Stone

Some have heart of stone

And some put life into stone

Stone is one, hard and dry

So is life, without any life

Some worship stone

In the temple or home

God they see in stone

With their mind and soul

One stone adorns the temple

Another is kicked and thrown

And on  some temple walls

Much sensuousness is shown

Do we close our eyes to such art

Why they are there for

Life lived in enjoyment is the periphery

But in the center is worship of God

Stone is one, life is one

But our eye is not one

It sees what is shown

Magnificence of life, or ruins in stone!

Restlessness

It builds up before it erupts

Like a volcano before it bursts

Build bridges where it hurts

Repair leaks lest things go bust

Seas appear calm to the onlooker

Much turbulence is there  in the deep

Galaxies live in perpetual turmoil

But we hear not a beep

Peace eludes the restless

In restlessness they are seeped

Their mind knows no rest

Bitten with envy or speed

Nature at best is no hurry

Its face is but fantasy

Resplendent and colorful

Rainbow hangs beautifully

Peace is natural to us

And it comes naturally

But when we seek it running

It eludes us totally

Let restlessness be at rest

Mind be open and fresh

Peace can't be far behind

One can hear its steps!

Changing times

Wisdom does not stop

At the door of the wise

It speaks sometimes

From the mouth of a child

Water flows away

From each and every height

And the lowest of the lows

It woos with full might

Never before it was

That sun burned so bright

The crown shall melt away

Of every snowy height

There shall stand filled

Every cup that was dry

The bosoms shall go dry

Which bloated full with pride

Time favors them not

In huddle go the heights

And who were in the dark

They now see the light!

Save water

If you dig a well

And don't find water

Thirsty you remain

So you ought  to dig again

If you dig and find nothing

What is your gain

Until  you achieve what you want

Effort goes in vain

Waste not water

Keep it with care

It is next to breath

Other things may wait

Dig and dig but how long

When water eludes again

This is what happens

When man's greed prevails

Drop by drop,over years long

An ocean big is made

Long distance one covers

With each step it takes

Be careful to limit its use

And not a drop to waste

More of it that goes up

It comes back as rain

Green and lively is one's surrounding

If desert of it one doesn't make

Water is essential to all types of life

Preserve it, save it, and lives thus you save!

Love and marriage

Love needs no sanction                              

It happens of its own

Marriage is a sacred union

Witnessed by society, law or both

Whether married love is the same

As love was, before the marriage came

Or the love that develops between two strangers

Is not like love arranged after the marriage date

It is not easy to articulate and answer

Such are the questions of love and marriage

Better let them remain within the four walls

Being matters of heart, not an intellectual debate

But what surprises is the guts

When two strangers tie the knot

Parents arrange the match

And the rest they leave to God

Blind they play the game of life

The stakes are high as well as large

It is like being on top of the world

But the ladder stands withdrawn

They hold on to each other

And tear each other apart

But they dare not jump out

As steep and dangerous is the fall

Whether love remains skin deep

Or it takes roots deep and wide          

But it is no less baffling a miracle

That it lasts till the last breath of life!

Wounds

Wounds raw and festering

Bear them with fortitude

Show them not as a souvenir

But cover them well with attitude

With face fresh and smiling

Forgive them who ridicule

And with  humility as your armor

Embrace sores with gratitude

In self pity and crying hoarse

One spills emotions like a fountain

With full control and due restraint

Step out with a majestic gait

Nothing can hold you up

When fired you are from within

Wounds and sores become insignificant

And conscience steers clear your way

People who have become great

They were like us in earlier days

Wounds they took as life lessons

And adversity they embraced straightaway   

A wounded animal springs back

With swiftness and double the force

Dogs we are not, who bite and bark

And animals we shall not become again

We are endowed with virtues great

Which remain dormant or underplayed

If our wounds bloom into flowers colorful

A moving garden we are, with a fragrant trail!

Recharge

All action, din and talk

No rest, nest or stop

Drama, circus, tricks, what not

Enough  of excess loses its charm

Now is the time for recharge

It may be quick and short

Agenda on mind is too long

Up on your legs and run fast

It is not good to exhaust and drop

To be carried and put on drop

Eyes needn't look just north and north

And be blind to the havoc it shall cause

Take stock of your steps as you walk

Not just at the end, but off and on

Recharge yourself often in fits and starts

Recoup when necessary, heavens won't fall

When one is fully charged

Walking upright and standing tall

His vision and conviction, a divine call

Reins in his hands, he is our best watch!

Love from a distance

Touch, caress and feel

Love is not so myopic

That it shall disappear

When one loosens its leash

 Drought waits for its love

The cloud with rain comes

To shower and cool it enough

And drench it full and satisfy its thirst

A cloud makes a peacock jump

It spreads its wings wide

And dances magnificently

Making for a wonderful sight

A strange bird we know

Who looks up at the clouds

Water it drinks not as birds do

But drops from sky falling into its mouth

A cuckoo sings a lovely tune

In autumn, spring, drought or dew

Everything comes to a standstill

To listen to the voice so beautiful

Love is not so myopic

That it embraces an armful

Nature bares its bosom wide enough

To feed the worlds full!

A child saint

A child of three, no toy or lullaby

Brush in hand, with color and paint

He draws and paints, each one a masterpiece

An Indian village down south is witness to his dexterity

Who guides the baby hands

Fills the mind with thoughtful thoughts

Such wisdom and world view he possesses

Which even the wisest don't command

He is an artist par excellence

In whom divine works, through and through

Playful and innocent like other children of his age

But in understanding by comparison, the scholars fail

He creates his works in quick succession

In a great hurry he is , for a messenger waits at the door

To take him along to the heavens, where is His throne

There he returns soon, for very short is his sojourn

A total of seven years in all he saw

When childhood is at best and still raw

By his wisdom and works, he awed

The small world of which he was an integral part

Undoubtedly a child saint extraordinary he was

Fortunate are those who saw him close

While he played and worked his works incognito

In undisturbed obscurity, and largely unknown!

                                                                                                 

Enlightened bride

Suitors many line up

With their pranks and tricks

To woo the bride but one

They try to read her mind

And make a place in her heart

But she is shrewd  enough

And weighs all pros and cons

The one who ultimately wins

Is undoubtedly the most deserving

Who takes the bride along

To the envy of one and all

She is your beloved, dear bridegroom

But she is our heart and soul

Our aspirations, our vision and what not

Mandate we have given you in her

The most precious jewel of all

Now you are under watch 

The bride shall keep you on toes

And scrutinize you from close

So beware, and take good care

You appear to be made for each other

The need of the times, its vision and dream

You have worked very hard for it

We have also waited patiently enough

Such a match is very rare to come by

Now is the opportunity to create and give shape

To the dreams of the enlightened bride

And her millions of bride maids

That shall be your justification

To our democratic and popular mandate!

  

  

Compromise

When the choice is difficult

Either to live or take leave

A common man faces it often

Helpless and with no sight of any  relief

Preaching won't do at all

Nor any tall promise at this stage

When the struggle is to make the two ends meet

All talk of ideal and compromise looks pale

When greed is the base of compromise

Either to win or survive

Shun it with all your might

For with some loss, the losers don't die

Life is full of compromises

Some petty and insignificant

But they make or mar life

Such is the vulnerability of life

Conscience remaining intact

No compromise with truthfulness

A heart full of gratefulness

Small compromises are sometimes made in public interest

Statesmanship is in wholesomeness

When even compromise brings forth virtuousness

And strengthens the spirit of brotherhood and fairness

Compromise is a way of life of the enlightened, yet so noble and harmless!

Queue

Wait and more wait

Queue for everything

To deliver the new

And dispose the worn few

Half  spent in accumulation

Another half in wait

What contains your basket

Stuff useless and stale

There is but one way

Strange and mysterious

Shunned by everyone

As it has nothing to display

One who is other worldly

Took to this path

Tired of things worldly

And its queues long

He walked and walked

Deep and deeper inside

When mystery began unfolding

He froze outside and inside

It was then that he heard

A deep and commanding voice

Don't go back, my dear child

Bear a little more, and comes your prize

Baffled and out of wits

He stood there still

Then whispered someone

Right you walk, but when the world will

Queue and wait

Ready to stagnate

What is the world's fate

When only muck it generates

There is no queue in His home

Only if you are ready to receive

As much and more than your heart's fill

Come, kiss His feet, and His Grace shall envelope thee!

Result

A long date sheet to reckon

Examination centers too many

Spread all over the country

The candidates go not to sit for exam

But are marked there by public in secret

And their fate stands sealed for a time in machines

When exams are all over

And the tally begins

Who passes or tanks

It is there for all to see

And then they rule over us

Whom we help to win

Exams come once in five years

And we who are eligible

Are allotted one mark each

That's all we are worth if any

In this mammoth exercise

Of a vibrant democracy

It is all worth its while

Each mark counts

And makes or mars

One's destiny and profile

Public and elected both ride the bandwagon
The spectacle, that is the result, of the use of our democratic right!

Life's mystery

See the richness in your eyes

A beautiful heart, and an agile mind

Spring in steps, hope flying

A wonderful canvass changing with time

Build no rooms or walls in your heart

And don't restrict your mind with thoughts

His one thought created the worlds and beyond

He willed and the wheels of creation never stop

In the big picture, where do we stand

Not even a dot are we, yet prominent

In His image He made us, but keeps a distance

To see whether we seek him, whatever the circumstance

Have no regrets, and make no comparisons at all

Go not overboard at your rise, and despair not when you fall

Accept whatever comes with grace, and face the adversity head on

Open up and flow with the flow of life, as it goes on and on

Life is whatever you may like to call it

An enigma, a puzzle or a great mystery

Its raises more questions than it answers

The quest to understand deepens its mystery!

Alone

One is never alone

In the company of one's Self

When your mind wanders

And eyes look far

The inner voice nudges you

Why look beyond

Each and everything is inside you

Whatever it is that you want

Be patient, and have a heart

The sojourn is difficult

But not too long

"Hold my hand" it says

And waste not a moment

Lest you get lost in the maze

And the time comes

To mingle with the stars! 

Nature's rhythmn

There is a rhythm

In silence and speech

Breath and heartbeat

And in the stillness deep

Noise and song

Darkness and light

Without any rhythm

There is no manifestation, no life

Creation is ever unfolding

So silently, that ears hear not

Be in touch with your soul

To hear the Universal Bard

It is but a play of the cosmos

The rhythm of  divine dance

Grossness is out of touch with reality

And its most wonderful part

When the realization ultimately dawns

No use repenting over what is lost

Step in to dance with the nature's rhythm

Before becoming a part of its dead past!

Ownership of love

Innocent souls, fresh from His mould

But love wells up in the mother

Only for the child, which is her own

Ownership comes first, and then follows love

What about those, with none to call their own

Father is one, whom we all claim to own

But there are some men and women

Who love these children more than their own

His heart wells up and teary eyed

He blesses such noble souls

For they love with the love

Which is selfless, yet truly owned

The source is one, the fountainhead of love

It flows freely, yet we partake not of this love

Walls we build, and accumulate filth

If we love not His children, Him we can't love!

Elections

Wise and fools look the same

In their mouths are teeth twenty eight

Four more are wisdom teeth

Fools shall do with hollow space

Fools have no horns

And the wise no tail

If elections were silent

It shall be a difficult choice to make

Election is the tragedy of time

Tyranny of the few bidden goodbye

But if cartoons all become who fight

Mockery it makes of the entire exercise

Development, secularism and poverty of the mind

Anti everything when nothing new comes to mind

Bombarding the mind as if it were a nuclear reactor

Critical mass to reach, and then auto mode applies

It has been too long of a street fight

No documentary, drama or reel life

Let it be over, there are more things to do

Elections are elections, not everything to life!

Invisible hand

A leader is led by many before he leads

He learns his lessons fired with much zeal

In humility he serves those whom he leads

And remembers with a grateful heart

All those who made him what he is

We need such leaders who sacrifice their peace

To fight for those who are too weak to resist

They have power of conviction

And the power that powerless give

Mighty powers are laid low by their steel and will

What do they get when they put everything at stake

Gamblers they are but unique

Outsmarting each and every move of the  crooked

War between good and evil is played on world stage

True leaders lead the good , while evil  plays umpteen games

Leaders never win the battle alone

It is the confidence and trust of the masses

Their audacity and dexterity

The power of righteousness

And the Invisible hand that ensures their victory!

Echo

Every  beginning comes to an end

And every end has a new beginning

Things mortal have an expiry date

But their echo lasts much beyond the date

What we do comes back to us

Nothing is kept back from us

Life is nothing but an echo of sorts

A tad louder than the sound of our hearts

Birds and animals chirp and roar

Echo enriches the notes that float

Each makes a difference for sure

One voice less, and the jungle mourns

When darkness descends

In the silence deep

Lives go half awake, half asleep

Waiting for the next day to begin

One life is not sufficient

To recompense one's misdeeds

They haunt one in several rebirths

 And their echo robs one's peace

Echoless remains the life

Lived pure and meaningfully

Not even a whisper we hear

Though so much good it did

Such a one is alone

Without even a shadow or echo for company

He plays his assigned role

Fully yet wisely

And then in silence departs

To live in the heavens eternally!

Dialogue with self

If you catch me by the neck

Or hold my breath

What do you get

A body lifeless

If you slap me hard

Or break my bones

For I speak the truth

Which you can't digest

If you shout at me

Or call me names

I can understand

How pitiable is your state

When I confront you

You turn away

If I am wrong

Prove it right away

Whether you are right or not

It is not for you to judge

State the facts as they are

And leave it to others to draw the inference

When I see you

And say not a word

That troubles you more

For you feel guilty at your core

I challenge you

You challenge me

Yet we hold our hands in a friendly way

We are humans first, opinions come not in our way

We meet and discuss

But not the things attributed to us

Let the world break its head over it

While we spend a few moments in peace

Peace is what we all desire

Let all arguments between us cease

Our quarrelsome selves be left at the door

So that we meet each other in peace!

Random thoughts

One listens with the ears

But hears with the mind

Eyes may be wide open

But one sees with mind's eye

Hand on wheel

A pen that wields

The brush that thinks

Creation does the rest

Different, unique or masterpiece

Everything has a purpose

And each and every one counts

An ocean is but a congregation of drops

Soldiers fight but a general wins the war

What is right and what is wrong

Depends upon the frame of reference

If right itself is relative

Then no one is absolutely wrong

How good is the stuff on your plate

It depends on how well you roast or bake

Nurture well all that you sow

Before comes the drought, soon or late

And then expect Him to send the rain

What is gained can be lost

Even before the ink dries not

But the old habits die not

However much one tries or hides hard!

Think over

Listen carefully

And hear well

What one says

And that also

What one says not

What may click

One knows not

You may not hear again

What you earlier heard not

Weigh your words

So that they don't hurt

Bruises that you cause

With your mouth

Are your debts

To be repaid

With full interest

Do something good

Or do nothing

If your actions

Make a heart heavy

You conscience becomes

At the least, doubly heavy

Good deeds remain

Deeply etched

In collective memory

Generations shall remember

What good you did

Which shall be there to see
For years, decades and may be centuries many!

Motivation

Oh! My sweetheart

My motivation, my soul, my all

Don't bend, stand tall

For if you look down

How shall I see the stars

Be ahead of me

So that I follow thee

I slow down

But you tire not

When I take rest

A little too much

You shake me hard

And up on my feet again, I walk

When you sit on a high pedestal

I look into your eyes, not blinking at all

How majestic and beautiful is my sweetheart

Distracted only once I was, my misfortune

When I looked back, nothing was there, nothing at all

I pleaded with apologies and what not

She felt hurt

She took to heart

Her beloved, she wondered

Did he love her

As much as she thought

I promised that I shall never look away

May be I am in the midst of a turbulent sea

Or a heavy storm from all sides lashing me

She is my hope, my confidence, my breath

I shall hold her hand and will never let her go away

But if she frees herself and goes far up into the sky

And appears a small dark circle, or a tiny dot

Which the hem of her skirt defines

My soul then shall also rise

To merge with that tiny dot

Which the hem of her skirt defines

Me and my motivation shall be one

Sitting at His blessed feet!

Casual silver

He is careless

His world is different
Casual in everything

Seriousness is foreign to him

Right or wrong

Are mere words to him

What he says and does

Has no logic in it

He sets his eyes high

But plays dice with his life

Get everything on demand
Why slog for it

He masters things inconsequential

All else  matters not to him

World is like a disco

Social networking a religion to him  

He gives his best to funny pranks

Emotions and feelings are far from him
Yet it is fun to be by his side

One instantly become like him

But when the need arises

He is the first to reach

In help and giving

Only a few can equal him!

  

Lovers

If  heart were a fairy

The mind her knight

One races

The other flies

Amazing love stories

Keep one tongue tied

Hands shake

The thoughts fly

What to capture

How to write

There is so much

That comes to light

Stories upon stories

Lie buried inside

Such as those

Which words fail to describe

Heart a fairy

Mind her knight

Lovers such as these

Heart and mind

One races, the other flies

Day passes, when comes the night

Wide awake they remain, the whole night

Their love so mad, none other to find!

Flight

Those who have wings

Shall  fly

Some of us

Who are grounded

Grow wings

And learn to fly

Those who crawl

Move only a little about

That's all

Birds who fly in formation

They look so elegant

 And captivating is their flight

There are some birds

Who leave the group

And try something new

They have the zeal

And much steel

To go on a different trajectory

There are a few

Less than a few

Who go up and up

In the rarefied air

Enduring and struggling

And reach the higher of the heights

Likewise it is with men

When they march in formation

It is a sight to watch

There are some of them

Who soar high

To pluck the stars

We are the torch

And they its flame

When we go

Where goes the flame

Our world stands lifted

And it is no longer the same!

Utopian

In a far corner by the side of a small village

They make their dream home

Determined, and way out

Of their comfort zone

The surroundings natural

But every conceivable technological facility

They bring to their new home

A few hundred people

Who give their all

To create a living paradise

On a small plot

And carry thousands of poor locals along

How commendable and noble their job

But  this paradise comes at enormous cost

They have the means and a big heart

It gives them happiness, no doubt

But reality remains far and cut off

However, there are some brave hearts

Who remain where they are

And face the reality bang on

The world is as we make it

Not an island, but the whole of it

Some make it a boxing ring

And some a stage to play

Yet others make it their home

Because they are of the world

And the world one family as a whole

Running away from reality

May give temporary peace

But hats off   to those

Who live in filth, yet float clean

If an Island one makes

An  island it remains

It has its charm awhile

Which in time fades away

If you sanitize a piece of land

It remains cut off from the mainland

If heaven itself descends on that piece

What is that to the world, which remains as it is

We need people who remain grounded

All over the face of the earth

And at each nook and corner

To nurture nature and its various life forms

And to make a difference to one and all

If we are men indeed

We all are of one creed

And the world is our home

Every  bit of it

Earth is our shield

And sky our dream

We shall rise together

And make a new world of our dreams!

Veil

Behind a thin veil

I have seen her pass

How majestic her walk

I remain thirsty for a glance

Once in a while

When she lifts her veil

What beauty I see

My heart stops without fail

Her eyes sparkle

Her cheeks dazzle

Her lips seductive

A mole sits pretty on her face

I look into her eyes

Her gaze distant

A subtle smile

Make her presence different

I love her so much

Each and every moment

And when she is not there

I wait every moment

Whether she also loves me

It never bothers me a moment

But I yearn for my beloved

Each and every moment

God must be feminine

I see Him in her every moment!