A Saree Tale

What if a saree could speak?
What tales would it narrate?
Be it cotton, satin, or pure silk,
Is it more than just a drape?

Yesterday was just another day
When I pulled out a pink saree.
It was a beautiful, floral georgette,
And as I wore it, it spoke to me.

The first yard promised secrecy,
As it always remains hidden.
Like some aspects of me
Stay undisclosed and unseen.

The second yard promised beauty
With its colors and pretty motifs.
Like all of my unique qualities
Come together to make me me.

The third yard promised change
As I folded it into wavy pleats.
Like my moods, never the same,
Are united in my personality.

The fourth yard promised grace
As it slowly curved behind.
Like the manner in which I face
All that’s doled to me by life.

The fifth yard promised strength
As I drew it in front and higher.
Like my determination and grit
Through tough times, get me over.

The sixth yard promised freedom
As it draped over my shoulder.
Like my thoughts and expressions
Give me higher powers.

When I finally looked at myself,
I was overcome with happiness.
Yes, my saree was more than a dress.
My saree turned me into a Goddess!

Every Moment Counts

Moments – like currency
Are doled out by Time.
But, they are so fleeting,
We can’t catch them if we try.

This year was full of moments –
Of exhilarations and depressions,
Of expectations and reservations,
Of hopefulness and mischance.

And every moment counts.
Because it’s not the moment,
Or about how it turns out,
But how we live in that instant.

So, as a New Year arrives
With its bagful of moments,
Take each one in your stride
And give your best performance.

Doors

Nia sat alone in her room.
With curtains drawn, shrouded in gloom.
Her mother slowly knocked at the door.
Then, entered it to find her sitting on the floor.
On seeing her mother, Nia started crying,
“Why, mom? Why? After all this trying?”
Tears ran down her big brown eyes.
As her mother sat near her and sighed.
Holding Nia’s hand, she gently spoke,
“When one door closes, another will open.”
“Really?!” Nia screamed incredulously.
“Why was this door open if it wasn’t meant for me?
And if the next one is indeed the one, what’s that guarantee?
It’s just hopeless!!” She tearfully said continuously.
“Nia,” said her mother, “Listen to me carefully.
Each door that opens has behind it a sea of possibilities,
And every door that closes leaves us with some learnings.
When a new door opens, those turn into experiences,
Which are guiding stars as we navigate unknown oceans.
Add hard work and determination, and you’ll reach your destination.
All you need to do is reassess your priorities and abilities,
And seek to improve in the areas that need it.
So, let’s see what you could do better for this examination,
And let’s also keep our minds open to other career options.”
Having said that, she drew open the heavy curtains.
As sunshine entered the room and brightened everything,
Nia wiped her face and got up from the cold floor.
She felt ready for whatever lay beyond the next open door.

The Lovers

The Earth and the Sky –
Bound together
By an invisible force
Named Gravity,
But could I call it –
Love?

The Earth and the Sky –
Meet each other
In the distance, yonder,
On the horizon,
But could I call it –
The Kiss?

The Earth and the Sky –
Merge with each other
With lightning and rain
During a thunderstorm,
But could I call it –
Passion?

The Earth and the Sky –
Give themselves
To each other
Creating seasons,
But could I call it –
Sacrifice?

The Earth and the Sky
Lovers by destiny?
Lovers by choice?
Lovers by force?
Lovers by chance?
Lovers…mysterious!

The Last Invitation

When my time on Earth is done,
And my last day will have come,
I will lay the table for two
For a dinner with You-Know-Who.

There will be roses and candlelight,
Music and glasses of red wine.
I will greet Him with a bright smile,
And invite Him to sit with me and dine.

There will be no tearful conversations,
No pleading for my life’s extension.
Rather, we will spend the time
Talking about the afterlife.

To Him, I will narrate my stories,
Only the best ones from my memories.
I will ask Him about the folks I knew,
Those He whisked away to a place new.

And as our tete-a-tete ends,
He will then take me by my hand,
And across the sunset, we will go,
To a place more peaceful than I’ll know.

The Hopeful Bird

My heart yearns to be a bird
That sings her song at dawn,
A song of hope for the world
In the wee light of the morn.

She flits among the green trees
Picking notes along the way,
Weaving them into a symphony,
Which she sings the next day.

Come rain or cold or sunshine,
She never runs out of tunes,
For with those, the Sun will rise
And bathe her with warmth, too.

The world may not comprehend
The songs she sings every day.
But her songs, with the dawn, blend
To say that hope is here to stay.

The Questions of Life

A curious four-year-old Payal
Would often be full of questions.
Are Santa Claus and his elves real?
What does the tooth fairy do during the day?
Her mother left the answers to her imagination.

A bright thirteen-year-old Payal
Would often quiz her teachers.
How does the human brain work?
Does the Milky Way have other Earthlike worlds?
Her teachers told her to seek answers in encyclopedias.

A young twenty four-year-old Payal
Had queries about her relationship.
Does he really and truly love me?
Will we be able to balance each other’s dreams?
Her grandmother said that, with time, the answers would be revealed.

A happy fifty-year-old Payal
Often conversed with the Almighty.
What did I do to deserve this good life?
O Lord! Will I finally meet You after I die?
The wise told her to have faith and seek answers from the holy.

Not every question has an immediate answer.
Not every question needs an immediate answer.
Sometimes, these questions, unanswered,
Lead us down a path on which we grow and prosper.

Where the Earth Meets the Sky

The meeting of the Earth and sky
Is but a mirage to the eye.
It is Nature’s whitest lie-
A beautiful limitation of human sight.

The meeting of the Earth and sky
Is the furthest point seen in light.
Were I to try and chase this line,
Then, around the Earth, I’d take a ride.

The meeting of the Earth and sky
Is the brink of my knowledge, or might.
With experiences of a newer kind,
I can push the boundaries of my mind.

The meeting of the Earth and sky
Is also the edge of where I am in life.
It may be difficult to get to the far side,
But the possibility beckons all the time.

Ode to Turmeric

It’s finally the day of the wedding,
With the couple pledging to be together.
O Turmeric! They first seek your blessing.
Yours is the most auspicious color.
Amidst the song, dance, and celebration,
You protect them from evil spirits.
Paving the way for a life of prosperity.
You give them the gift of purification,
And their complexion reflects your glitz.
As you take away the tension and anxiety.

As families unite for the beginning,
Of Fortune, you are the harbinger.
The color they wear needs no guessing,
As for them all, you are an icebreaker.
A secret for natural beautification,
Adding oil and milk increases your gifts.
To quell depression, you have the ability.
No chemicals are added for preparation,
And you rid all of artificial cosmetics,
With you, good health becomes a reality.

O Turmeric! Your virtues are unending!
Grace us with your presence forever!
Technology may keep progressing,
But you are a friend in every weather.
From generation to generation,
You’re the reason for stories and myths,
And for increased memory and immunity.
You have been a part of our tradition
As the world battles to own your secrets,
You will be in our kitchens for posterity.

Call of the Mountains

Caught in the traffic, slow and crawling,
I long to run away from this life in the city.
Far far away, I hear the mountains calling.

This mundane existence is appalling.
I drown in wave upon wave of self-pity.
Caught in the traffic, slow and crawling.

I want to go to a place that’s enthralling,
Yet, be enveloped in peace and serenity.
Far far away, I hear the mountains calling.

Clear blue skies in which I’m free falling,
Evokes in my mind an image so pretty.
Caught in the traffic, slow and crawling.

The heat, dust, and smoke are all galling.
O! To listen to a fresh spring sing a ditty!
Far far away, I hear the mountains calling.

I hear their songs, which I keep recalling.
And wish my dreams will turn into reality.
Caught in the traffic, slow and crawling,
Far far away, I hear the mountains calling.

PS: This poem is a Villanelle.

Traditional, yet Contemporary?

Wise men say – old is gold, and they say it with reason
Like this lesson from yore, from a Hindu marriage tradition.

In one of the ceremonies, the groom shows the bride,
The twin stars, Arundhati and Vasishta, shining in the sky.

This calls upon the couple to be synced in everything,
For they are now equals, like the twin stars twinkling.

The secret to this tradition was later uncovered by scientists.
In most twin stars, one is still, and the other rotates around it.

But, Arundhati and Vasishta are so unique because
They both rotate in perfect synchrony around each other.

This tells the bride and groom that to be the ideal couple,
Neither should feel the need to dance to the tune of the other.

How did the sages of those ancient times without modern equipment
Know about this difference of this particular star system?

Traditions are like that – mysterious yet moving us to action.
In fact, I’m sure that you all would agree with me, friends.

Anything contemporary that withstands the test of time,
Ultimately, gets transformed into a lasting and intriguing tradition.