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!

My Notebook

My
Notebook.
My best pal.
My confidante.
Keeper of secrets.
It’s blank pages invite
Me to pour out my feelings.
As I write, words flow with the ink.
The abstract takes form and gets a life
Revealing something new about myself.
It is where a confluence takes place.
Where the real and unreal combine
To bring alive a new world
Where all is possible.
A realm made by me,
For me – to delve
Deep within
To find –
Me.

PS: This poem is a Syllable Pyramid.

Know Thyself!

Know Thyself!
Not in the “what the mirror reflects” kind of way!
Not in the “what riches you possess” kind of way!
And surely not in the “what people say” kind of way!
But know yourself like the still, clear waters of the ocean
Reveal everything in their purest, unadulterated versions.
Know yourself like the eagle gliding in the blue expanse
Never misses the slightest movement in the grasslands.
Know yourself like the map of a thick tropical forest
That has every bush, every tree, and every dirt path plotted.
Because only if you seek to know your self from yourself
Will you be able to traverse the maze of this worldy existence,
And, only if you are aware of all aspects of yourself
Will you be true to your life and all you expect from it.

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.

My Greatest Might

As my cries fall on seemingly deaf ears,
And dawn doesn’t dispel the dark night,
In You, I seek refuge from all my fears.

Sadness engulfs and hope disappears,
And words cease to express the plight
As my cries fall on seemingly deaf ears.

With the pain come the rivers of tears.
My heart silently screams to see the light.
In You, I seek refuge from all my fears.

I take Your Name till the storm clears.
People don’t see beyond the messy sight.
As my cries fall on seemingly deaf ears.

As I keep praying, a beacon appears.
You steer my life onto a path that’s right.
In You, I seek refuge from all my fears.

In gratitude, my heart rejoices and cheers.
Your words give me my greatest might.
As my cries fall on seemingly deaf ears,
In You, I seek refuge from all my fears.

PS: This poem is a Villanelle.

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.

With A Friend

When you’re lonely and down in the dumps,
And your spirit is in the doldrums.
When it seems that something has blocked out the Sun,
And Sadness weighs on you like a tonne.

What you need is a dose of laughter and fun
To make your grief come undone,
But no pill or syrup can give you that punch
Like your friend, your bestie, your chum!

With a friend, you know that you can take the plunge,
Venture into the deepest canyon.
With a friend, you don’t fear the things that go bump
In a night that would scare anyone.

With a friend, the worst days you can confront.
It don’t matter if you’ve lost or won.
All you need to believe is you have the gumption,
And, who helps? It’s your friend, your bestie,  your chum!

The Sparrow

Have you ever heard the breaking dawn?
Its tiny melodies of chirrups and cheeps-
Harken! the sparrow’s mellifluous songs!

Birds of feathers – buff, black and brown
Greet the big city as it stirs to its feet,
Have you ever heard the breaking dawn?

At times hopping, and, at times, airborne,
They convey their messages with felicity.
Harken! the sparrow’s mellifluous songs!

To their antics and ditties, all are drawn.
But endangered they are, as a species!
Have you ever heard the breaking dawn?

Will a time come when we all will mourn?
In their absence, will the morning grieve?
Harken! The sparrow’s mellifluous songs!

With them, all inspiration will be gone –
Of companionship, joy and simplicity.
Have you ever heard the breaking dawn?
Harken! The sparrow’s mellifluous songs!

PS: This poem is a Villanelle.

What’s in a Rainbow?

Behold the mourning June skies with a beautiful rainbow!
Well, if you ask me, there’s more to it than just its beauty.
It is a promise of hope that at its end lies a pot of gold.

It is a symbol of power as tiny drops split light into colors so pretty.
It is a sign of harmony as the seven hues blend and curve in unity.

It hints at being happy as its cheerful smile makes everyone smile.
It says there’ll be bad days, but they, too, will go away – such is life!

One Rainy Night

It was a moonless, cloudy night
As heavy rain fell from the sky.
The wind howled woo-ooo-woo,
And the thunder loudly boomed.
Forks of white lightning crackled.
Trees fell with roots unshackled.
A night as dark as a deep abyss.
One that’d scare even the bravest.
Yet, a handful of armed soldiers
Climbed up a hill in camouflage.
The mission – to rescue hostages
Captured by terrorists in a village.
They slid through the alleyways
Using the storm as a cover itself.
Upon the signal, they all attacked
Raining bullets on the radicals.
The hostages were then saved,
And they lived to tell the tale –
Of the armed angels saving lives
On that moonless, cloudy night.