Strive in Strife

A castle of expectations, 
a tower of anticipation,
built on a mound of confidence, 
in meticulously laid plans.

A shift in winds,
triggers a thunderstorm,
that swiftly destroys it all.
Exposing the fragility of the assumptions,
binding us to the reality that,
expectations inevitably lead to disappointment.

It is not the first of storms,
nor will it be the last of disruptions.
Yet we plan again and fail again,
striving to account for the unknown.
Life is but a pursuit of the unattainable! 

She strides on..

Age doesn’t dull her enthusiasm,

Rules don’t break her resolve,

Hardships don’t impede her generosity,

A guide exemplar and achiever in her own right.

Interpreting the thoughts hidden in the paintings,

Deciphering the language in the sculptures, 

She pushes to educate her group about artists long gone,

Never second guessing or pausing, she strides on,

The survivor in her shines bright.

Determined to convey the essence of Firenze,

Ignoring the costs to herself, she lets her generous spirit take over,

Sending us atop the Piazzale Michelangelo to gain perspective, 

She ensured we saw the city and also its people 

in glowing light.

Note: This is an ode to a passionate guide who gave us her own bus tickets, so we could go to Piazzale Michelangelo in time.

Public Transport Therapy

I walk to the station, passing by 
Pretty canals and daffodils,
Cobbled streets and cyclists, 
Facades from a different era,
Concealing the modern interiors,
The sights and sounds occupy my mind.

I wait for the tram, 
Breathing in the cold air,
Watching a happy puppy playing,
Observing friends chatting and riding,
Marveling at the beautiful shop fronts,
The detail strikes me when I hit pause.

I climb onto the tram,
Thrilled to be in the warmth,
I chat with a fellow passenger,
Learning about them,
Sharing life experiences and world views,
Trading unfiltered thoughts encouraged by anonymity,
Interacting without any agenda truly brings out the best in people.

I say goodbye and get off the tram,
Not caged in the bubble of my views anymore,
Armed with more perspective,
And enlivened by the world around me.

Engulfed by towering mountains that,

Dwarf all things manmade,

Command undivided attention,

Captivate the senses,

Obliterate distraction, 

I watch with rapt attention,

As the clouds descend on the peak,

Blurring the boundary between dreams and reality, 

Overpowered by the fountain of optimism,

I enjoy the moment where everything seems possible.

Overwhelmed by the beauty and the height, 

Certainly it is a meditation in its own right.. 

Power loss or gain?

The electricity is gone..

No computer screens beckoning us to do more work,

No cellphones beeping to guilt trip us into responding,

No Netflix series to encroach on our time,

No distractions from household chores,

Wrapped in warm blankets,

In a room lit by candles ,

We enjoy the hot soup in our bowls, 

Engrossed in deep conversation,

Oblivious to the raging storm and plummeting temperatures, 

Ignoring the beeping sump pump warning us of potential flooding, 

The simple joy of living in the moment is unmatched!

I wonder why we choose,

the abundance of distractions and worries,

And the scarcity of undivided attention, 

To satisfy the phantom fear of missing out. 

Diamonds are forever

Burning the midnight oil,
To perfect assignments ,
Pushing the boundaries,
To finish ultra marathons,
Breaking out of comfort zones,
To embrace the unknown ,
Believing, toiling  and constantly perfecting, 
To make dreams a reality,
Shaped and etched by the relentless pursuit,
You unraveled  the diamond that lay within..

With time 
Dreams may have changed ,
Challenges may have evolved ,
But no problem will remain unresolved,
Since your spirit and perseverance remain unchanged,
After all diamonds are forever .. 

A jingle you love from childhood,
A song you hummed in college,
A photograph capturing moments gone,
A note from an old friend,
Brings to life a snippet of your younger self,
In a time and space disconnected from the present. 

An engaging book which draws you into its universe, 
A work of art which resonates with your philosophy, 
A well etched sitcom which extends your reality, 

A speech that motivates your choices,

Expose the mental space you share with the artists and orators,
Far flung across the universe,

Never once encumbered by the absence of physical contact

Why do we then

Emphasize the physical boundaries,

Divide people on the basis of geography,

Oblivious to their ideas and philosophy, 

And expect that a shared physical space 

must translate to a shared mental space?

He shall overcome..

Discussing & planning meticulously,
We deluded ourselves,
Even our worst case analysis,
Failed to anticipate the diagnosis,

Our friend who,

Has viewed every impediment as a challenge,
Has never given into his fears,
His perseverance unmatched,
His spirit unbreakable,
Has won every game, regardless of the obstacles, 

As he fights the fierce tumor this time,
We watch anxiously, feeling useless,
Praying and cheering on the sidelines,
But believing firmly that he will emerge victor,

He will add another feather to his decorated cap

Much ado about a Haircut

 

Crushing my inhibitions,

Making a statement,

Ignoring the nods of disapproval, 

Breaking out of the comfort zone,

Letting go of my crutch of conformity,

Lopping off 18 inches,

Even as Samson & Delilah dominated my thoughts,

Elated that it will prove useful to the children,

Building their confidence and also mine!

PS: https://www.childrenwithhairloss.us/

Sieve

 

Steered by unshakable faith,
Committed to a simple life,

Governed by humility. 

Driven by rigid belief,

Skeptical to change,

Guided by clarity of purpose,

They thrive in a bubble locked to the past,

oblivious to the world that moves so fast,

The delicate dance between inflexible and exacting,

Is a tricky art form to master!

 

Snow prints in the sand

As you walk on the beach,
focused on the path ahead,
Not ebbed by the waters,
Or blown by the wind,
Winter chose to preserve,
your snow prints on the sand,

As you wind through life, 
Carving your own path,
Eyes riveted on the road ahead,
Ever wonder about the trail you leave behind, 
That may one day be etched in history..

A Winter’s tale

Hidden under the dense cover of leaves, 

Eclipsed by the attractive flowers,

Quietly supporting the more ornate,

The unprotesting branches swayed in the summer breeze,

The winter lays bare the trees,

Exposing the elegant branches,

That remain strong, bearing the freezing cold, 

Through all other seasons, their story  untold, 

The limelight  is finally on the skeleton that never shrugs,

Flitting across the world with fleeting thoughts occupying our mind,

Deeply submerged in our own lives,  not catching a break from the daily grind, 

Taking for granted the engine that drives the world,

We enjoyed the sun, and never worried about the cold,

The icy pandemic strips away all distraction,

Exposing the strength of society’s foundation,

Scraping away a superficial layer of charm,

Revealing the cement that bonds relationships,

During this long winter 

We found those dear to us, eager to shower them with hugs,

The limelight is finally on our Atlas who never shrugs 

He cannot vanish..

Every time we read a poem.
Every time we look at a photograph,
Every time we enjoy a joke,
Every time we witness a passionate discussion,
Every time we feel enthusiasm, for the simple joys of life,
Every time we want to dive into a new field,
We will remember him,
He seems to be nowhere, and yet he is everywhere now,
Filling our hearts and minds with indelible memories,
That will last a lifetime.. 

RIP Siddesh Mama 

It takes extraordinary courage,
To constantly look over your shoulder,
To tune your actions to fit unarticulated norms, 
To relentlessly fight for what is rightfully yours,
To face the dissonance between reality and promise,
To adopt struggle as a way of life,
To protect yourself from your “protector”
Why should it take extraordinary courage
to just live an ordinary life?

True to her vision,

Stimulated by her passion,

She weaves to perfection,

Reiterating her design ethic,

Blending the modern and ethnic

Shunning the distraction of color,

Ignoring the elements of popular styling,

She plays with a variety of fabrics,

Bonding them with absolute precision,

Creating an eclectic collection,

Echoing her deep conviction,

Etching her ideas in paint,

She makes a bold statement

Bringing unparalleled joy to the artist,

Though dissonant with popular opinion,
Intricate details lost on the hurried observer,
Symbolism too subtle to capture attention,
Commercially, it failed to make a connection

She treads on undeterred,
Proud of her perfect execution,
Confident she can find joy in the expression,
Knowing no other has been on her journey,
To earn the right to judge her story

Covid-19

Like the Night king, it goes on a rampage,
Gaining strength from the carnage
Its icy fingers strike down its foes,
Dancing on the mountain of its victim's woes
Turning unsuspecting observers into soldiers against their own,
It is all set to usurp the sceptre and the throne

As the shadow of death looms larger,
The spirit drains like a battery with no charger
Disguised as a friend, it gains entry,
Rendering useless the duty-bound sentry
Without humans turned into soldiers, I ponder,
Would there be a war to wager, I wonder

If to protect each other we make our mission,
Would this land us in an economic depression?
Would the invisible nemesis thrive,
Because we cannot ourselves deprive?
Our adversary will be slain one day,
Until then in human lives, the cost we pay.

For no reason, but with good reason

Sometimes I toil away driven by,
Neither money nor compensation,
Neither trophy nor recognition,
Neither necessity nor compulsion,
Neither proclivity nor addiction,
Neither responsibility nor obligation.
I never ask myself why.

I toil away,
Engrossed and enthralled,
Undeterred by fatigue,
Unperturbed by hunger,
Unconcerned about the passage of time,
Employing my undivided attention.
I never ask myself why.

I toil away,
Excited about the process of creation,
Enjoying every moment of the journey,
Weaving a simplistic universe,
Stripped of judgement and expectation.
Knowing I don't need to ask myself why.

You go Girl...

After, 
navigating life alone with courage,
overcoming challenges with grace,
establishing yourself as a successful professional,
demonstrating your superior aesthetic sense,
being acclaimed for your culinary prowess,
manifesting your sensitivity and ability to brighten spirits,

You don't need to be protected,
You don't need to be told who you are,
You don't need rules to curtail you,
You don't need to fit into any mould,
You don't need approval to make your decisions,
You don't need to surrender your free will.

You are the master of your dreams,
So give yourself the best role!

Shortcut to the dead end

Not enough time or patience,
To visit places or relish different cuisines,
To read books or appreciate art from around the world,
To learn the myriad languages or grok diverse cultures,
To understand belief systems or analyze thought processes,
To make a distinction between sense and sensibility.

So, we assume an oversimplified narrative,
Boxing people into stereotypes,
Magnifying the differences,
Amplifying the biases,
Crushing our ability to reason,
Energizing our latent insecurities,
Crystallizing them into a mixture of anger and fear,

We strive to protect ourselves,
To guard our culture,
Exposing the worst human instincts, 
Sacrificing ourselves at the altar,
Of an utterly unnecessary war, 
that will have no winners!

Race

Life is,
A never ending race,
where leads are an ephemeral emotion,
and winning is an illusion,
An endless game of dice,
where lady luck stamps her authority,
and winning seems like charity,
A journey through time,
where relativity defines the story,
And winning is confined to a theory.

And yet..
We inflict upon ourselves the notion,
That winning is the implicit expectation.
Choosing to confine joy to the few bubbles of "victory",
In the hope of making history.