Goddess a pledge they did take.
And only when She saw that they had changed
Did She visit their houses and temples with Her Blessings.

As the story of the little village ends,
Let us all learn from their experience,
And let this Navratri be an awakening
Of hearts and minds to righteousness.

Om Jai NavDurge Namah!