Come fly with me to the silver moon –
This’ll no longer be wishful thinking.
It is a dream that will come true soon
Straight out of the pages of fiction.
Many nations may yearn for this boon,
But I’m sure the ones who will succeed
Will hail from my great motherland too.
And even the stars that keep twinkling,
To our conquests will not be immune.

PS: This is a Magic 9 poem. Rhyme scheme ABRACADABRA without the R, so ABACADABA. Also, 9 syllables in each line.

In search of freedom, I consulted the vast ocean
With white-crested waves spreading into the horizon,
But it asked me to speak to the tall mountains
That limited its boundaries from all directions.

So, off I went and spoke to the mountains high.
They stood unmoving, reaching into the skies,
But the mountains said to ask the puffy clouds
That blocked them from view with their shrouds.

So, I ran on and asked the clouds floating by
They were parading in shades of grey and white,
But they all told me to question the gusty winds
Who often tossed them about to their whims.

So, I posed my query to the passing breeze
That was blowing freely among the green trees,
But it said to quiz the Sun shining blazingly,
For it’s direction was determined by the orb’s heat.

So, I quizzed the Sun with my squinting eyes,
As he was dazzling away like a ball of fire bright,
But he asked me to check with the Maker Himself,
For there were times when he too had to set.

So, I requested a reply from the Almighty Lord
As He sat in silence in the temple by the road.
He smiled at me kindly, and then finally, said
To ask the question to the thoughts in my head.

And, that was the moment it dawned on me
That freedom is really in what and how we think,
For those thoughts manifest into speech and actions,
And these, in turn, create societies and nations.

If ever I return wrapped in the flag,
Bury me not in a yard with slabs.
Let me rest in the meadow green
Beside the clear babbling stream.
And when your heart pines for me,
You’ll find me smiling in the lilies.

The battle was very fierce with loud and blazing guns.
The bodies of friends and foes lay fallen all around.
And when the last bullet had left the metal muzzle,
An eerie silence rose and, through the air, it wafted.

Among the lifeless soldiers, who were scattered everywhere,
There was one warrior whose breath hadn’t left him yet.
Alone, he lay on the battlefield, wounded and bleeding
Unsure of whether he himself was alive and breathing.

And, as he lay in pain, the events flashing in his eyes,
He thought of his comrades who had laid down their lives.
There, he kept passing in and out of consciousness.
Even the breeze around him was still, as if it too was dead.

The last question that came in the mind of that last soldier
Was – what all of this was for – but there was no answer.
With this last thought, everything went blank finally,
And when he opened his eyes, in a hospital was he.

His leader came to him and adorned him with a medal.
And that was when he knew that they had won the battle.
To his friends, family, and duty, the soldier then returned.
Yet, that question that he had was never ever answered.

A soldier’s promise is etched in stone.
He made it on the day he was chosen.
A promise he keeps till his last breath
Unto his country; to serve and protect.

Be it enemies or natural catastrophes
None can ever defeat him and his will.
Peace would never prevail without him,
And freedom would be a distant dream.

A soldier’s promise is mightily strong.
No power on earth can break this bond.
He inked this promise with his blood.
In his care, his country blooms like a bud.

To his country, his duty he never forgets
For his country, he forges on with no rest.
Others may strive for money and laurels,
But a soldier won’t hesitate to be a martyr.

As the world lay in darkness millenia ago,
there emerged in the east a shining jewel.
This was my country; my India incredible
in the honor of which these words flow.

A mixing bowl of cultures and languages,
like beads on a string are many religions.
With 1.37 billion Indians calling it home,
and cuisines that are a hit across the world.

My incredible India is also a land of firsts.
Board games were created to teach morals.
It was the birthplace of Ayurveda and Yoga.
And diamonds were sourced from its earth.

My incredible India is a land of superlatives.
The world’s largest sundial was built in Jaipur.
The Statue of Unity is the world’s tallest statue.
And Varanasi is the world’s oldest surviving city.

The more I know, the more I am in awe
of this beautiful country where I was born.
This is my motherland; this is my home.
My incredible India makes me incredible too.

I dream of independence
from illiteracy and inequality,
from the restricting boundaries
of colors, races and religions.

I dream of a glorious day
when we wake up to the reality
that we are children of Humanity.
On that day, we will be independent.

Your will is like the nishan of Ram
in the battle against the evil Ravan.
Your blood flows in your veins like
the Ganges surging with all her might.
You are the tiger that Ma Durga rides –
it’s strength and power personified.
You can create, protect and destroy
just like Brahma, Vishnu and Shivay.
You secure your motherland with
the Lakshman-rekha of your life.
You bear the weight of each minute
of freedom like the immortal Anjaneya.
You are not just your parents’ child,
but Bharat Ma’s wish that came to life.
Your every breath keeps Her alive.
You are Her soldier; you cannot die.

Sailor of the stormy seas

searching with eagle eyes

the horizons and the depths

of waters that have to be kept

free from the pirates of peace.

 

With memories as company,

you sleep but never sleep

in the restless, rocky cradle.

Never certain if it’s going to be

your last; never regretting if it is.

 

Your efforts are in vain

for no one feels your pain.

There’s no support for you.

The terms you committed to were

clear. You serve at your own risk here.

 

Sailor of the stormy seas.

You do not have a right to need.

Gratitude is not for you or your kin.

So, don’t ask what’s in it for you within

their empty hearts – for there’s nothing!