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.

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.

On Monotony

Of what use is monotony in life
With its tedious repetition and routine?
Is it worthless like a long drive
On a highway with scenery unchanging?

Well, if you take a microscopic view,
Monotony exists in our DNA molecules.
With mind-boggling details, these repeat
In every cell that, in a person, constitutes.

And if you look at it macroscopically,
There’s monotony in the ocean waves.
Wave upon wave rises up and retreats
With every wave created just the same.

Yes, monotony is also Nature’s creation,
Less valued and even less understood.
It has benefits that deserve attention.
Following a routine does a lot of good.

So, the next time you feel overwhelmed
By tasks and activities you have to do,
Know that if you follow a set routine
You can focus on what matters to you.

And, it may seem very contradictory,
But monotony will boost your creativity.
With fewer decisions to take in a day,
New ideas are generated by your brain.

So if you want to be immune to it,
Know that it can be your best friend.
It’s like the magical lamp with the genie,
But it can grant your wishes with no end.

To Learn from Children

Children are our teachers.
Of that, there is no doubt.
They may not be preachers,
Yet, they show the way out.

Children are very curious.
They like to do new things.
At times, trouble is obvious,
But that’s just a learning.

And regarding imagination,
They’re full of ideas to the brim.
They look for ways to use them,
And possibilities have no limits.

It’s easy to befriend a child.
They love making connections.
So, reaching out helps in life
To build and maintain relations.

And of the most importance,
Is that quality of fearlessness.
They face new experiences
Without fear of consequences.

The Place I Call My Home

I am but a traveler.
In the expanse of this world, I roam.
And often, I wonder,
Where is that place I can call home?

Is it my mother’s womb
Where I took form and shape?
Is it the house from my childhood
With memories of idyllic days?

Is it my school or college
Where I received knowledge?
Is it the holy pyre
That my soul takes for its final travel?

Turns out it’s where I have a bit of it all –
Warmth, love, freedom, and expression.
My home is not just a roof and four walls,
But, of myself, it is an extension.

The Real Enemy

Every problem can be solved with empathy.
Maybe if you are open to accepting
Perspectives that are different
And take those few steps
To reach middle ground,
Helping each other,
Yet understanding,
A war is not the answer.
Nothing can come of bloodshed.
Dead men can’t love, laugh, and share.
With war, entire generations are scarred,
And all that’s left in the aftermath is hate.
Recognize the real enemy and let peace prevail.

PS: This is an acrostic poem. Join the first letter of each line and see what you get.

The Monster Under My Bed

In the deep darkness under my bed,
There lurked a monster, evil and undead.
It had gnarly, green arms and long nails,
And yellow eyes and hairy barbed tails.
It came to life in the dead of the night
Calling out to me in its rough voice.
I dreaded stepping out of my little bed.
For what if it just grabbed my legs?
I felt I’d be protected by my blanket,
But the monster just waited to yank it.
The Moon’s pale light did not help.
It got shadows-the monster’s friends.
“There’s nothing there,” my mother said,
The next day, as we peered under the bed.
But only I knew that it would be back,
And scare me to death by its attack.
It took me years of introspection, instead
To figure – that monster was in my head.

Dear Silence

Dear Silence,
Thank you for just showing up and being there.
Without you, there would be cacophony everywhere.
And with you, the noise makes sense.

Dear Silence,
Your value is beyond measure.
Just like pearls are discovered in an ocean by a diver,
The mind uncovers wisdom in your presence.

Dear Silence,
It’s paradoxical, but you are an excellent orator.
Of things left unsaid, you are the messenger,
And you have salvaged many-a-worsening situation.

Dear Silence,
I appreciate you being such a life-saver.
Serenity abounds with you as the mediator.
Thank you for creating the perfect balance.

The Awakening

When the Sun rises in the skies,
And spreads around its rosy light,
Sleep vanishes with the night,
For a brand new day has arrived.

As I wake up and open my eyes,
I hear the birds singing outside.
The house is peaceful and quiet.
It mirrors the peace in my mind.

The window reveals a pretty sight.
Trees glitter like emeralds bright.
Birds dart about as they take flight.
The flowers bloom on the roadside.

And before the world comes alive,
And turns on its rollercoaster ride,
I say a prayer of thanks for this life.
I’m ready to take it all in my stride.