My Poetry

I need to say this

I need to say this

To myself and to you

So we both know how my world

May look different from your view

 

The line that I had etched

As I lived my life and grew

Has given way to open up

An invisible door I hardly knew

 

It paved a different path

I had never travelled before

It made way to the first step

For a walk I’ve to walk alone

 

When I met a friend in the dark

In ways I had never before

The closeness was endearing

Letting logic stand no more

 

When I touched you and held you

And held your arms in capture

My mind had left its senses

To let me stand in rapture

 

And when you felt my form

My moistness and my curves

I wished the hands of time

Stopped its journey in return

 

My thoughts that had left me

In the moments of elation

Returned in the wake of daylight

With a vengeance of damnation

 

It was a lonely feeling

There was much pain and guilt

I hoped you would be there

To help me cope with ease

 

But I guess one deals alone

With cards and their faces shown

For the hands that dealt them to me

Were nobody’s but my very own 

 

But inspite of what I felt

My wisdom has lost its battle

I still want to walk some more

With you on this path of disaster




Happiness Hurts

What pleases hurts

What aches soothes

Is the world changing

Or is it you, your presence

That is causing happiness to hurt

 

The sound of your silence

The touch of your distance

Makes me wander deep in my thoughts

People around me are the just same

But it is you and your presence

That is causing happiness to hurt

 

The scar of your glance

Is deep yet comforting

The taste of your voice

Makes my name sound delectable

I sometimes hide myself from you

’cause its your presence

That is causing happiness to hurt



What I know

What I know is how you make me feel

When your roaming eyes halt on mine

In a room full of faces, of which I feel

the most mundane is mine

 

Yet they stay for a moment longer

And then move on, only to return

To steal another glimpse

Before curious eyes catches its scent

Labels it as being unfaithful

And disapprovingly questions its intent

 

It is this very moment

That stirs me from inside

Makes me go weak

And makes the wrong right

As if it’s okay to stray

Just this one time

Just for a while

 

What I know is how you make me feel

When you call me baby

It feels like small waves retreating

After gently touching the beach

Taking back some grains of sand with them

Deep yet so easy to reach

 

It is this very moment

That stirs me from inside

Makes me go weak

And makes the wrong right

As if it’s okay to stray

Just this one time

Just for a while

 

What I know is how you make me feel

When you hold my hands 

And run your hands down my hair

Wanting more but holding back 

I read your thoughts, they make me shiver

And they stop me right on my tracks

 

It is this very moment

That stirs me from inside

Makes me go weak

And makes the wrong right

As if it’s okay to stray

Just this one time

Just for a while

 

What I know is how i feel

When your lips touch mine

Like feather and like burning coal

Leaving fire and ice etched somewhere deep

Like a quivering belonging craving for more

 

It is this very moment

That stirs me from inside

Makes me go weak

And makes the wrong right

As if it’s okay to stray

Just this one time

Just for a while

This is what I know

This is how I feel



It burns like a sting

I look inside

I see wavering flames in a tiny dark pit

Flames from a fire so small

That it can hardly be called a fire

But these fledgeling flames

When touch the walls

It burns like a sting

 

And I wonder

How a minuscule entity

Can be so ferociously strong

To burn what it touches

And leaves its mark

How can the almost nonexistent

Burn like a sting

 

And then I realize

That I am looking inside me

Inside the depth of my heart

Where the flames of my desire

Are reminding me of their presence

That I can no longer ignore

My need is burning me

Slowly but surely

And yes, it burns like a sting

 

I want to be with you

To be touched by you

To be caressed by you

To be loved by you

To melt beside you

If only for a fleeting moment

I want it to burn like a sting

 

I am scared

That the tiny flame

May soon become a big fire

Of unstoppable passion

That will take us both down

Till we are doomed

Till we burn into flames

But even the numbness

Cannot stop the flames

From burning like a sting


I own my uniqueness

In this world I claim my space

Separate from the others beside me

Who too are eager to outline their place

This space however tiny, is mine

This space is where my star shines

 

I own the patches of my darkness

That others see as blemishes and cracks

But these patches give my life its depth

These boulders help in etching my tracks

 

Unattainable just by the pureness of the soul

These very patches makes my journey whole

 

I own the errors of my life

For they too are pieces of my puzzle

Some bury me underneath their burden

Some come on top to let go and unburden

 

Some keep me wide awake at night

But I still own them coz they are mine to fight

 

This tiny space that I call myself

It needs to be cherished and not rejected

Surrounded by tiny spaces of others

This space of mine needs to be protected

 

Protected from those trying to  make identical everything

Plucking my feathers to merge in the shadow of their wings

 

I need strength to protect my differences

From being so very different and unique

And save my oddities from the guilt

And sew them together into a beautiful quilt

I need strength to honor each patch right

And I need strength to hold each stitch tight

 

I need strength to realize

That no two quilts are alike

That these dark shades and these craters

Belong to me and are only mine

And till the time death do us part

My darkness alone can be my sunshine


We are all walking talking hypocrites

We are all walking talking hypocrites

So much so that it explodes my mind

Pretending to make meaning out of

Randomness of random thoughts

We borrow time from the infinity

And then waste it and let it rot

 

We gloat with pride in our false beliefs

We cut off the only strong hand we have

And then hanging on to the weakest of links

We try to save life that is falling apart

 

We cry dirty tears of blinded humanity

We play hide n seek with passing notions

In the field of cruel and cynical pleasures

We play see saw with unfulfilled emotions

 

We want to walk on the edge of the universe

Losing sight of that which is so close

On the clouds of impermeable nothingness

We march leaving behind planets of woes

 

Yes really, we are such hypocrites

We yearn to trace the bottomless hole

And try to feel the feeling of feeling excited

We clutch onto the invisible threads of life

Losing its grip, the very same fury is ignited

 

We strive to make holes in the vacuum

Then labor to stitch the atmosphere together

Piercing needles to hurt every numb heart

In the journey lose those very hearts forever

I Feel Alive (Abridged version)

I know I am alive

Because I feel this nervous feeling

Somewhere inside the folds of my hidden soul

Constantly reminding me of my presence

In this crowded and intrusive world

 

It ridicules me, of how I never knew

That all it would take for me to again feel alive

Will be this tiny flame of longing

A tiny flicker, and its desperate attempt to survive

 

This mysterious yearning for someone

Burns a desire so deep

That it ferociously pulls my heart

And stretches it to touch a new high

 

A yearning so deep

That it plays with the strings of my heartbeats

Till the sound reverberates in the depths of the sky

A desire for someone to take my pulsating heart

And caress it gently to a new calmness

 

And now I am addicted

To these unknown and unsettling tremors

They force me to want them

For creating a rift inside me

They force me to need them

For filling my life with turbulence

They force me to crave for them

For removing the shield of comfort

 

They force me to realise what I feel is real

Even if accompanied with a taint of guilt and shame

They make me take these momentary pleasures

And accept them with open heart and in their entirety

So that I can feel alive and kicking, yet again

Just like old times…

Just like my beating heart

Mom, I want to go home (Cry of a Syrian child) … Abridged version

Home…My sweet home… My lost home

Where I played with stones and papers,

Where friends ran with me from dusk to dawn,

My home of mud and broken bricks,

My home of holes and tattered walls

 

I laughed at everything then,

Even at the grumbling noises that my stomach made,

The vacuum in my stomach never bothered me,

My childhood was enough to make it all evade

 

I tried to hold on to my childhood, I really did,

For as long as my tiny little self possibly could,

Even while searching frantically for my favourite toy,

Underneath the mound of rubble and piles of burning wood

 

Then one day you told me, we had to go across the sea,

To find a place not covered with a shawl of fire,

Where the earth is green and the sky still blue,

Where I can play without dodging smoke and fire

 

I cried when I said goodbyes,

To my home and childhood friends,

To the familiar dusty streets where I grew up,

For a better future I could not yet comprehend

 

I heard the silent cries as you took me away,

Of my friend’s pleas from where they stood,

But I left them with my favourite ragged toy in one hand,

And in the other, remnants of my tattered childhood

 

I towed my little thoughts filled with big doubts,

Will I have friends there who will play with me?

On the strange tarred streets between the tents,

My new home where I am strangely called a refugee

 

I see Mom, the blue sky that you promised,

And I see all the colours that I never saw before,

I see here that the earth is like a fairyland,

But I still dream of my old life across the shore

 

You remember my tattered childhood?

The one that I saved from the dreads of the past?

Sometimes it opens up my treasure chest,

And shows me its old happy self, now long lost

 

Here, I sometimes feel the eyes of unknown faces,

With half-open eyelids filled with gazes of contempt,

Their glares cutting through my body and my soul

And everything else inside me that’s become unkempt

 

Is it my fault Mom that I had to come here?

Leaving the world that I called my home?

The days I know are beautiful here,

But the nights are still as dark as my home

 

Can I ever go back to my country?

Can I ever see my friends again?

Can I ever play with the games of innocence?

Can I ever touch my home again?

 

Mom, I miss my Home…My lost home…My favourite home…

Where I played with stones and papers,

Where friends ran with me from dusk to dawn,

My home of mud and broken bricks,

My home of holes and tattered walls

The Sound of Absolute Silence

Amidst the reverberating echo of noises

And presence of an absolute defiance

I long for a silent beat, or a soundless note

A symphony of void and sound of absolute silence

 

How will my fiercely noisy mind cope

Like a fish stuck at the edge of waterless waves

Or like a trapeze artist struggling on a missing balance

These deafening noises born from the womb of absolute silence

 

What I really yearn for, is a tide of brave wretched vacuum

Gulping down the cacophonies of meaningless highness

What I really yearn for, is an orchestra of carefully laid out nothings

My very own symphony, adorned with the sound of absolute silence

Living in our times

Why is it tough

To live in our times

When the yester years swear

Theirs was tougher than mine

 

Those days saw the bruises

That coloured the bones and skin

To guard the inner soul

Whose existence meant everything

 

Today is a different story

Today on pyre is the soul

Painted by bruising hues

To shield the skin and bones

 

Now we get too scared

To look at neighbouring dome

For the fear of sighting everything

That’s missing in our little homes

 

Maybe a bigger dwelling

Or a gadget more alive

Consciously pinching nostrils

To the aromas of their pie

 

Why such deep resentment

When victory sings and sways

When triumph performs a ballet

In someone else’s doorway

 

Today we bury differences

By burying the ones different

The errors we choose to forgive

Are only those that we parent

 

The life for which we are fighting

We know not what it looks like

‘Cause when we face it head on

We look into a stranger’s eye

 

The privileged ones ever so busy

Lie sleepless guarding their rights

The simplicity is for the peasants

Who sleeps soundly every night

 

We plead and demand, but are never content

With all that life ever throws

‘Cause the list of our needs and greed

Stopped tallying on fingers and toes

 

These days we all are sprinting

A hundred metre race

Tired, fatigued, exhausted

But scared to catch our breath

 

We worry our shadows will catch up

We worry of time that’s gone

We worry of taking eternity

Slowing life to a marathon

They say Love is blind

They say love is blind…

Then why do we see marks, on each other’s soul

Why do we measure the depth, of every tiny hole

Why see regret and ugliness, in every sigh

Why does laughter dress in grief, in front of our eyes.

 

Yet they say love is blind…

 

Why don’t we embrace the darkness, of each other’s past

Why not let hurt and grief, disappear slowly at long last

Why not close our eyes, to the burdens of unsought dues

Why don’t we choose for once, real grays over illusive hues

 

Why not hear the euphony, hidden in wrath and cries

Why not heal the crevices, of shattered dreams and broken ties.

 

And they say love is blind….

 

Why does the invisible pain of love look clearer

Than its healing touch

Why make the unfamiliar and unknown fear

So important and matter so much

 

Why yearn for deafening sounds of pleasure

And ignore the silent whispers of togetherness

Why not look with looks to melt the heart

And see the sea of love and togetherness

 

Why be blinded by the luster & brightness

And not feel its warmth

Why watch with caution, every move made

But miss in that, the grace of a swan

 

Why long for glimpses of things, paper wrapped

And blindly let the unadorned love, simply fade away untapped

 

Why the touch of lips is not enough to seize the heart 

Why being together is harder than growing apart.

 

Yet they say love is blind….

Claiming Worth

Am I the night surrounding the moon

Or am I the moon, surrounded by blackness

It depends on how I am searching for myself

With eyes open or clouded with darkness

 

When I do find myself

I see a small moon

But alas

My moon is not 

from the pages of a romantic’s world

I see my moon with holes and blemishes

I see my moon withered, grey and cold

 

So, to turn my greyness into colourful spring

I begin my search for another grey soul

Never feeling complete on my own account

I need another’s void, to truly make me whole

 

It’s the kiss of acceptance, that I am really after

That plants approval from reassuring lips

Someone to tell me that I am good enough

My worth is alive at the mercy of this script

 

To pull up my self worth

Further and higher

I have to be taller

Than the tallest of the tree

 

And thus begins my hunt

For a vine to latch on

Or a ladder made of souls

A little greyer than me

 

I know now, my need for the crowd 

Some for reassuring I am okay in this birth    

Others I need for my ego to prey upon 

Oh, all this drama, just for claiming my worth

Colours in my Cocoon

A land barren, trees anguished

Dry and naked prairie

An orphaned hope, echoing hurt

Reflecting life’s misery

 

And thus I begin, to weave a cocoon

Borrowing rainbow, threads from my dreams

Hiding inside, its glorious warmth

Away from the chaos, clutter and screams

 

It seems like time, has sped past the gloom

I wonder if its safe, to emerge from hideout

Is my world still, covered in dark clouds

I gather my courage, to slowly find out

 

I pull out myself, and slowly turn around

Nervously clutching, the colourful threads

Behind me I see life, in its full blown glory

Just a few brave steps, beyond the dread

 

The colourful cocoon, I weaved so lovingly

Gave mere mirage, of strength to cope

It trapped life, in its never-ending knots

Isolating instead, from courage and hope

The Crisscross panic

They embrace tightly, my tired face

Caressing gently, like never-ending vines

Cropping from every, nook and corner

To hold me together, safe in their twines

 

They seem to be actually, quite fond of me

But I ignore them, like forbidden curse

And when they tell me, to smile at life

I am worried, that it will, make them worse

 

They reach to me with aching soul

With teary eyes and broken heart

It’s me who gave them life, they say

It’s me who is now tearing them apart

 

They beg me to look, in the pit of the pile

Of my present, and of the past I had lived

They say I’ll find, the knots of their world

Clinging to the threads, of the quilt I had weaved

 

I looked deep down, and saw some of them

Wiping away, my tears as I cried

Some were holding, the reins of my anger

And some were cheering, in my moments of pride

 

Some were etched, from my smiles and my laughter

Some took birth like my babies, from labour pain

And some gave me company, as I waited for my children

To return home safely, as I always worried in vain

 

Wherever I went, in the lanes of my history

I saw their nurturing, hands with myself

These lines, that I had, abandoned in the past

Were the lines, that I had, created myself

 

These wrinkles and marks, that cover my body

Are telling my stories, of glory and pain 

They deserve to be cherished, like precious trophies

Instead I demeaned, their existence in shame

We, the Puppets

In the stage of humanity

We play our parts

We fill our voids

We face some truths

But many we avoid

 

Sometimes angel, sometimes devil

Wearing guises of our pride

Colourful as they all might be

The veils on our faces, they often misguide

 

We tell ourselves, that we’re mere puppets

And we keep doing, whatever we may please

Shielding our evil, we love so dearly

We pretend that a force, is directing all our deeds

 

So we jerk around the lives of others

To make them all, dance to our whims

But then, we suffer a similar pain

Slowly burning down, throughout our limbs

 

And then it dawns upon us, with clarity

That there’s no evil outside, with wings

It is just us, the human puppets

We are the ones, pulling each other’s strings

We, The Pinocchios

We start our humble journey

With fears and few dreams

With our rights and our wrongs

Firmly guiding all our dreams

 

Everyday on this path

We keep piling up our loot

Success, money and pleasures

And with them some accolades too

 

Soon this loot gets heavy

But we don’t let it go

Instead we shed the layers

Of moral suit we always wore

 

And so goes out of window

Beliefs we held so high

We let go of cherished values

Slowly, one at a time

 

But the one who’s still walking

On thorns of moral ground

We look with awkward glances

We lost what he has found

 

We know where this has led us

We know the cost of win

We know we are all Pinocchios

Only he had just one sin

The Black Hole

We open our eyes, to this life of today

We don’t like, what we have

It’s what’s missing, that we dismay

 

Looking far and beyond, with tired searching eyes

It’s the future we believe, from where our dreams arise

The ‘now’ is dark and gloomy, the ‘now’ is never gay

The pastures of the present, are greener some other day

 

Running towards that future, leaving the murky now

The eyes of our blind race, sight the rainbow above

The dreams are still escaping, to new moments in time

We pull strands of tomorrow, a little closer every time

 

And each day we catch it, we look with harsh resent

The reality of the future, mirrors yesterday’s present

We begin to grasp reality, and see the time we’ve lost

Hunting for that we all had, already tucked in past

 

The future is a bubble, reflecting empty soul

The outer rings entice us, the inside is a black hole

Nirbhaya

Nirbhaya, O brave one

You have suffered and fought for everyone’s grief

On the bed of the distant clouds, my love

You lie now, and forever rest in peace

 

Sleep well, my dear

Free from all the worldly plight

Be our guide from up there, our angel

Shower us with your effervescent light

 

We take the baton from your tired soul

To fight for our respect and courage

Never again will we give that right to anyone

We, the women, take this solemn pledge

 

The gentleness of our nurturing souls

Will transform into “Goddess Durga”

For every demon in this wilderness of life

In each of us will be reborn, a Nirbhaya

Ego in Perspective

I opened my eyes, to the world that I knew

The echo of my voice, as clear as morning dew

The words that I spoke, since I thought I made sense

From the time I became me, till right now, in my present

 

These words that I hear, I would like to share with you

‘Cause the echo of my world, may resonate with yours too

 

I hear:

My dreams, my sorrows, my expectations, my joys

My pride, my needs, what excites me, what annoys

My likes, my dislikes, my opinions, the world so needs

My expectations that I justify, my desires I don’t call greed

 

I hear and I hear, till I don’t want to anymore

I wonder why my echo, has only me and no other soul

I hear the Universe laughing, so loud it shakes my core

Opening womb of its creation

The tiniest of which, is infinite than my whole

 

My ego, which I thought as universe

The one on which I relied

It’s time to let go

Of the tiny ‘me’ and miniscule ‘I’

 

It’s time to see the truth

To be humble and reflective

It’s time to see with clarity

Our Ego in Perspective

The Woman and the Man

In the storms of the treacherous life

All look at him with admiration

He’s the provider and the protector

And the one upholding all traditions

But who’s the one standing behind him

With a face so serene this stormy night

She’s the one supporting the pillar

On which her man leans, in these troubled times

She is his source of strength

For she takes the weight of his burdens

The house on her shoulder

And calmness that binds and strengthens

She brings beauty in his life

A beauty that reminds him

These Tulips are no delicate flowers

They bring steadiness around him

The Step child

Alone in the corner, the Stepchild waits
Hoping against hope, for the darkness to fade
But the life goes on, with its busy grinding churn
The Stepchild sits alone, quietly waiting for its turn

Wrapped in your life, trapped in its maze
You give yourself in, to a never-ending chase
You do everything, that the world expects of you
Your family, your friends, and sometimes strangers too

And then you are left with nothing, nothing more to give
So far away have you gone, that there’s nothing left to feel
For that child who is abandoned, who’s always left behind
The one who always waits, for a tiny grain of your time

You ignore, you mistreat, you stopped caring long ago
You forgot to remember, the existence of that tiny soul
So busy, so tired, you have no moments, not even a few
For that lonesome little soul, the Stepchild that is You

Water is Woman

Its holy touch, heals tarnished souls

Makes sacred, every ritual

The blessing of dew, cures every sin

Yes, water is spiritual

In her sweat and tears, the water lives

Its presence unconditional

Sometimes angry, but often calm

Yes, water is emotional

Transforming swiftly to all three forms

In life, she thus survives

Gently caressing a life in womb

Yes, water is alive

Out of the Ashes

From the time she is born

She’s chained to the stereotypes

Defined by the society

And for her soul to internalize

She accepts and imbibes

These expectations and the dos and don’ts

She fights her inner dreams

To make way for someone else’s ethos

Then one day, she wakes up

And finds sinking deep into the swamp

Fighting to breathe, she wonders

How she got there, how could she let this carry on

And at that moment she decides to fight back

But this time for her own destiny

And so begins a long struggle

To find her true identity

What all will she have to burn

To come out renewed from her own ashes

What metamorphosis will she need

To fight for her own little space

Is she only one of the few, enlightened and educated ones

Or do we see a residue of the ashes

On the veil of a mud woman

Only You

In the arms of his mother

With back turned to his toys

Clinging to her tightly, he whispers, this little boy

He says,

All my favourite toys together

Do not give me the love that I get from you

O Mother, my dear mother

All I really need is ‘Only You’

Curving and tilting sharply

To give comfort and hear his laughter

She stands unwavering

Enduring the pain of awkward posture

To her baby she says,

In this journey of my existence

Whatever life brings to you

For the rest of my life, my love

I’ll always be there for ‘Only You’

Playmates

On the floor of her courtyard

With one leg folded

And the other stretched out

Just like the little boy sitting across her

Who brings out happy sighs from her mouth

She has transformed herself

From an old lady to a fun-loving child-at-heart

The one he can relate to

The one who holds her heart

Like a mother hen, she is loving

Yet at times she overprotects

‘Cause she is his grandma

His only true playmate

The Incomplete Puzzle

Woman, who are you

Why are you such a puzzle

Why such a mystery

Why are you still a riddle

Why are there still

So many pieces missing

And those that are found

Do they really mark your tracing

Is it because of the myriad roles you play

For everyone in your life

Or is it because you give so much of yourself

That what is left of you is difficult to analyze

Is it because you have hidden your true self

Under the burden of expectations

Or has no one tried harder

To solve this eternal puzzle

  

Oh woman, why are you such a puzzle?

The Old Newborn

As the wheel of life spins, it comes a full circle

When the mother becomes a child, to her very own daughter

Caressing her wrinkled face, and gently pulling her closer

Such deep love for her mother, will remain with her forever

She is pulling her mother away

From the dark and difficult silence

But can it be easy for the old woman

To accept such resilience

Though she finds a sense of peace

In her daughter’s loving embrace

There’s also a glimpse of guilt

That fills her heart with enormous pain

The guilt that she is making her daughter

A prisoner of her love

Coming in the way of her freedom

To reach the sky above

But the daughter will not leave her

Let that be known

For the mother is now

Her very own “Old Newborn”

Wrapped In Love

You sing to us, from the depth of your soul

Your love for us, makes us complete and whole

You play with us, with the joy of a child

You let our imagination, go beyond the wild

What you read to us

Is more than prince & fairy

You impart your wisdom

Gently, in every story

With heavy heart

You make us face the world alone

But you are behind us

We feel you, we have always known

You wrap us snuggly, in the folds of your life

With you we are rooted, but can still fly high

With you around

Stars always shine from above

With you dear mom

We are always Wrapped in Love

The Blue Woman

The Blue of Lord Krishna

Is beauty, grace and holy chant

Why then does my blue colour

Invite scorn and hurtful glance

I know that I am beautiful

Both outside and in my soul

Just show the courage to go deeper

Far away from the shore

I am who I am

I have a fire inside me

It lights up my existence

It brightens the blue outside me

Myriad Hues

She has more facets

Than one

She does more than she can

For everyone

She brings hope, joy and life

To her dear ones

In return she swallows

The dark from their cauldron

The day and night

That covers her soulful face

Are the gifts from life to her

To treasure always

The colours that paint her face

Are your cues

They tell the story

Of her ‘Myriad Hues’ 

The Journey called Love

What is love

If not a journey

With small ripples

And plenty big waves

The beginning, if not marked with friendship

Cannot carve the path ahead

Along this great adventure

Lie delicate threads of discoveries

Of self, the other and together

That weaves many soulful memories

Like friends if sail along

The love will rise and shine

It will prevail when youth is gone

And will stand the test of time

The Homemaker

Mother sitting on the floor

Brings fond memories of my childhood

In the kitchen where we all gathered

That really was the centre of our household

She, preparing simple food

With all her love

And me sitting eagerly

Amidst the aromas of my sweet home

Like the sparrow of my childhood

Disappearing slowly from the horizon

Are these soulful memories

Fighting for their survival

Can we bring back

The old simplicity of life

Or are we going to let it simply slip away

In the oblivion of a long dark night

Fairies in our Lives

Mirror- mirror on the wall, who are the fairies of them all

If there were fairies in our lives

Who would they be

Who can spread the magic

Where can they be

Search for the source of the magic

Of beauty, love and compassion

For these are the precious gifts

That they shower upon us with passion

As I look in the eyes of our daughters

It suddenly dawns upon me

How can I count my blessings

For they are the fairies around me

Their innocent and gentle beauty

Makes us forget the ugliness

They keep us close to their hearts

A place that I call my nest

Their presence evokes and keeps alive

The feeling of compassion

And tenderness within us

Which can so easily be forgotten

Second Skin

Through the journey of life

Sharing the good with the bad

Always there for one another

In life’s different facades

The doll, music, treasure box

Cactus and cupid

Each has a story to tell

Like a prayer they grew up with

They may be physically apart

But they know in their hearts

They have a guardian angel in the other

Watching out for their path

Unhesitatingly showing their selves to the other

The way only they can

They inspire each other

To be the best that they can

Maybe like a mother

Who binds them together

Or a free-spirited Robin

That spreads wide its feathers

They fit into each other’s voids

Embrace each other’s dreams

‘Cause they are the Sisters

They are the Second Skin

The Breadwinner

What does it take for a woman

To step out of her zone

To earn a living for her family

To provide her kids a safe home

I see instead of a halo

There is a Chakravyuh

She has to conquer it every day

For her life to simply get through

This is a testimony to her strength

For she has become a breadwinner

For the ends to simply meet

And her valley to become greener

Despite the cruel hardships

Her posture is one so brave

She has taken control of her destiny

And now she just won’t fail

The Black Hole

We open our eyes, to this life of today

We don’t like, what we have

It’s what’s missing, that we dismay

 

Looking far and beyond, with tired searching eyes

It’s the future we believe, from where our dreams arise

The ‘now’ is dark and gloomy, the ‘now’ is never gay

The pastures of the present, are greener some other day

 

Running towards that future, leaving the murky now

The eyes of our blind race, sight the rainbow above

The dreams are still escaping, to new moments in time

We pull strands of tomorrow, a little closer every time

 

And each day we catch it, we look with harsh resent

The reality of the future, mirrors yesterday’s present

We begin to grasp reality, and see the time we’ve lost

Hunting for that we all had, already tucked in past

 

The future is a bubble, reflecting empty soul

The outer rings entice us, the inside is a black hole

Nirbhaya

Nirbhaya, O brave one

You have suffered and fought for everyone’s grief

On the bed of the distant clouds, my love

You lie now, and forever rest in peace

 

Sleep well, my dear

Free from all the worldly plight

Be our guide from up there, our angel

Shower us with your effervescent light

 

We take the baton from your tired soul

To fight for our respect and courage

Never again will we give that right to anyone

We, the women, take this solemn pledge

 

The gentleness of our nurturing souls

Will transform into “Goddess Durga”

For every demon in this wilderness of life

In each of us will be reborn, a Nirbhaya

Ego in Perspective

I opened my eyes, to the world that I knew

The echo of my voice, as clear as morning dew

The words that I spoke, since I thought I made sense

From the time I became me, till right now, in my present

 

These words that I hear, I would like to share with you

‘Cause the echo of my world, may resonate with yours too

 

I hear:

My dreams, my sorrows, my expectations, my joys

My pride, my needs, what excites me, what annoys

My likes, my dislikes, my opinions, the world so needs

My expectations that I justify, my desires I don’t call greed

 

I hear and I hear, till I don’t want to anymore

I wonder why my echo, has only me and no other soul

I hear the Universe laughing, so loud it shakes my core

Opening womb of its creation

The tiniest of which, is infinite than my whole

 

My ego, which I thought as universe

The one on which I relied

It’s time to let go

Of the tiny ‘me’ and miniscule ‘I’

 

It’s time to see the truth

To be humble and reflective

It’s time to see with clarity

Our Ego in Perspective

The Woman and the Man

In the storms of the treacherous life

All look at him with admiration

He’s the provider and the protector

And the one upholding all traditions

But who’s the one standing behind him

With a face so serene this stormy night

She’s the one supporting the pillar

On which her man leans, in these troubled times

She is his source of strength

For she takes the weight of his burdens

The house on her shoulder

And calmness that binds and strengthens

She brings beauty in his life

A beauty that reminds him

These Tulips are no delicate flowers

They bring steadiness around him

The Step child

Alone in the corner, the Stepchild waits
Hoping against hope, for the darkness to fade
But the life goes on, with its busy grinding churn
The Stepchild sits alone, quietly waiting for its turn

Wrapped in your life, trapped in its maze
You give yourself in, to a never-ending chase
You do everything, that the world expects of you
Your family, your friends, and sometimes strangers too

And then you are left with nothing, nothing more to give
So far away have you gone, that there’s nothing left to feel
For that child who is abandoned, who’s always left behind
The one who always waits, for a tiny grain of your time

You ignore, you mistreat, you stopped caring long ago
You forgot to remember, the existence of that tiny soul
So busy, so tired, you have no moments, not even a few
For that lonesome little soul, the Stepchild that is You

Water is Woman

Its holy touch, heals tarnished souls

Makes sacred, every ritual

The blessing of dew, cures every sin

Yes, water is spiritual

In her sweat and tears, the water lives

Its presence unconditional

Sometimes angry, but often calm

Yes, water is emotional

Transforming swiftly to all three forms

In life, she thus survives

Gently caressing a life in womb

Yes, water is alive

Out of the Ashes

From the time she is born

She’s chained to the stereotypes

Defined by the society

And for her soul to internalize

She accepts and imbibes

These expectations and the dos and don’ts

She fights her inner dreams

To make way for someone else’s ethos

Then one day, she wakes up

And finds sinking deep into the swamp

Fighting to breathe, she wonders

How she got there, how could she let this carry on

And at that moment she decides to fight back

But this time for her own destiny

And so begins a long struggle

To find her true identity

What all will she have to burn

To come out renewed from her own ashes

What metamorphosis will she need

To fight for her own little space

Is she only one of the few, enlightened and educated ones

Or do we see a residue of the ashes

On the veil of a mud woman

Only You

In the arms of his mother

With back turned to his toys

Clinging to her tightly, he whispers, this little boy

He says,

All my favourite toys together

Do not give me the love that I get from you

O Mother, my dear mother

All I really need is ‘Only You’

Curving and tilting sharply

To give comfort and hear his laughter

She stands unwavering

Enduring the pain of awkward posture

To her baby she says,

In this journey of my existence

Whatever life brings to you

For the rest of my life, my love

I’ll always be there for ‘Only You’

Playmates

On the floor of her courtyard

With one leg folded

And the other stretched out

Just like the little boy sitting across her

Who brings out happy sighs from her mouth

She has transformed herself

From an old lady to a fun-loving child-at-heart

The one he can relate to

The one who holds her heart

Like a mother hen, she is loving

Yet at times she overprotects

‘Cause she is his grandma

His only true playmate

The Incomplete Puzzle

Woman, who are you

Why are you such a puzzle

Why such a mystery

Why are you still a riddle

Why are there still

So many pieces missing

And those that are found

Do they really mark your tracing

Is it because of the myriad roles you play

For everyone in your life

Or is it because you give so much of yourself

That what is left of you is difficult to analyze

Is it because you have hidden your true self

Under the burden of expectations

Or has no one tried harder

To solve this eternal puzzle

  

Oh woman, why are you such a puzzle?

The Old Newborn

As the wheel of life spins, it comes a full circle

When the mother becomes a child, to her very own daughter

Caressing her wrinkled face, and gently pulling her closer

Such deep love for her mother, will remain with her forever

She is pulling her mother away

From the dark and difficult silence

But can it be easy for the old woman

To accept such resilience

Though she finds a sense of peace

In her daughter’s loving embrace

There’s also a glimpse of guilt

That fills her heart with enormous pain

The guilt that she is making her daughter

A prisoner of her love

Coming in the way of her freedom

To reach the sky above

But the daughter will not leave her

Let that be known

For the mother is now

Her very own “Old Newborn”

Wrapped In Love

You sing to us, from the depth of your soul

Your love for us, makes us complete and whole

You play with us, with the joy of a child

You let our imagination, go beyond the wild

What you read to us

Is more than prince & fairy

You impart your wisdom

Gently, in every story

With heavy heart

You make us face the world alone

But you are behind us

We feel you, we have always known

You wrap us snuggly, in the folds of your life

With you we are rooted, but can still fly high

With you around

Stars always shine from above

With you dear mom

We are always Wrapped in Love

The Blue Woman

The Blue of Lord Krishna

Is beauty, grace and holy chant

Why then does my blue colour

Invite scorn and hurtful glance

I know that I am beautiful

Both outside and in my soul

Just show the courage to go deeper

Far away from the shore

I am who I am

I have a fire inside me

It lights up my existence

It brightens the blue outside me

Myriad Hues

She has more facets

Than one

She does more than she can

For everyone

She brings hope, joy and life

To her dear ones

In return she swallows

The dark from their cauldron

The day and night

That covers her soulful face

Are the gifts from life to her

To treasure always

The colours that paint her face

Are your cues

They tell the story

Of her ‘Myriad Hues’ 

The Journey called Love

What is love

If not a journey

With small ripples

And plenty big waves

The beginning, if not marked with friendship

Cannot carve the path ahead

Along this great adventure

Lie delicate threads of discoveries

Of self, the other and together

That weaves many soulful memories

Like friends if sail along

The love will rise and shine

It will prevail when youth is gone

And will stand the test of time

The Homemaker

Mother sitting on the floor

Brings fond memories of my childhood

In the kitchen where we all gathered

That really was the centre of our household

She, preparing simple food

With all her love

And me sitting eagerly

Amidst the aromas of my sweet home

Like the sparrow of my childhood

Disappearing slowly from the horizon

Are these soulful memories

Fighting for their survival

Can we bring back

The old simplicity of life

Or are we going to let it simply slip away

In the oblivion of a long dark night

Fairies in our Lives

Mirror- mirror on the wall, who are the fairies of them all

If there were fairies in our lives

Who would they be

Who can spread the magic

Where can they be

Search for the source of the magic

Of beauty, love and compassion

For these are the precious gifts

That they shower upon us with passion

As I look in the eyes of our daughters

It suddenly dawns upon me

How can I count my blessings

For they are the fairies around me

Their innocent and gentle beauty

Makes us forget the ugliness

They keep us close to their hearts

A place that I call my nest

Their presence evokes and keeps alive

The feeling of compassion

And tenderness within us

Which can so easily be forgotten

Second Skin

Through the journey of life

Sharing the good with the bad

Always there for one another

In life’s different facades

The doll, music, treasure box

Cactus and cupid

Each has a story to tell

Like a prayer they grew up with

They may be physically apart

But they know in their hearts

They have a guardian angel in the other

Watching out for their path

Unhesitatingly showing their selves to the other

The way only they can

They inspire each other

To be the best that they can

Maybe like a mother

Who binds them together

Or a free-spirited Robin

That spreads wide its feathers

They fit into each other’s voids

Embrace each other’s dreams

‘Cause they are the Sisters

They are the Second Skin

The Breadwinner

What does it take for a woman

To step out of her zone

To earn a living for her family

To provide her kids a safe home

I see instead of a halo

There is a Chakravyuh

She has to conquer it every day

For her life to simply get through

This is a testimony to her strength

For she has become a breadwinner

For the ends to simply meet

And her valley to become greener

Despite the cruel hardships

Her posture is one so brave

She has taken control of her destiny

And now she just won’t fail

The Black Hole

We open our eyes, to this life of today

We don’t like, what we have

It’s what’s missing, that we dismay

 

Looking far and beyond, with tired searching eyes

It’s the future we believe, from where our dreams arise

The ‘now’ is dark and gloomy, the ‘now’ is never gay

The pastures of the present, are greener some other day

 

Running towards that future, leaving the murky now

The eyes of our blind race, sight the rainbow above

The dreams are still escaping, to new moments in time

We pull strands of tomorrow, a little closer every time

 

And each day we catch it, we look with harsh resent

The reality of the future, mirrors yesterday’s present

We begin to grasp reality, and see the time we’ve lost

Hunting for that we all had, already tucked in past

 

The future is a bubble, reflecting empty soul

The outer rings entice us, the inside is a black hole

Nirbhaya

Nirbhaya, O brave one

You have suffered and fought for everyone’s grief

On the bed of the distant clouds, my love

You lie now, and forever rest in peace

 

Sleep well, my dear

Free from all the worldly plight

Be our guide from up there, our angel

Shower us with your effervescent light

 

We take the baton from your tired soul

To fight for our respect and courage

Never again will we give that right to anyone

We, the women, take this solemn pledge

 

The gentleness of our nurturing souls

Will transform into “Goddess Durga”

For every demon in this wilderness of life

In each of us will be reborn, a Nirbhaya

Ego in Perspective

I opened my eyes, to the world that I knew

The echo of my voice, as clear as morning dew

The words that I spoke, since I thought I made sense

From the time I became me, till right now, in my present

 

These words that I hear, I would like to share with you

‘Cause the echo of my world, may resonate with yours too

 

I hear:

My dreams, my sorrows, my expectations, my joys

My pride, my needs, what excites me, what annoys

My likes, my dislikes, my opinions, the world so needs

My expectations that I justify, my desires I don’t call greed

 

I hear and I hear, till I don’t want to anymore

I wonder why my echo, has only me and no other soul

I hear the Universe laughing, so loud it shakes my core

Opening womb of its creation

The tiniest of which, is infinite than my whole

 

My ego, which I thought as universe

The one on which I relied

It’s time to let go

Of the tiny ‘me’ and miniscule ‘I’

 

It’s time to see the truth

To be humble and reflective

It’s time to see with clarity

Our Ego in Perspective

The Woman and the Man

In the storms of the treacherous life

All look at him with admiration

He’s the provider and the protector

And the one upholding all traditions

But who’s the one standing behind him

With a face so serene this stormy night

She’s the one supporting the pillar

On which her man leans, in these troubled times

She is his source of strength

For she takes the weight of his burdens

The house on her shoulder

And calmness that binds and strengthens

She brings beauty in his life

A beauty that reminds him

These Tulips are no delicate flowers

They bring steadiness around him

The Step child

Alone in the corner, the Stepchild waits
Hoping against hope, for the darkness to fade
But the life goes on, with its busy grinding churn
The Stepchild sits alone, quietly waiting for its turn

Wrapped in your life, trapped in its maze
You give yourself in, to a never-ending chase
You do everything, that the world expects of you
Your family, your friends, and sometimes strangers too

And then you are left with nothing, nothing more to give
So far away have you gone, that there’s nothing left to feel
For that child who is abandoned, who’s always left behind
The one who always waits, for a tiny grain of your time

You ignore, you mistreat, you stopped caring long ago
You forgot to remember, the existence of that tiny soul
So busy, so tired, you have no moments, not even a few
For that lonesome little soul, the Stepchild that is You

Water is Woman

Its holy touch, heals tarnished souls

Makes sacred, every ritual

The blessing of dew, cures every sin

Yes, water is spiritual

In her sweat and tears, the water lives

Its presence unconditional

Sometimes angry, but often calm

Yes, water is emotional

Transforming swiftly to all three forms

In life, she thus survives

Gently caressing a life in womb

Yes, water is alive

Out of the Ashes

From the time she is born

She’s chained to the stereotypes

Defined by the society

And for her soul to internalize

She accepts and imbibes

These expectations and the dos and don’ts

She fights her inner dreams

To make way for someone else’s ethos

Then one day, she wakes up

And finds sinking deep into the swamp

Fighting to breathe, she wonders

How she got there, how could she let this carry on

And at that moment she decides to fight back

But this time for her own destiny

And so begins a long struggle

To find her true identity

What all will she have to burn

To come out renewed from her own ashes

What metamorphosis will she need

To fight for her own little space

Is she only one of the few, enlightened and educated ones

Or do we see a residue of the ashes

On the veil of a mud woman

Only You

In the arms of his mother

With back turned to his toys

Clinging to her tightly, he whispers, this little boy

He says,

All my favourite toys together

Do not give me the love that I get from you

O Mother, my dear mother

All I really need is ‘Only You’

Curving and tilting sharply

To give comfort and hear his laughter

She stands unwavering

Enduring the pain of awkward posture

To her baby she says,

In this journey of my existence

Whatever life brings to you

For the rest of my life, my love

I’ll always be there for ‘Only You’

Playmates

On the floor of her courtyard

With one leg folded

And the other stretched out

Just like the little boy sitting across her

Who brings out happy sighs from her mouth

She has transformed herself

From an old lady to a fun-loving child-at-heart

The one he can relate to

The one who holds her heart

Like a mother hen, she is loving

Yet at times she overprotects

‘Cause she is his grandma

His only true playmate

The Incomplete Puzzle

Woman, who are you

Why are you such a puzzle

Why such a mystery

Why are you still a riddle

Why are there still

So many pieces missing

And those that are found

Do they really mark your tracing

Is it because of the myriad roles you play

For everyone in your life

Or is it because you give so much of yourself

That what is left of you is difficult to analyze

Is it because you have hidden your true self

Under the burden of expectations

Or has no one tried harder

To solve this eternal puzzle

  

Oh woman, why are you such a puzzle?

The Old Newborn

As the wheel of life spins, it comes a full circle

When the mother becomes a child, to her very own daughter

Caressing her wrinkled face, and gently pulling her closer

Such deep love for her mother, will remain with her forever

She is pulling her mother away

From the dark and difficult silence

But can it be easy for the old woman

To accept such resilience

Though she finds a sense of peace

In her daughter’s loving embrace

There’s also a glimpse of guilt

That fills her heart with enormous pain

The guilt that she is making her daughter

A prisoner of her love

Coming in the way of her freedom

To reach the sky above

But the daughter will not leave her

Let that be known

For the mother is now

Her very own “Old Newborn”

Wrapped In Love

You sing to us, from the depth of your soul

Your love for us, makes us complete and whole

You play with us, with the joy of a child

You let our imagination, go beyond the wild

What you read to us

Is more than prince & fairy

You impart your wisdom

Gently, in every story

With heavy heart

You make us face the world alone

But you are behind us

We feel you, we have always known

You wrap us snuggly, in the folds of your life

With you we are rooted, but can still fly high

With you around

Stars always shine from above

With you dear mom

We are always Wrapped in Love

The Blue Woman

The Blue of Lord Krishna

Is beauty, grace and holy chant

Why then does my blue colour

Invite scorn and hurtful glance

I know that I am beautiful

Both outside and in my soul

Just show the courage to go deeper

Far away from the shore

I am who I am

I have a fire inside me

It lights up my existence

It brightens the blue outside me

Myriad Hues

She has more facets

Than one

She does more than she can

For everyone

She brings hope, joy and life

To her dear ones

In return she swallows

The dark from their cauldron

The day and night

That covers her soulful face

Are the gifts from life to her

To treasure always

The colours that paint her face

Are your cues

They tell the story

Of her ‘Myriad Hues’ 

The Journey called Love

What is love

If not a journey

With small ripples

And plenty big waves

The beginning, if not marked with friendship

Cannot carve the path ahead

Along this great adventure

Lie delicate threads of discoveries

Of self, the other and together

That weaves many soulful memories

Like friends if sail along

The love will rise and shine

It will prevail when youth is gone

And will stand the test of time

The Homemaker

Mother sitting on the floor

Brings fond memories of my childhood

In the kitchen where we all gathered

That really was the centre of our household

She, preparing simple food

With all her love

And me sitting eagerly

Amidst the aromas of my sweet home

Like the sparrow of my childhood

Disappearing slowly from the horizon

Are these soulful memories

Fighting for their survival

Can we bring back

The old simplicity of life

Or are we going to let it simply slip away

In the oblivion of a long dark night

Fairies in our Lives

Mirror- mirror on the wall, who are the fairies of them all

If there were fairies in our lives

Who would they be

Who can spread the magic

Where can they be

Search for the source of the magic

Of beauty, love and compassion

For these are the precious gifts

That they shower upon us with passion

As I look in the eyes of our daughters

It suddenly dawns upon me

How can I count my blessings

For they are the fairies around me

Their innocent and gentle beauty

Makes us forget the ugliness

They keep us close to their hearts

A place that I call my nest

Their presence evokes and keeps alive

The feeling of compassion

And tenderness within us

Which can so easily be forgotten

Second Skin

Through the journey of life

Sharing the good with the bad

Always there for one another

In life’s different facades

The doll, music, treasure box

Cactus and cupid

Each has a story to tell

Like a prayer they grew up with

They may be physically apart

But they know in their hearts

They have a guardian angel in the other

Watching out for their path

Unhesitatingly showing their selves to the other

The way only they can

They inspire each other

To be the best that they can

Maybe like a mother

Who binds them together

Or a free-spirited Robin

That spreads wide its feathers

They fit into each other’s voids

Embrace each other’s dreams

‘Cause they are the Sisters

They are the Second Skin

The Breadwinner

What does it take for a woman

To step out of her zone

To earn a living for her family

To provide her kids a safe home

I see instead of a halo

There is a Chakravyuh

She has to conquer it every day

For her life to simply get through

This is a testimony to her strength

For she has become a breadwinner

For the ends to simply meet

And her valley to become greener

Despite the cruel hardships

Her posture is one so brave

She has taken control of her destiny

And now she just won’t fail

Ego in Perspective

I opened my eyes, to the world that I knew

The echo of my voice, as clear as morning dew

The words that I spoke, since I thought I made sense

From the time I became me, till right now, in my present

 

These words that I hear, I would like to share with you

‘Cause the echo of my world, may resonate with yours too

 

I hear:

My dreams, my sorrows, my expectations, my joys

My pride, my needs, what excites me, what annoys

My likes, my dislikes, my opinions, the world so needs

My expectations that I justify, my desires I don’t call greed

 

I hear and I hear, till I don’t want to anymore

I wonder why my echo, has only me and no other soul

I hear the Universe laughing, so loud it shakes my core

Opening womb of its creation

The tiniest of which, is infinite than my whole

 

My ego, which I thought as universe

The one on which I relied

It’s time to let go

Of the tiny ‘me’ and miniscule ‘I’

 

It’s time to see the truth

To be humble and reflective

It’s time to see with clarity

Our Ego in Perspective

The Woman and the Man

In the storms of the treacherous life

All look at him with admiration

He’s the provider and the protector

And the one upholding all traditions

But who’s the one standing behind him

With a face so serene this stormy night

She’s the one supporting the pillar

On which her man leans, in these troubled times

She is his source of strength

For she takes the weight of his burdens

The house on her shoulder

And calmness that binds and strengthens

She brings beauty in his life

A beauty that reminds him

These Tulips are no delicate flowers

They bring steadiness around him

The Step child

Alone in the corner, the Stepchild waits
Hoping against hope, for the darkness to fade
But the life goes on, with its busy grinding churn
The Stepchild sits alone, quietly waiting for its turn

Wrapped in your life, trapped in its maze
You give yourself in, to a never-ending chase
You do everything, that the world expects of you
Your family, your friends, and sometimes strangers too

And then you are left with nothing, nothing more to give
So far away have you gone, that there’s nothing left to feel
For that child who is abandoned, who’s always left behind
The one who always waits, for a tiny grain of your time

You ignore, you mistreat, you stopped caring long ago
You forgot to remember, the existence of that tiny soul
So busy, so tired, you have no moments, not even a few
For that lonesome little soul, the Stepchild that is You

Water is Woman

Its holy touch, heals tarnished souls

Makes sacred, every ritual

The blessing of dew, cures every sin

Yes, water is spiritual

In her sweat and tears, the water lives

Its presence unconditional

Sometimes angry, but often calm

Yes, water is emotional

Transforming swiftly to all three forms

In life, she thus survives

Gently caressing a life in womb

Yes, water is alive

Out of the Ashes

From the time she is born

She’s chained to the stereotypes

Defined by the society

And for her soul to internalize

She accepts and imbibes

These expectations and the dos and don’ts

She fights her inner dreams

To make way for someone else’s ethos

Then one day, she wakes up

And finds sinking deep into the swamp

Fighting to breathe, she wonders

How she got there, how could she let this carry on

And at that moment she decides to fight back

But this time for her own destiny

And so begins a long struggle

To find her true identity

What all will she have to burn

To come out renewed from her own ashes

What metamorphosis will she need

To fight for her own little space

Is she only one of the few, enlightened and educated ones

Or do we see a residue of the ashes

On the veil of a mud woman

Only You

In the arms of his mother

With back turned to his toys

Clinging to her tightly, he whispers, this little boy

He says,

All my favourite toys together

Do not give me the love that I get from you

O Mother, my dear mother

All I really need is ‘Only You’

Curving and tilting sharply

To give comfort and hear his laughter

She stands unwavering

Enduring the pain of awkward posture

To her baby she says,

In this journey of my existence

Whatever life brings to you

For the rest of my life, my love

I’ll always be there for ‘Only You’

Playmates

On the floor of her courtyard

With one leg folded

And the other stretched out

Just like the little boy sitting across her

Who brings out happy sighs from her mouth

She has transformed herself

From an old lady to a fun-loving child-at-heart

The one he can relate to

The one who holds her heart

Like a mother hen, she is loving

Yet at times she overprotects

‘Cause she is his grandma

His only true playmate

The Incomplete Puzzle

Woman, who are you

Why are you such a puzzle

Why such a mystery

Why are you still a riddle

Why are there still

So many pieces missing

And those that are found

Do they really mark your tracing

Is it because of the myriad roles you play

For everyone in your life

Or is it because you give so much of yourself

That what is left of you is difficult to analyze

Is it because you have hidden your true self

Under the burden of expectations

Or has no one tried harder

To solve this eternal puzzle

  

Oh woman, why are you such a puzzle?

The Old Newborn

As the wheel of life spins, it comes a full circle

When the mother becomes a child, to her very own daughter

Caressing her wrinkled face, and gently pulling her closer

Such deep love for her mother, will remain with her forever

She is pulling her mother away

From the dark and difficult silence

But can it be easy for the old woman

To accept such resilience

Though she finds a sense of peace

In her daughter’s loving embrace

There’s also a glimpse of guilt

That fills her heart with enormous pain

The guilt that she is making her daughter

A prisoner of her love

Coming in the way of her freedom

To reach the sky above

But the daughter will not leave her

Let that be known

For the mother is now

Her very own “Old Newborn”

Wrapped In Love

You sing to us, from the depth of your soul

Your love for us, makes us complete and whole

You play with us, with the joy of a child

You let our imagination, go beyond the wild

What you read to us

Is more than prince & fairy

You impart your wisdom

Gently, in every story

With heavy heart

You make us face the world alone

But you are behind us

We feel you, we have always known

You wrap us snuggly, in the folds of your life

With you we are rooted, but can still fly high

With you around

Stars always shine from above

With you dear mom

We are always Wrapped in Love

The Blue Woman

The Blue of Lord Krishna

Is beauty, grace and holy chant

Why then does my blue colour

Invite scorn and hurtful glance

I know that I am beautiful

Both outside and in my soul

Just show the courage to go deeper

Far away from the shore

I am who I am

I have a fire inside me

It lights up my existence

It brightens the blue outside me

Myriad Hues

She has more facets

Than one

She does more than she can

For everyone

She brings hope, joy and life

To her dear ones

In return she swallows

The dark from their cauldron

The day and night

That covers her soulful face

Are the gifts from life to her

To treasure always

The colours that paint her face

Are your cues

They tell the story

Of her ‘Myriad Hues’ 

The Journey called Love

What is love

If not a journey

With small ripples

And plenty big waves

The beginning, if not marked with friendship

Cannot carve the path ahead

Along this great adventure

Lie delicate threads of discoveries

Of self, the other and together

That weaves many soulful memories

Like friends if sail along

The love will rise and shine

It will prevail when youth is gone

And will stand the test of time

The Homemaker

Mother sitting on the floor

Brings fond memories of my childhood

In the kitchen where we all gathered

That really was the centre of our household

She, preparing simple food

With all her love

And me sitting eagerly

Amidst the aromas of my sweet home

Like the sparrow of my childhood

Disappearing slowly from the horizon

Are these soulful memories

Fighting for their survival

Can we bring back

The old simplicity of life

Or are we going to let it simply slip away

In the oblivion of a long dark night

Fairies in our Lives

Mirror- mirror on the wall, who are the fairies of them all

If there were fairies in our lives

Who would they be

Who can spread the magic

Where can they be

Search for the source of the magic

Of beauty, love and compassion

For these are the precious gifts

That they shower upon us with passion

As I look in the eyes of our daughters

It suddenly dawns upon me

How can I count my blessings

For they are the fairies around me

Their innocent and gentle beauty

Makes us forget the ugliness

They keep us close to their hearts

A place that I call my nest

Their presence evokes and keeps alive

The feeling of compassion

And tenderness within us

Which can so easily be forgotten

Second Skin

Through the journey of life

Sharing the good with the bad

Always there for one another

In life’s different facades

The doll, music, treasure box

Cactus and cupid

Each has a story to tell

Like a prayer they grew up with

They may be physically apart

But they know in their hearts

They have a guardian angel in the other

Watching out for their path

Unhesitatingly showing their selves to the other

The way only they can

They inspire each other

To be the best that they can

Maybe like a mother

Who binds them together

Or a free-spirited Robin

That spreads wide its feathers

They fit into each other’s voids

Embrace each other’s dreams

‘Cause they are the Sisters

They are the Second Skin

The Breadwinner

What does it take for a woman

To step out of her zone

To earn a living for her family

To provide her kids a safe home

I see instead of a halo

There is a Chakravyuh

She has to conquer it every day

For her life to simply get through

This is a testimony to her strength

For she has become a breadwinner

For the ends to simply meet

And her valley to become greener

Despite the cruel hardships

Her posture is one so brave

She has taken control of her destiny

And now she just won’t fail

Ego in Perspective

I opened my eyes, to the world that I knew

The echo of my voice, as clear as morning dew

The words that I spoke, since I thought I made sense

From the time I became me, till right now, in my present

 

These words that I hear, I would like to share with you

‘Cause the echo of my world, may resonate with yours too

 

I hear:

My dreams, my sorrows, my expectations, my joys

My pride, my needs, what excites me, what annoys

My likes, my dislikes, my opinions, the world so needs

My expectations that I justify, my desires I don’t call greed

 

I hear and I hear, till I don’t want to anymore

I wonder why my echo, has only me and no other soul

I hear the Universe laughing, so loud it shakes my core

Opening womb of its creation

The tiniest of which, is infinite than my whole

 

My ego, which I thought as universe

The one on which I relied

It’s time to let go

Of the tiny ‘me’ and miniscule ‘I’

 

It’s time to see the truth

To be humble and reflective

It’s time to see with clarity

Our Ego in Perspective

The Woman and the Man

In the storms of the treacherous life

All look at him with admiration

He’s the provider and the protector

And the one upholding all traditions

But who’s the one standing behind him

With a face so serene this stormy night

She’s the one supporting the pillar

On which her man leans, in these troubled times

She is his source of strength

For she takes the weight of his burdens

The house on her shoulder

And calmness that binds and strengthens

She brings beauty in his life

A beauty that reminds him

These Tulips are no delicate flowers

They bring steadiness around him

The Step child

Alone in the corner, the Stepchild waits
Hoping against hope, for the darkness to fade
But the life goes on, with its busy grinding churn
The Stepchild sits alone, quietly waiting for its turn

Wrapped in your life, trapped in its maze
You give yourself in, to a never-ending chase
You do everything, that the world expects of you
Your family, your friends, and sometimes strangers too

And then you are left with nothing, nothing more to give
So far away have you gone, that there’s nothing left to feel
For that child who is abandoned, who’s always left behind
The one who always waits, for a tiny grain of your time

You ignore, you mistreat, you stopped caring long ago
You forgot to remember, the existence of that tiny soul
So busy, so tired, you have no moments, not even a few
For that lonesome little soul, the Stepchild that is You

Water is Woman

Its holy touch, heals tarnished souls

Makes sacred, every ritual

The blessing of dew, cures every sin

Yes, water is spiritual

In her sweat and tears, the water lives

Its presence unconditional

Sometimes angry, but often calm

Yes, water is emotional

Transforming swiftly to all three forms

In life, she thus survives

Gently caressing a life in womb

Yes, water is alive

Out of the Ashes

From the time she is born

She’s chained to the stereotypes

Defined by the society

And for her soul to internalize

She accepts and imbibes

These expectations and the dos and don’ts

She fights her inner dreams

To make way for someone else’s ethos

Then one day, she wakes up

And finds sinking deep into the swamp

Fighting to breathe, she wonders

How she got there, how could she let this carry on

And at that moment she decides to fight back

But this time for her own destiny

And so begins a long struggle

To find her true identity

What all will she have to burn

To come out renewed from her own ashes

What metamorphosis will she need

To fight for her own little space

Is she only one of the few, enlightened and educated ones

Or do we see a residue of the ashes

On the veil of a mud woman

Only You

In the arms of his mother

With back turned to his toys

Clinging to her tightly, he whispers, this little boy

He says,

All my favourite toys together

Do not give me the love that I get from you

O Mother, my dear mother

All I really need is ‘Only You’

Curving and tilting sharply

To give comfort and hear his laughter

She stands unwavering

Enduring the pain of awkward posture

To her baby she says,

In this journey of my existence

Whatever life brings to you

For the rest of my life, my love

I’ll always be there for ‘Only You’

Playmates

On the floor of her courtyard

With one leg folded

And the other stretched out

Just like the little boy sitting across her

Who brings out happy sighs from her mouth

She has transformed herself

From an old lady to a fun-loving child-at-heart

The one he can relate to

The one who holds her heart

Like a mother hen, she is loving

Yet at times she overprotects

‘Cause she is his grandma

His only true playmate

The Incomplete Puzzle

Woman, who are you

Why are you such a puzzle

Why such a mystery

Why are you still a riddle

Why are there still

So many pieces missing

And those that are found

Do they really mark your tracing

Is it because of the myriad roles you play

For everyone in your life

Or is it because you give so much of yourself

That what is left of you is difficult to analyze

Is it because you have hidden your true self

Under the burden of expectations

Or has no one tried harder

To solve this eternal puzzle

  

Oh woman, why are you such a puzzle?

The Old Newborn

As the wheel of life spins, it comes a full circle

When the mother becomes a child, to her very own daughter

Caressing her wrinkled face, and gently pulling her closer

Such deep love for her mother, will remain with her forever

She is pulling her mother away

From the dark and difficult silence

But can it be easy for the old woman

To accept such resilience

Though she finds a sense of peace

In her daughter’s loving embrace

There’s also a glimpse of guilt

That fills her heart with enormous pain

The guilt that she is making her daughter

A prisoner of her love

Coming in the way of her freedom

To reach the sky above

But the daughter will not leave her

Let that be known

For the mother is now

Her very own “Old Newborn”

Wrapped In Love

You sing to us, from the depth of your soul

Your love for us, makes us complete and whole

You play with us, with the joy of a child

You let our imagination, go beyond the wild

What you read to us

Is more than prince & fairy

You impart your wisdom

Gently, in every story

With heavy heart

You make us face the world alone

But you are behind us

We feel you, we have always known

You wrap us snuggly, in the folds of your life

With you we are rooted, but can still fly high

With you around

Stars always shine from above

With you dear mom

We are always Wrapped in Love

The Blue Woman

The Blue of Lord Krishna

Is beauty, grace and holy chant

Why then does my blue colour

Invite scorn and hurtful glance

I know that I am beautiful

Both outside and in my soul

Just show the courage to go deeper

Far away from the shore

I am who I am

I have a fire inside me

It lights up my existence

It brightens the blue outside me

Myriad Hues

She has more facets

Than one

She does more than she can

For everyone

She brings hope, joy and life

To her dear ones

In return she swallows

The dark from their cauldron

The day and night

That covers her soulful face

Are the gifts from life to her

To treasure always

The colours that paint her face

Are your cues

They tell the story

Of her ‘Myriad Hues’ 

The Journey called Love

What is love

If not a journey

With small ripples

And plenty big waves

The beginning, if not marked with friendship

Cannot carve the path ahead

Along this great adventure

Lie delicate threads of discoveries

Of self, the other and together

That weaves many soulful memories

Like friends if sail along

The love will rise and shine

It will prevail when youth is gone

And will stand the test of time

The Homemaker

Mother sitting on the floor

Brings fond memories of my childhood

In the kitchen where we all gathered

That really was the centre of our household

She, preparing simple food

With all her love

And me sitting eagerly

Amidst the aromas of my sweet home

Like the sparrow of my childhood

Disappearing slowly from the horizon

Are these soulful memories

Fighting for their survival

Can we bring back

The old simplicity of life

Or are we going to let it simply slip away

In the oblivion of a long dark night

Fairies in our Lives

Mirror- mirror on the wall, who are the fairies of them all

If there were fairies in our lives

Who would they be

Who can spread the magic

Where can they be

Search for the source of the magic

Of beauty, love and compassion

For these are the precious gifts

That they shower upon us with passion

As I look in the eyes of our daughters

It suddenly dawns upon me

How can I count my blessings

For they are the fairies around me

Their innocent and gentle beauty

Makes us forget the ugliness

They keep us close to their hearts

A place that I call my nest

Their presence evokes and keeps alive

The feeling of compassion

And tenderness within us

Which can so easily be forgotten

Second Skin

Through the journey of life

Sharing the good with the bad

Always there for one another

In life’s different facades

The doll, music, treasure box

Cactus and cupid

Each has a story to tell

Like a prayer they grew up with

They may be physically apart

But they know in their hearts

They have a guardian angel in the other

Watching out for their path

Unhesitatingly showing their selves to the other

The way only they can

They inspire each other

To be the best that they can

Maybe like a mother

Who binds them together

Or a free-spirited Robin

That spreads wide its feathers

They fit into each other’s voids

Embrace each other’s dreams

‘Cause they are the Sisters

They are the Second Skin

The Breadwinner

What does it take for a woman

To step out of her zone

To earn a living for her family

To provide her kids a safe home

I see instead of a halo

There is a Chakravyuh

She has to conquer it every day

For her life to simply get through

This is a testimony to her strength

For she has become a breadwinner

For the ends to simply meet

And her valley to become greener

Despite the cruel hardships

Her posture is one so brave

She has taken control of her destiny

And now she just won’t fail

Ego in Perspective

I opened my eyes, to the world that I knew

The echo of my voice, as clear as morning dew

The words that I spoke, since I thought I made sense

From the time I became me, till right now, in my present

 

These words that I hear, I would like to share with you

‘Cause the echo of my world, may resonate with yours too

 

I hear:

My dreams, my sorrows, my expectations, my joys

My pride, my needs, what excites me, what annoys

My likes, my dislikes, my opinions, the world so needs

My expectations that I justify, my desires I don’t call greed

 

I hear and I hear, till I don’t want to anymore

I wonder why my echo, has only me and no other soul

I hear the Universe laughing, so loud it shakes my core

Opening womb of its creation

The tiniest of which, is infinite than my whole

 

My ego, which I thought as universe

The one on which I relied

It’s time to let go

Of the tiny ‘me’ and miniscule ‘I’

 

It’s time to see the truth

To be humble and reflective

It’s time to see with clarity

Our Ego in Perspective

The Woman and the Man

In the storms of the treacherous life

All look at him with admiration

He’s the provider and the protector

And the one upholding all traditions

But who’s the one standing behind him

With a face so serene this stormy night

She’s the one supporting the pillar

On which her man leans, in these troubled times

She is his source of strength

For she takes the weight of his burdens

The house on her shoulder

And calmness that binds and strengthens

She brings beauty in his life

A beauty that reminds him

These Tulips are no delicate flowers

They bring steadiness around him

The Step child

Alone in the corner, the Stepchild waits
Hoping against hope, for the darkness to fade
But the life goes on, with its busy grinding churn
The Stepchild sits alone, quietly waiting for its turn

Wrapped in your life, trapped in its maze
You give yourself in, to a never-ending chase
You do everything, that the world expects of you
Your family, your friends, and sometimes strangers too

And then you are left with nothing, nothing more to give
So far away have you gone, that there’s nothing left to feel
For that child who is abandoned, who’s always left behind
The one who always waits, for a tiny grain of your time

You ignore, you mistreat, you stopped caring long ago
You forgot to remember, the existence of that tiny soul
So busy, so tired, you have no moments, not even a few
For that lonesome little soul, the Stepchild that is You

Water is Woman

Its holy touch, heals tarnished souls

Makes sacred, every ritual

The blessing of dew, cures every sin

Yes, water is spiritual

In her sweat and tears, the water lives

Its presence unconditional

Sometimes angry, but often calm

Yes, water is emotional

Transforming swiftly to all three forms

In life, she thus survives

Gently caressing a life in womb

Yes, water is alive

Out of the Ashes

From the time she is born

She’s chained to the stereotypes

Defined by the society

And for her soul to internalize

She accepts and imbibes

These expectations and the dos and don’ts

She fights her inner dreams

To make way for someone else’s ethos

Then one day, she wakes up

And finds sinking deep into the swamp

Fighting to breathe, she wonders

How she got there, how could she let this carry on

And at that moment she decides to fight back

But this time for her own destiny

And so begins a long struggle

To find her true identity

What all will she have to burn

To come out renewed from her own ashes

What metamorphosis will she need

To fight for her own little space

Is she only one of the few, enlightened and educated ones

Or do we see a residue of the ashes

On the veil of a mud woman

Only You

In the arms of his mother

With back turned to his toys

Clinging to her tightly, he whispers, this little boy

He says,

All my favourite toys together

Do not give me the love that I get from you

O Mother, my dear mother

All I really need is ‘Only You’

Curving and tilting sharply

To give comfort and hear his laughter

She stands unwavering

Enduring the pain of awkward posture

To her baby she says,

In this journey of my existence

Whatever life brings to you

For the rest of my life, my love

I’ll always be there for ‘Only You’

Playmates

On the floor of her courtyard

With one leg folded

And the other stretched out

Just like the little boy sitting across her

Who brings out happy sighs from her mouth

She has transformed herself

From an old lady to a fun-loving child-at-heart

The one he can relate to

The one who holds her heart

Like a mother hen, she is loving

Yet at times she overprotects

‘Cause she is his grandma

His only true playmate

The Incomplete Puzzle

Woman, who are you

Why are you such a puzzle

Why such a mystery

Why are you still a riddle

Why are there still

So many pieces missing

And those that are found

Do they really mark your tracing

Is it because of the myriad roles you play

For everyone in your life

Or is it because you give so much of yourself

That what is left of you is difficult to analyze

Is it because you have hidden your true self

Under the burden of expectations

Or has no one tried harder

To solve this eternal puzzle

  

Oh woman, why are you such a puzzle?

The Old Newborn

As the wheel of life spins, it comes a full circle

When the mother becomes a child, to her very own daughter

Caressing her wrinkled face, and gently pulling her closer

Such deep love for her mother, will remain with her forever

She is pulling her mother away

From the dark and difficult silence

But can it be easy for the old woman

To accept such resilience

Though she finds a sense of peace

In her daughter’s loving embrace

There’s also a glimpse of guilt

That fills her heart with enormous pain

The guilt that she is making her daughter

A prisoner of her love

Coming in the way of her freedom

To reach the sky above

But the daughter will not leave her

Let that be known

For the mother is now

Her very own “Old Newborn”

Wrapped In Love

You sing to us, from the depth of your soul

Your love for us, makes us complete and whole

You play with us, with the joy of a child

You let our imagination, go beyond the wild

What you read to us

Is more than prince & fairy

You impart your wisdom

Gently, in every story

With heavy heart

You make us face the world alone

But you are behind us

We feel you, we have always known

You wrap us snuggly, in the folds of your life

With you we are rooted, but can still fly high

With you around

Stars always shine from above

With you dear mom

We are always Wrapped in Love

The Blue Woman

The Blue of Lord Krishna

Is beauty, grace and holy chant

Why then does my blue colour

Invite scorn and hurtful glance

I know that I am beautiful

Both outside and in my soul

Just show the courage to go deeper

Far away from the shore

I am who I am

I have a fire inside me

It lights up my existence

It brightens the blue outside me

Myriad Hues

She has more facets

Than one

She does more than she can

For everyone

She brings hope, joy and life

To her dear ones

In return she swallows

The dark from their cauldron

The day and night

That covers her soulful face

Are the gifts from life to her

To treasure always

The colours that paint her face

Are your cues

They tell the story

Of her ‘Myriad Hues’ 

The Journey called Love

What is love

If not a journey

With small ripples

And plenty big waves

The beginning, if not marked with friendship

Cannot carve the path ahead

Along this great adventure

Lie delicate threads of discoveries

Of self, the other and together

That weaves many soulful memories

Like friends if sail along

The love will rise and shine

It will prevail when youth is gone

And will stand the test of time

The Homemaker

Mother sitting on the floor

Brings fond memories of my childhood

In the kitchen where we all gathered

That really was the centre of our household

She, preparing simple food

With all her love

And me sitting eagerly

Amidst the aromas of my sweet home

Like the sparrow of my childhood

Disappearing slowly from the horizon

Are these soulful memories

Fighting for their survival

Can we bring back

The old simplicity of life

Or are we going to let it simply slip away

In the oblivion of a long dark night

Fairies in our Lives

Mirror- mirror on the wall, who are the fairies of them all

If there were fairies in our lives

Who would they be

Who can spread the magic

Where can they be

Search for the source of the magic

Of beauty, love and compassion

For these are the precious gifts

That they shower upon us with passion

As I look in the eyes of our daughters

It suddenly dawns upon me

How can I count my blessings

For they are the fairies around me

Their innocent and gentle beauty

Makes us forget the ugliness

They keep us close to their hearts

A place that I call my nest

Their presence evokes and keeps alive

The feeling of compassion

And tenderness within us

Which can so easily be forgotten

Second Skin

Through the journey of life

Sharing the good with the bad

Always there for one another

In life’s different facades

The doll, music, treasure box

Cactus and cupid

Each has a story to tell

Like a prayer they grew up with

They may be physically apart

But they know in their hearts

They have a guardian angel in the other

Watching out for their path

Unhesitatingly showing their selves to the other

The way only they can

They inspire each other

To be the best that they can

Maybe like a mother

Who binds them together

Or a free-spirited Robin

That spreads wide its feathers

They fit into each other’s voids

Embrace each other’s dreams

‘Cause they are the Sisters

They are the Second Skin

The Breadwinner

What does it take for a woman

To step out of her zone

To earn a living for her family

To provide her kids a safe home

I see instead of a halo

There is a Chakravyuh

She has to conquer it every day

For her life to simply get through

This is a testimony to her strength

For she has become a breadwinner

For the ends to simply meet

And her valley to become greener

Despite the cruel hardships

Her posture is one so brave

She has taken control of her destiny

And now she just won’t fail

Ego in Perspective

I opened my eyes, to the world that I knew

The echo of my voice, as clear as morning dew

The words that I spoke, since I thought I made sense

From the time I became me, till right now, in my present

 

These words that I hear, I would like to share with you

‘Cause the echo of my world, may resonate with yours too

 

I hear:

My dreams, my sorrows, my expectations, my joys

My pride, my needs, what excites me, what annoys

My likes, my dislikes, my opinions, the world so needs

My expectations that I justify, my desires I don’t call greed

 

I hear and I hear, till I don’t want to anymore

I wonder why my echo, has only me and no other soul

I hear the Universe laughing, so loud it shakes my core

Opening womb of its creation

The tiniest of which, is infinite than my whole

 

My ego, which I thought as universe

The one on which I relied

It’s time to let go

Of the tiny ‘me’ and miniscule ‘I’

 

It’s time to see the truth

To be humble and reflective

It’s time to see with clarity

Our Ego in Perspective

The Woman and the Man

In the storms of the treacherous life

All look at him with admiration

He’s the provider and the protector

And the one upholding all traditions

But who’s the one standing behind him

With a face so serene this stormy night

She’s the one supporting the pillar

On which her man leans, in these troubled times

She is his source of strength

For she takes the weight of his burdens

The house on her shoulder

And calmness that binds and strengthens

She brings beauty in his life

A beauty that reminds him

These Tulips are no delicate flowers

They bring steadiness around him

The Step child

Alone in the corner, the Stepchild waits
Hoping against hope, for the darkness to fade
But the life goes on, with its busy grinding churn
The Stepchild sits alone, quietly waiting for its turn

Wrapped in your life, trapped in its maze
You give yourself in, to a never-ending chase
You do everything, that the world expects of you
Your family, your friends, and sometimes strangers too

And then you are left with nothing, nothing more to give
So far away have you gone, that there’s nothing left to feel
For that child who is abandoned, who’s always left behind
The one who always waits, for a tiny grain of your time

You ignore, you mistreat, you stopped caring long ago
You forgot to remember, the existence of that tiny soul
So busy, so tired, you have no moments, not even a few
For that lonesome little soul, the Stepchild that is You

Water is Woman

Its holy touch, heals tarnished souls

Makes sacred, every ritual

The blessing of dew, cures every sin

Yes, water is spiritual

In her sweat and tears, the water lives

Its presence unconditional

Sometimes angry, but often calm

Yes, water is emotional

Transforming swiftly to all three forms

In life, she thus survives

Gently caressing a life in womb

Yes, water is alive

Out of the Ashes

From the time she is born

She’s chained to the stereotypes

Defined by the society

And for her soul to internalize

She accepts and imbibes

These expectations and the dos and don’ts

She fights her inner dreams

To make way for someone else’s ethos

Then one day, she wakes up

And finds sinking deep into the swamp

Fighting to breathe, she wonders

How she got there, how could she let this carry on

And at that moment she decides to fight back

But this time for her own destiny

And so begins a long struggle

To find her true identity

What all will she have to burn

To come out renewed from her own ashes

What metamorphosis will she need

To fight for her own little space

Is she only one of the few, enlightened and educated ones

Or do we see a residue of the ashes

On the veil of a mud woman

Only You

In the arms of his mother

With back turned to his toys

Clinging to her tightly, he whispers, this little boy

He says,

All my favourite toys together

Do not give me the love that I get from you

O Mother, my dear mother

All I really need is ‘Only You’

Curving and tilting sharply

To give comfort and hear his laughter

She stands unwavering

Enduring the pain of awkward posture

To her baby she says,

In this journey of my existence

Whatever life brings to you

For the rest of my life, my love

I’ll always be there for ‘Only You’

Playmates

On the floor of her courtyard

With one leg folded

And the other stretched out

Just like the little boy sitting across her

Who brings out happy sighs from her mouth

She has transformed herself

From an old lady to a fun-loving child-at-heart

The one he can relate to

The one who holds her heart

Like a mother hen, she is loving

Yet at times she overprotects

‘Cause she is his grandma

His only true playmate

The Incomplete Puzzle

Woman, who are you

Why are you such a puzzle

Why such a mystery

Why are you still a riddle

Why are there still

So many pieces missing

And those that are found

Do they really mark your tracing

Is it because of the myriad roles you play

For everyone in your life

Or is it because you give so much of yourself

That what is left of you is difficult to analyze

Is it because you have hidden your true self

Under the burden of expectations

Or has no one tried harder

To solve this eternal puzzle

  

Oh woman, why are you such a puzzle?

The Old Newborn

As the wheel of life spins, it comes a full circle

When the mother becomes a child, to her very own daughter

Caressing her wrinkled face, and gently pulling her closer

Such deep love for her mother, will remain with her forever

She is pulling her mother away

From the dark and difficult silence

But can it be easy for the old woman

To accept such resilience

Though she finds a sense of peace

In her daughter’s loving embrace

There’s also a glimpse of guilt

That fills her heart with enormous pain

The guilt that she is making her daughter

A prisoner of her love

Coming in the way of her freedom

To reach the sky above

But the daughter will not leave her

Let that be known

For the mother is now

Her very own “Old Newborn”

Wrapped In Love

You sing to us, from the depth of your soul

Your love for us, makes us complete and whole

You play with us, with the joy of a child

You let our imagination, go beyond the wild

What you read to us

Is more than prince & fairy

You impart your wisdom

Gently, in every story

With heavy heart

You make us face the world alone

But you are behind us

We feel you, we have always known

You wrap us snuggly, in the folds of your life

With you we are rooted, but can still fly high

With you around

Stars always shine from above

With you dear mom

We are always Wrapped in Love

The Blue Woman

The Blue of Lord Krishna

Is beauty, grace and holy chant

Why then does my blue colour

Invite scorn and hurtful glance

I know that I am beautiful

Both outside and in my soul

Just show the courage to go deeper

Far away from the shore

I am who I am

I have a fire inside me

It lights up my existence

It brightens the blue outside me

Myriad Hues

She has more facets

Than one

She does more than she can

For everyone

She brings hope, joy and life

To her dear ones

In return she swallows

The dark from their cauldron

The day and night

That covers her soulful face

Are the gifts from life to her

To treasure always

The colours that paint her face

Are your cues

They tell the story

Of her ‘Myriad Hues’ 

The Journey called Love

What is love

If not a journey

With small ripples

And plenty big waves

The beginning, if not marked with friendship

Cannot carve the path ahead

Along this great adventure

Lie delicate threads of discoveries

Of self, the other and together

That weaves many soulful memories

Like friends if sail along

The love will rise and shine

It will prevail when youth is gone

And will stand the test of time

The Homemaker

Mother sitting on the floor

Brings fond memories of my childhood

In the kitchen where we all gathered

That really was the centre of our household

She, preparing simple food

With all her love

And me sitting eagerly

Amidst the aromas of my sweet home

Like the sparrow of my childhood

Disappearing slowly from the horizon

Are these soulful memories

Fighting for their survival

Can we bring back

The old simplicity of life

Or are we going to let it simply slip away

In the oblivion of a long dark night

Fairies in our Lives

Mirror- mirror on the wall, who are the fairies of them all

If there were fairies in our lives

Who would they be

Who can spread the magic

Where can they be

Search for the source of the magic

Of beauty, love and compassion

For these are the precious gifts

That they shower upon us with passion

As I look in the eyes of our daughters

It suddenly dawns upon me

How can I count my blessings

For they are the fairies around me

Their innocent and gentle beauty

Makes us forget the ugliness

They keep us close to their hearts

A place that I call my nest

Their presence evokes and keeps alive

The feeling of compassion

And tenderness within us

Which can so easily be forgotten

Second Skin

Through the journey of life

Sharing the good with the bad

Always there for one another

In life’s different facades

The doll, music, treasure box

Cactus and cupid

Each has a story to tell

Like a prayer they grew up with

They may be physically apart

But they know in their hearts

They have a guardian angel in the other

Watching out for their path

Unhesitatingly showing their selves to the other

The way only they can

They inspire each other

To be the best that they can

Maybe like a mother

Who binds them together

Or a free-spirited Robin

That spreads wide its feathers

They fit into each other’s voids

Embrace each other’s dreams

‘Cause they are the Sisters

They are the Second Skin

The Breadwinner

What does it take for a woman

To step out of her zone

To earn a living for her family

To provide her kids a safe home

I see instead of a halo

There is a Chakravyuh

She has to conquer it every day

For her life to simply get through

This is a testimony to her strength

For she has become a breadwinner

For the ends to simply meet

And her valley to become greener

Despite the cruel hardships

Her posture is one so brave

She has taken control of her destiny

And now she just won’t fail

Ego in Perspective

I opened my eyes, to the world that I knew

The echo of my voice, as clear as morning dew

The words that I spoke, since I thought I made sense

From the time I became me, till right now, in my present

 

These words that I hear, I would like to share with you

‘Cause the echo of my world, may resonate with yours too

 

I hear:

My dreams, my sorrows, my expectations, my joys

My pride, my needs, what excites me, what annoys

My likes, my dislikes, my opinions, the world so needs

My expectations that I justify, my desires I don’t call greed

 

I hear and I hear, till I don’t want to anymore

I wonder why my echo, has only me and no other soul

I hear the Universe laughing, so loud it shakes my core

Opening womb of its creation

The tiniest of which, is infinite than my whole

 

My ego, which I thought as universe

The one on which I relied

It’s time to let go

Of the tiny ‘me’ and miniscule ‘I’

 

It’s time to see the truth

To be humble and reflective

It’s time to see with clarity

Our Ego in Perspective

The Woman and the Man

In the storms of the treacherous life

All look at him with admiration

He’s the provider and the protector

And the one upholding all traditions

But who’s the one standing behind him

With a face so serene this stormy night

She’s the one supporting the pillar

On which her man leans, in these troubled times

She is his source of strength

For she takes the weight of his burdens

The house on her shoulder

And calmness that binds and strengthens

She brings beauty in his life

A beauty that reminds him

These Tulips are no delicate flowers

They bring steadiness around him

The Step child

Alone in the corner, the Stepchild waits
Hoping against hope, for the darkness to fade
But the life goes on, with its busy grinding churn
The Stepchild sits alone, quietly waiting for its turn

Wrapped in your life, trapped in its maze
You give yourself in, to a never-ending chase
You do everything, that the world expects of you
Your family, your friends, and sometimes strangers too

And then you are left with nothing, nothing more to give
So far away have you gone, that there’s nothing left to feel
For that child who is abandoned, who’s always left behind
The one who always waits, for a tiny grain of your time

You ignore, you mistreat, you stopped caring long ago
You forgot to remember, the existence of that tiny soul
So busy, so tired, you have no moments, not even a few
For that lonesome little soul, the Stepchild that is You

Water is Woman

Its holy touch, heals tarnished souls

Makes sacred, every ritual

The blessing of dew, cures every sin

Yes, water is spiritual

In her sweat and tears, the water lives

Its presence unconditional

Sometimes angry, but often calm

Yes, water is emotional

Transforming swiftly to all three forms

In life, she thus survives

Gently caressing a life in womb

Yes, water is alive

Out of the Ashes

From the time she is born

She’s chained to the stereotypes

Defined by the society

And for her soul to internalize

She accepts and imbibes

These expectations and the dos and don’ts

She fights her inner dreams

To make way for someone else’s ethos

Then one day, she wakes up

And finds sinking deep into the swamp

Fighting to breathe, she wonders

How she got there, how could she let this carry on

And at that moment she decides to fight back

But this time for her own destiny

And so begins a long struggle

To find her true identity

What all will she have to burn

To come out renewed from her own ashes

What metamorphosis will she need

To fight for her own little space

Is she only one of the few, enlightened and educated ones

Or do we see a residue of the ashes

On the veil of a mud woman

Only You

In the arms of his mother

With back turned to his toys

Clinging to her tightly, he whispers, this little boy

He says,

All my favourite toys together

Do not give me the love that I get from you

O Mother, my dear mother

All I really need is ‘Only You’

Curving and tilting sharply

To give comfort and hear his laughter

She stands unwavering

Enduring the pain of awkward posture

To her baby she says,

In this journey of my existence

Whatever life brings to you

For the rest of my life, my love

I’ll always be there for ‘Only You’

Playmates

On the floor of her courtyard

With one leg folded

And the other stretched out

Just like the little boy sitting across her

Who brings out happy sighs from her mouth

She has transformed herself

From an old lady to a fun-loving child-at-heart

The one he can relate to

The one who holds her heart

Like a mother hen, she is loving

Yet at times she overprotects

‘Cause she is his grandma

His only true playmate

The Incomplete Puzzle

Woman, who are you

Why are you such a puzzle

Why such a mystery

Why are you still a riddle

Why are there still

So many pieces missing

And those that are found

Do they really mark your tracing

Is it because of the myriad roles you play

For everyone in your life

Or is it because you give so much of yourself

That what is left of you is difficult to analyze

Is it because you have hidden your true self

Under the burden of expectations

Or has no one tried harder

To solve this eternal puzzle

  

Oh woman, why are you such a puzzle?

The Old Newborn

As the wheel of life spins, it comes a full circle

When the mother becomes a child, to her very own daughter

Caressing her wrinkled face, and gently pulling her closer

Such deep love for her mother, will remain with her forever

She is pulling her mother away

From the dark and difficult silence

But can it be easy for the old woman

To accept such resilience

Though she finds a sense of peace

In her daughter’s loving embrace

There’s also a glimpse of guilt

That fills her heart with enormous pain

The guilt that she is making her daughter

A prisoner of her love

Coming in the way of her freedom

To reach the sky above

But the daughter will not leave her

Let that be known

For the mother is now

Her very own “Old Newborn”

Wrapped In Love

You sing to us, from the depth of your soul

Your love for us, makes us complete and whole

You play with us, with the joy of a child

You let our imagination, go beyond the wild

What you read to us

Is more than prince & fairy

You impart your wisdom

Gently, in every story

With heavy heart

You make us face the world alone

But you are behind us

We feel you, we have always known

You wrap us snuggly, in the folds of your life

With you we are rooted, but can still fly high

With you around

Stars always shine from above

With you dear mom

We are always Wrapped in Love

The Blue Woman

The Blue of Lord Krishna

Is beauty, grace and holy chant

Why then does my blue colour

Invite scorn and hurtful glance

I know that I am beautiful

Both outside and in my soul

Just show the courage to go deeper

Far away from the shore

I am who I am

I have a fire inside me

It lights up my existence

It brightens the blue outside me

Myriad Hues

She has more facets

Than one

She does more than she can

For everyone

She brings hope, joy and life

To her dear ones

In return she swallows

The dark from their cauldron

The day and night

That covers her soulful face

Are the gifts from life to her

To treasure always

The colours that paint her face

Are your cues

They tell the story

Of her ‘Myriad Hues’ 

The Journey called Love

What is love

If not a journey

With small ripples

And plenty big waves

The beginning, if not marked with friendship

Cannot carve the path ahead

Along this great adventure

Lie delicate threads of discoveries

Of self, the other and together

That weaves many soulful memories

Like friends if sail along

The love will rise and shine

It will prevail when youth is gone

And will stand the test of time

The Homemaker

Mother sitting on the floor

Brings fond memories of my childhood

In the kitchen where we all gathered

That really was the centre of our household

She, preparing simple food

With all her love

And me sitting eagerly

Amidst the aromas of my sweet home

Like the sparrow of my childhood

Disappearing slowly from the horizon

Are these soulful memories

Fighting for their survival

Can we bring back

The old simplicity of life

Or are we going to let it simply slip away

In the oblivion of a long dark night

Fairies in our Lives

Mirror- mirror on the wall, who are the fairies of them all

If there were fairies in our lives

Who would they be

Who can spread the magic

Where can they be

Search for the source of the magic

Of beauty, love and compassion

For these are the precious gifts

That they shower upon us with passion

As I look in the eyes of our daughters

It suddenly dawns upon me

How can I count my blessings

For they are the fairies around me

Their innocent and gentle beauty

Makes us forget the ugliness

They keep us close to their hearts

A place that I call my nest

Their presence evokes and keeps alive

The feeling of compassion

And tenderness within us

Which can so easily be forgotten

Second Skin

Through the journey of life

Sharing the good with the bad

Always there for one another

In life’s different facades

The doll, music, treasure box

Cactus and cupid

Each has a story to tell

Like a prayer they grew up with

They may be physically apart

But they know in their hearts

They have a guardian angel in the other

Watching out for their path

Unhesitatingly showing their selves to the other

The way only they can

They inspire each other

To be the best that they can

Maybe like a mother

Who binds them together

Or a free-spirited Robin

That spreads wide its feathers

They fit into each other’s voids

Embrace each other’s dreams

‘Cause they are the Sisters

They are the Second Skin

The Breadwinner

What does it take for a woman

To step out of her zone

To earn a living for her family

To provide her kids a safe home

I see instead of a halo

There is a Chakravyuh

She has to conquer it every day

For her life to simply get through

This is a testimony to her strength

For she has become a breadwinner

For the ends to simply meet

And her valley to become greener

Despite the cruel hardships

Her posture is one so brave

She has taken control of her destiny

And now she just won’t fail

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