Dreams of a lifetime, Realised or ruptured, in a day.
Try all we might, This time won’t stay,
So, just live, laugh, love, This is the moment to play.
We won’t be us tomorrow, Let’s not let life get away.
– Ehsaas
From the archives, dusted and refurbished.. 😅
Wrote this short poem some time ago, on a day when I was feeling particularly excited and full of energy. Regular readers of this blog would realize that’s not how most days go with me. I guess that’s why I never felt like sharing this one earlier. But today I was like, meh. I guess a writer is like an actor. We don’t necessarily have to be the person the words talk about. Words are an idea, a feeling that deserves to fly free. Why chain them down to be about one person, their limitations, and situations?
Silence there was, silence there will be, But there’s space for a breath in-between, I look at you, as you at me, Wondering about the wonders that can be.
Clouds may sometimes hide your beauty, But darkness, too, shows us much indeed. In a world full of insanity, Time with you always brings tranquility.
So, let’s savor this gift from divinity, An insignificant tick on time’s wheel, This moment, this feeling, of purity, Wish it could last as long as eternity.
There are moments that are sacred. They may be nothing out of the ordinary as such. But the way you feel in those moments is what makes them special. A short poem reflecting on one such moment. Can you guess what moment inspired this? 😊
If you liked this poem, and want to read more, you can find them here.
Hey all! Been a while since I last wrote a poem. Well, finished one, to be more precise.😁 But finally, the jinx is broken, and here goes my latest one:
Woke up from my sleep, So peaceful and deep, At dawn, just after four, By loud banging at the door. Startled, I opened the gate, Found an angry mob of eight, Abusing, calling me names, Raising some unfounded claims –
Claims on our home, Our children’s home.
Out walked my kids and wife, To check on all the strife. But these vile thugs, full of hate, Were in no mood to debate. Small men, with bruised egos, They started raining blows, With reason in a tailspin, Viciously shoved their way in –
Into our home, Our children’s home.
They ravaged the place, At light’ning fast pace, Of a simple family, That used to live happily. Tears, screams, a profound gash, Memories turned to ash, As our world came undone, I asked my wife to run –
Run from our home, Our children’s home.
A crowd gathered outside, Offering to provide, Food, shelter to my people, A safe haven from evil. Well… at least they will live. Though with zilch left to give, As an asylum bestowed, Is no match for one’s abode.
Not for our home, Our children’s home.
Friends, neighbors – all I implore. They condemn, but nothing more, Just looking on at the scene, Not daring to intervene, With families to protect, Afraid and averse to act, To do what’s right, And join the fight –
The fight in our home, Our children’s home.
At dusk, a blood moon rises, Thirsty for sacrifices. Of course, it will get its fill. It will, indeed, test my will. And they will regret the day, When they chose to come this way. I’ll do what must be done. I won’t stop till I’ve won –
Won back our home, Our children’s home.
This choice was forced on me, To give in, die, or flee, All choices come with a toll, And I’ll pay mine with my soul. But before my tale ends, Answer me this, my friends: What do you think you will do, When, next, they come for you –
For your home, Our children’s home.
Hope you liked it. If you’d like to read more, you can find my previous poems here.
Coming back to this one: I’m sure you guys understand what it is about. What’s happening right now in Ukraine is a massive tragedy. And this is coming on the back of the last couple of years, where the world, Ukraine included, has already suffered so much due to Covid.
I don’t think words can do justice to what those poor souls would be going through right now. Can you imagine just waking up in the middle of the night to flee your home, your country, with a handful of belongings? Even more importantly, can you imagine parting with your loved ones – either because they were brutally killed by a stray bullet, or random bombing, or because they have to make the ultimate sacrifice to defend their country, their loved ones? Horrific choices and experiences that nobody should have to face.
Despite all the hardships, the Ukrainian people have shown remarkable resilience and determination to defend their values, their freedom to make their own choices. No words of appreciation can be enough for them. I’ll just say this: I’d be proud of myself if I had half, or even quarter, as much courage and heart as them!
Also, let’s not confuse this as “Russia” vs “Ukraine”. “Russia” is not at war with Ukraine, because one man doesn’t define what “Russia” is or wants. I wrote some time back about the “concept of a country” which illustrates the same point – when it comes to war, we need to be careful whom we attribute it to. I’ve been seeing reports in the media of Russian people all over the world facing hardships and boycotts because of the actions of certain individuals in power. I hope we can temper our reactions to be directed towards the specific individuals responsible for these atrocities, and not take out our justifiable anger on innocents, who had no say or interest in this war at all. Hatred always begets more hatred. Let’s not fall victim to the same malady that the perpetrators of these crimes have fallen to.
War is the ultimate killer. It either kills you directly, or it leaves you alive, and it’s difficult to say which one is worse.
Let’s just pray and hope that the current conflict ends soon, and doesn’t escalate into anything bigger.
Let’s try and build a better world for ourselves, in our own little ways, doing whatever we can. I strongly believe in the saying, “Do what you can, when you can, where you can.”
Tumbling through a house empty, Trudging along a life lonely, I know now what it feels like, To miss your home terribly.
In the rush of the rat race, Far away, in this new place, With so much on my mind, I miss that safe, secure space.
Miss that life with family, As carefree as it could be, Sheltered away from the world – From all the insanity.
Miss my room, my armchair, my desk – Witnesses to words left unsaid, To the few that were written, And the many that were read.
Miss that comfort and that sleep, So very restful and deep. Miss waking up in my bed, To that morning alarm beep.
I miss every nook and cranny, Finding my way, at night, at three, Knowing the place inside out, I miss my home, with the old tree.
And I miss more than just the abode, Even the turns and bumps in the road. Those familiar neighborhood faces – Miss listening to their anecdotes.
* * *
Wish I didn’t have to leave, But needed to, I believe, To learn, grow and evolve – So many goals to achieve.
Time to face the world alone, To fall and rise on my own, See the different shades of life, Some new, and some known.
But…
Isn’t it a little sad? Takes living like a nomad, Losing something essential, To truly know what you had.
The entire world, you may roam, Buy all the pleasures you can own, Live in fancy hotels and villas – Won’t find the peace of a home.
You may return to the nest, For a couple of days’ rest, Smoothly back into the groove, Like you never even left.
* * *
One of the lucky few, I wish every kid knew, A place to call their own, Before their time was through.
Those moments and laughter, May pass by in a blur, But will leave deep imprints, Cherished forever after.
More than just bricks and concrete, A shield from the cold and heat, Home is the bedrock of life. Your strength. Where you feel complete.
And,
It takes magic to turn stone, Into the haven called home. So, more than anything else, I miss you the most, Mom.
I’ve been wanting to get back to writing poems for so long now. Finally, I’m able to share one with you all! I was still writing, but only the first drafts. It’s much easier to start one, but it takes effort to finish it, at least for me. Hope I get better at it over time. There are so many drafts yet to see the light of day! 😀
I don’t know if you can tell, but my poems are usually metaphorical. But not this one. It’s just about being homesick. And I was actually, literally, homesick! I was missing home so much one day, I had to take the day off from work, and just recover! Hope that’s not weird.. 😛
If you’ve been a regular follower of the blog, you’ll know that I had to move to a new city for work last year. Have been living independently since then, and there are days when I really miss my old life, my home. One such day was the inspiration behind this.
I’m sure many of you have had to face a similar situation, and hope you’ll connect with the sentiment behind this. And if you do like it, please share and spread the word! It will motivate me even more to keep writing! 🙂
Of all the messages, In all the bottles out at sea, I’m glad, this one Found its way to me.
Bonds of blood, May be a bane or a boon. Bonds of money n’ comfort, May break too soon.
But bonds of love, For the written, unspoken word, Are whispers from the cosmos, That lonely spirits heard.
We don’t know each other. Just strangers in the crowd. Few take that first step. So, thanks for reaching out.
If it’s meant to be, We’ll meet some day. Maybe we already have. Who can really say.
Even if we never did, never do, Let’s not become a lost memory. I hope, you’ll keep sharing, Your beautiful gift with me.
I do have some friends, But not many have what you do. You’ve already helped more than some To give credit where it’s due.
So I’ve made my decision. This is what I say to you: I see your friend request, and, I’d like to be your friend too.
I first got the inspiration to write something like the above when thinking of a reply to another poem. But then I realized that it could be taken further to a more generic version talking about “friend requests” in general.
Hope you enjoy it! Feedback is always welcome too!
O my Moon,
Be my guide.
In this darkness,
Show me light.
I want to follow you.
To world’s end.
Lead me to my destiny,
Take my hand.
You wake me up,
You make me see,
All this beauty,
That could be.
I may not see you,
But I’m aware,
Silent, and far away,
You are there.
All alone, all this while,
Don’t you long for more?
Find your missing piece
And become whole?
Look at me,
As I at you.
Two lost children.
That is true.
We may seem different,
Show different moods.
But we come from one place,
Share deep roots.
I yearn for you,
With all your scars.
You’re my only Moon,
Amongst the stars.
But if I’m not worthy,
Of your grace,
I’ll find a way, just
Promise me this:
Far above and beyond,
Forever stay so bright.
As you look now, beautiful,
On this river tonight.
O my Moon,
Be my guide.
In this darkness,
Show me light.
The seeds of this little gem were sown recently, as I was driving down a long, open road, with a brilliant Moon on the side.
And although, the poem did take root as an ode to the Moon, it quickly evolved into much more than that. I leave it up to you to figure out what that is… 🙂
Echoes In The Ether 