Category: Life

I Pedal Towards Hope

If I could, I’d cycle around the globe
To break the silence around suicide.
With my words, I pedal towards hope.

As the wheels turn on the road,
I call upon people from far and wide.
If I could, I’d cycle around the globe.

This plague has the world in its scope,
But we can unite to make it subside.
With my words, I pedal towards hope.

Across all boundaries, let this be told.
It’s okay to speak your mind; to confide.
If I could, I’d cycle around the globe.

Emotions, events, people, and workload –
You can win it all with Life on your side.
With my words, I pedal towards hope.

Silence is not always akin to gold!
Raise your voice! Let nothing be implied!
If I could, I’d cycle around the globe
With my words, I pedal towards hope.

PS: This poem is a Villanelle.


The Light of Hope

The Sun may set in the west
Leaving behind a trail of darkness.
And if this weighs heavy on your chest,
I’ll be the one to ease the sadness.

For all that remains unexpressed,
I light a candle at dusk with earnestness.
And through its glow, I suggest
Let’s talk to end the hopelessness.

Many-a-times in life’s quest,
There are moments of unsureness.
Let this little flame put your mind to rest
With it, you are no longer directionless.

Just like the flame flickers with zest,
Let hope chase away the gloominess.
And if you need to choose for the best,
Choose life with all its meaningfulness.

Permanent Impermanence

We are all paper boats.
On Time’s River, we float.
As each second ticks away,
Nothing in permanence can stay.
Seasons change and also hearts.
Endings lead to new starts.
These moments are like gossamer –
Here now, then gone forever.

The Power of Words

The pages of history are replete
With man’s quest for domination,
Of how the little atom was split
To create a destructive weapon.

But a more powerful one exists
That causes more devastation.
It is the words that one speaks
That are stronger than weapons.

If only one could clearly see
Through the veil of discrimination,
There wouldn’t be any hate speech
Leading to wars between nations.

If only one used their words wisely
Without ego, anger or bad intentions,
Then everyone would be at peace,
And this would spread in all directions.

Such words purify the soul and body.
They help dispel negative emotions.
They pave the way for good things
For the speaker and the one listening.

My Angel

During dark and tumultuous times,
When conflicting emotions collide,
There shines a lamp of bright light
Revealing the path out of the strife.
With a word at a time, I get respite –
Poetry! Always my Angel, my guide!

To You!

You! Caught in a traffic jam
On a hot summer afternoon
Or waiting at the red signal –
What’s not OK is the horn
Adding to the noise levels!

You! Racing in a big hurry
On the national highways,
Rushing to just overtake –
Keep a safe distance, and
You will see another day!

You! On an evening drive
Cruising on the city streets,
Keep the road in your sight –
When you use headlights,
Use the dipper at night!

You! Going to a party
Driving that motorcar,
For your safe journey –
Don’t use vehicle’s mirror
To put on your lipstick!

You! Yes, you at the wheel,
Pay heed to this free advice
Painted for you especially
On a truck’s colorful behind –
Seen exclusively in our country!

Ode to Time

O Timeless Time, moving on and on,
You are the one that will outlast us all.
Nothing escapes from your attention
As you step on, heeding to some call.
You were, are and will be the witness
Of all events that transpire everywhere –
Extinction or evolution – you see them.
You know everything in the Universes –
From life’s hope to death’s cold stare,
Yet, at predictions, you escape attempts.

O Timeless Time! In my imagination,
I’d like to think that you’re able to recall
All that occurred in the fleeting moments,
And you are not indifferent, like a wall.
That somewhere in your deep recesses
You keep a track of it all in a big ledger,
And you have a memory like us humans.
With Karma, your friend and mistress,
You write the scripts of each one’s future,
And then unravel them with every second.

O Timeless Time! Forever in motion.
Are there times you wish you could halt,
And maybe gaze around in admiration,
With the beauty of it all, be enthralled?
Or, can you see the impending progress
When some Chosen One somewhere
Will one day capture you in a button?
And, then, tap into your powers endless.
And, then, your secrets, will you share?
O Time! Do you have that premonition?

The Child in Me

O! To be young again
And revisit those golden days
When I used to laugh and play
With other children of my age.

O! I recall the meadows green,
The daisies and frangipani trees.
And the many evenings that ended
By bringing home little bouquets.

O! I remember the songs I sang
Through the lyrics I didn’t understand.
No matter how many times I listened
To the tape recorder with the cassette.

O! I yearn for those moments
When everything was so amazing,
And I had so many questions
Answered in books and conversations.

But as I ponder in wonder,
The thought to me does occur
That my age is just a state of my mind,
And I can rebuild what was left behind.

Why?! How lovely it would be
If I rediscovered the child in me.
If she broke through the worldly norms
Although people say she has grown up.

To be happy without restraints.
To marvel and discover in wonderment.
To retrace the footsteps of innocence.
To relive those memories in the present.

Never Stop

Do you wonder where unfulfilled dreams and wishes go?
Why things don’t happen the way you might suppose?

Why some people can only gaze at the silver moon,
While others zip in a space shuttle and walk on it, too?

Why some people live in the lap of endless luxuries,
And others struggle daily just to make ends meet?

Wishes, prayers, hopes and dreams are neverending,
But the Universe has its own mysterious ways of responding.

Surely, the hopes of humanity considered in entirety
Will one day manifest causing changes evolutionary.

We can keep wishing with our mind’s limited capacity,
But God will grant them only to the most deserving.

Only when the time is right and all pieces are in place
Will the answers be revealed and wishes be fulfilled.

But never stop dreaming, wishing, hoping and praying
It might just be what’s needed to complete the equation.

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.