Rains .. solemnization by Gods

As I get drenched by the pelting showers of monsoon rains.. I wonder ..
What could be this rain, this lightening and thunder ..

Is the rain a tear .. from the eyes of the sky ..
Or are the clouds fighting .. on the plains so high ..

Is the thunder a spark from the clashing swords ..
That the clouds might use to fight .. instead of the words ..

Are the gods safe .. in their abodes, above all this unrest ..
Or is the conflict putting their patience to the test ..

Then I suddenly realise .. that this morning

The earth too was fuming .. felt as if something sinister was brewing ..
She's also seemed a bit agitated .. inside her, the lava of anger seething ..

She has every reason to be furious..

Her tenants have gone berserk .. they've made wholesale modifications ..
Brutally plundered her resources .. oblivious to her aspirations ..

The gods must be wary of the earth's fury .. her ululation ..
Could the rains have been the gods' way of accession ..
On behalf of her tenants .. and to douse the flames of irritation,
showers of rain could be a part of sedation,

Perhaps an interim solution ..
a sacred ritual .. solemnisation!!

I cry ..

I cry .. the tears of sorrow ..
Pain and hurt lies within .. no need to borrow ..

I cry .. when the tears are almost eager to fall ..
Everything seems lost .. nothing left .. nothing at all ..

I cry .. when a thought in its infancy is murdered without sympathy ..
By the goons on street-corners .. led by apathy ..

I cry .. when they unkindly turn a blind-eye ..
Towards a deserving image .. that's produced by your mind's eye ..

I cry .. when the calls for assistance go unanswered and why ..
A struggle for truth is left to slowly wither and die ..

I cry .. when no one believes your story of cruelty..
Of falsehood condemning the verity to the depths of obscurity ..

I cry .. when I see the disparity in returns ..
and when sycophancy outsmarts diligence .. the heart burns

I cry .. when trust seems to be present only inside the crust ..
Which gets devoured first .. by the deceiver's unquenchable lust ..

They say I am a loser .. not fit to live and prosper in today's society ..
They must be right .. 'coz it's them who own and run this world .. this falsity!!

Sold to the devil ..

Dazzling lights .. blaring music .. swaying hips
The race got underway for the championships ..

The masters have bought their slaves ..
they entertain ..and for more and more the master craves ..

Gladiators turned out to please their masters ad nauseam..
A big roar from the blood-thirsty in the coliseum ..

With every kill or a slash that got cheers from each section ..
The miniskirt-clad girls were up and ready for the action ..

Stench of money was lingering in the air ..
Masters were pleased to see the returns gather ..

One master was dancing in the aisles and how ..
His slaves were putting up a show; and he was taking a bow ..

Another was seen sipping fine wine ..
Win or lose, didn't seem to care .. moolah poured, 'twas fine ..

Business strategies .. ROI, ROE, ROCE and Break-even ..
The dough was neatly set to leaven ..

It was trade and commerce, diversification .. purely a business transaction ..
Game was secondary, competition fierce .. profit-making was the sole attraction ..

Where was the love for the game .. it's sickening .. I said ..
The tycoon's crony looked at me incredulously .. almost in dread ..

He said .. The game is to be in limelight ..
And a star always shines brighter at the night ..

To thrive in this business needs big money .. a lot of attention ..
To get that, could there be any better place than I mention ..

I said, well, well, well ... that's pretty diabolical ... ..
so this is what is the IPL .. where rape has become ethical .. ...

I said then it's conclusive .. truth be told, if I may be so bold ..
The Devil has officially taken over .. and to him the game's soul is being sold ..!!

Then and Now

I used to have tears in my eyes when
I would be leaving her .. to be alone .. again ..
I would curse myself and think, why can't I afford ..
To take her with me on board ..


That was then and this is now ..
She has left us and how ..
Snipping off the cord of discord in a flash ..
Letting our world come to a halt .. crash ..!


No tears did I see .. In her eyes .. only hatred I saw rise ..
I wondered .. Does she remember the time ..
When I had many times left her .. with tears in my eyes ..
as if I was guilty of the gravest crime ..!

Death of a relationship

What happened ..
asked a sympathetic friend ..
It looked to be going smoothly from this end ..
How did it all come to an end?

What made her leave and go away ..
I said .. what can I say,
She didn't leave or I didn't stay,
it's love that left us that day ..

We lost the compatibility ..
Somewhere down the line, we lost the ability
to communicate and to sort out
and bring back into our lives peace ..much needed serenity ..

There was a tear .. sure ..
But we could not mend ..
Don't know what made us pretend ..
that everything was rosy .. and there was nothing that we needed to attend ..

Maybe the build itself wasn't so strong ..
foundation, with which there must've been something wrong ..
Maybe it was this frailty .. made us not to get along
That probably caused massive difficulty .. all along

There was a gap .. widening each day ..
two ships drifting apart .. sailing further away ..
we were afraid to face the truth anyway ..
chose ignorance .. bliss ..
avoidance ..
"space" ..
going through motions ..
cul-de-sac ...
doorway ..!

Train of thought ..

In the junction of my mind ..
thoughts come and go as I unwind ..

Some I let linger a while .. happy thoughts .. trade freely ..
exchange cargo .. enjoy the hospitality .. no restrictions .. no embargo ..

Some just pass through continuing their journey ..
like a thorough train .. speeding on .. miles an hour, many

Some make it a home .. in different forms ..
like the vagrants dawdling .. on the platforms

Like the Hobos on street corners sans aspiration ..
beseeching a morsel of attention ..

Panhandling .. accosting .. soliciting .. begging ..
Treading carefully ... avoiding detention .. incarceration ..

I have so far managed .. to grab them by handle-bars
and keep them hidden away firmly behind bars ..

Once in a while they break free .. evading the security
and jump fences .. I have to move in with alacrity ..

I am wary of these bums ..
They are not satisfied anymore with crumbs ..

They want to take over and rule ..
Making me follow thought from a different school ..

These tramps are from a dark past ...
Whom I thought I would outlast ..

They bring with them Pain and Agony ..
A pair dreaded by many ..

I haven't the courage to face these foes formidable ..
Most of the times, I prefer to hide under the table ..

I am fed up .. wish to do away .. especially with the Pain ..
Agony would perhaps help me blow away my brain ..!!

Dream and Nightmare

I wish our partnership will be ...
Naturally a lifetime consuming act ...

Where there would be
scenes after scenes of love-making ....

Where there would be just wit and humour ...
And not a word about money-making ...

Where the intervals would be kisses ...
And drink breaks would be hugs of bear ...

Where the food would be love ....
And drink would be understanding and care ...

Where you would hold me in your arms ...
And neither of us would have any fear ...

Where I would get lost in the locks of your hair ...
And you'd make all my troubles disappear ...

Where there’d be no dialogues .. Just a knowing glance ..
And an intimate smile from you, my dear ..

Where without a word without a syllable ....
My story I could narrate and your soul you could bare ...

Where evenings would be fun ..
And not something from which you wished you'd run ...

Where mornings would start with a smile ..
Which would take us each day farther many a mile ....

Where life would be easy and simple ...
A lot of laughs and a few dimples ...

Where you and I would be allies and friends ...
Helping each other negotiate life's curvy bends ...

Each day I wake up with a jolt ...
Startled, like a shaken up hare I bolt ...

Away from somewhere
where I feel the agony and pain ...

To be away from it all ...
And back with you - my love –
again ...!

Butchered

She lays there .. motionless ..
Exhausted from a fight .. powerless .. defenceless ..
They circle around her .. the pair - lecherous and relentless ..
She could just lie and watch in horror .. weak .. helpless ..

The pair of them fight ..
Each wants a bigger bite ..
pair surveys her curves with delight ..
as she lays there not moving,frozen with fright ..

For the ravenous pair, it's a prize ..
They must have ambushed her, I surmise ..
While she went about her business ..
Unaware of lurking predators .. before she could even realise

The pair were now taking turns, afresh ..
Each trying to grab, pull ..at her succulent juicy flesh ..
Outdoing each other in exploring her caverns ..
Unrelenting ..unaffected by the law of diminishing returns ..

Another Buffalo gets butchered somewhere in another continent ..
"Law of nature .. survival of the fittest .." wicked, but for some, an amusement!
Some of us .. we shudder we bemoan we lament ..
Each time we see this on Animal Planet ..!!!

My Beautiful Queen

Wish you were there each time..
To wake me from a deep sleep ...
Whisper slowly into my ear ...
To pay me a compliment ... with a meaning deep

I’ll hold you and hold on to you ...
With the handcuff of my smile ....
Tie you around me with a rope named love ...
And kiss you in style ...

You’ll not want to go ...
And would hang on ....
The love-train will leave the station ...
For a journey to dream land ...

Days will follow nights ...
And we'll still be together ...
Just full of happiness ... and love ...
No conflict, no agitation and definitely no fights ... ever

YOU make me create ...
YOU make me compile ...
YOU make me long for ...
And only YOU can make me smile ...

What this kiss will not reveal…
Your intent has already betrayed ...
The thoughts deep within you ...
Have long back into my heart strayed ...

You make my mind go vrooom ...
Like a well oiled machine...
Need I say anything more...
My beautiful queen?

Father to a son - III

A father to a son turning ten
Says to him: listen my friend,
The world you are about to enter, is at your feet,
All you need is to be alert, natty and neat

Put your mind to the job in hand
And remember, knowledge is like a grain of sand
The more you gather the less it would seem
Keeping it all together should be your dream

Keep your eyes and ears open to feel the changes
That take place around you ever so often
Adapt and mould, gather and hold
All you can collect in your fold…

Time never stands still, it moves on
You should keep moving too, to remain strong
The power of mind is infinite
It can help you achieve success in surfeit

Never underestimate your own potential
Always trust your own ability
To achieve and to attain
And for conquering difficulties and pain

Today you begin a new decade
That is filled with a lot of exciting possibilities
It presents you a with a chance to achieve something
And in the process test your own capabilities

Don’t look back once you start the journey
Because it will delay the progress
And hold you back; distract you from the goal,
And thereby putting you off-track

Whether I say it in so many words or not
Don’t forget that I always loved you a lot
I may not be the best as a father
But I’d be watching you progress silently rather

I’d rather see you make mistakes and learn
And watch you turn tables on your own
On the failures you might encounter
Remember, success and only success is its counter…

Happy Birthday my son ..
May you have a very long run ...

A minute of your time ..

Listen to my heart throb in your name
Read my lips utter the same
Lock your beautiful brown eyes into mine
Please let me have just a minute of your time

Let me read you a love story
Recite a romantic poem or a tale scary
Let me sing you a song sometime
Just give me a minute of your time

Let us lose into each other’s eyes
Read their signs and fervent cries
Let us stay entranced in these moments sublime
Allow me a minute of your time

Rest your head on my shoulders a while
Let me whisper sweet nothings to make you smile
A few precious moments worth waiting a long time
Only if you gave me a minute of your time

Pass on to me your troubles, lend me your sorrow
Let me all your grief borrow
Allow me to dream about you all the time
Why don’t you give a minute of your time?

I’ll cuddle you, caress your silky short hair
Kiss your sweet lips, neck and a shoulder bare
We will make love till meal time
For that I request a minute of your time

My heart misses a beat at your sight
When our gazes meet, my eyes sparkle bright
Let us make a sweet melody at bed-time
All I ask for is a minute of your time

Let me make you stay with me eternally
Talk you into never parting mentally, physically
Listen once to your aching heart this time
Spare me a minute of your time

You are an angel so gorgeous
Woman like you comes once in a lifetime, my precious
I want to hold on to you till the end of time
I beg for just a minute of your time!

A Beautiful Butterfly

There was once a silkworm that was eager to flutter
But she’d always hesitate and waver and stutter
Hesitate to reveal her true ability
And stutter when she must unravel her mental facility



Contented she felt in her little niche
Complacent, she was unwilling to step out and flourish
Uncertain about the world outside
She kept withdrawing further and further inside



I knew it was just a matter of time, a mere formality
Before she could boldly traverse that line
The invisible line she had drawn herself by habit
To remain confined inside the cocoon and to inhibit



A word of re-assurance was all she ever needed and I said to her
“You have in you all that it takes to enthrall one and all
But must acquire just a splash of confidence...
And a dash of independence, that’s all...!”



How would the world otherwise know that you could soar
Unless you pushed yourself harder to open the door
The door to your presently cocooned mind
So that everyone could easily find



That this gorgeous insect was now ready to explore
And could in fact take wing and fly
That now she remains a silkworm no more
But has metamorphosed into a beautiful butterfly!

Father to a Son - II

Challenging is the journey of life
You may often face troubles and strife
It may sadden you and even make you cry
But the never failing solution is to try

Giving up may seem the easiest option
But in standing up and fighting lies the solution
For gaining an insight on ways to overcome
The failures are always welcome

You must realize and upon your mind impress
That the measure of what we call "success"
It is not in never falling, for in life you’ll surely stumble
It lies in quickly rising, each time you fumble

For a failure is but a barrier momentary
It can not the journey stop
Achieving set goals is the objective primary
Without ever letting your head drop

Learn from the tale of this spider
Who would time & again slid and slither
While trying to scale a tree to spin a web
Never once did he lose heart, or let his drive ebb

At last he could prevail in his endeavor to mount
Facing all odds bravely and surmount
Never say never is the moral of the story
As only you have the power to rewrite the history!

Father to a Son

My precious son,

"Success is not in never falling, for in life you’ll surely stumble and fall ...
Success is in rising quickly - Each time you fall .."

Yesterday you asked what was meant by “Life is a game”. This led me to think on this and come up with following thoughts. Remember, understanding life is not easy, but everyone should listen to their inner voices before they make choices, to become successful in life.

Life is a game. We are the players. The self is your biggest and toughest friend, as well as the worst enemy. Our other opponents are the life’s choices and temptations that are given to us.

The game develops as per the choices we make. If we choose to go in a certain direction, the game develops in a particular way.

If we choose to take a simple option, the rewards will also be simple, but if we take the hard option and play tough, the rewards will be higher.

It is not easy to make choices. Some choices are tricky ones and need careful thinking. Every choice has its results that can be good or bad, so when we make choices, we have to be prepared to face the results.

Like in a game, we can watch the experts play and learn from them; in life too we can learn from other’s mistakes or from the way they live their life.

Sometimes an expert game player will tell you the tricks to make the game easier, you need to trust him and if you listen to his advice, you will be able to play the game better.

Similarly, in life too, you must respect your parents and elders who have already played this game; and therefore know better ways of playing it.

The main purpose of playing any game is to win at all costs, but in life it does not work that way every time. You do not need to be a winner in all fields to be successful. In games you win some, you lose some. Also in life, most of the time, the record is equally divided between wins and losses.

In life, sometimes even the second place is the winner as the rewards for that result are sweeter than the first place. That is called sacrifice. Sacrifice is when you give something up for your loved ones or for any good cause. Like your mother; who sacrifices her sleep to feed you when you are a baby, also when you are young, to get you ready for school. She also sacrifices her own time to help you with your homework, she plays with you, attends to your needs when you fall sick. She sacrifices her career to be with you when you are growing up, so that you can become a good human being. In life, a mother is always a winner.

In life too, like in a game, from every loss, there is something to gain. What you gain is “knowledge” and “experience”. Knowledge of how “not” to do certain things. The knowledge of how not to repeat your mistakes.

Learn to respect your teachers, parents; and even those who are your opponents, because you can also learn valuable lessons from your opponents.

Never underestimate your opponent. Respect their ability but never be afraid of them. Also never be afraid of making tough choices. Never think too much of what others will say if you do what you feel is right.

I will always be there to help you.

Keep this in mind - Live your life like a game, but never live for the game as if your life depends on it! Good luck.

Yours lovingly,
Baba

Bitter Truth

Here I was feeling sorry for a woman...
Thinking she’d be alone all said and done...
Little did I know she had claws and spewed venom ...
And she inflicted pain on me with gay abandon...

Here I was thinking how sad she'd be...
To have had to leave everything and go away suddenly..
How naive I was to assume that she'd have mellowed...
A great shock to me was everything that followed...

Here I was feeling for her when I used to enter home ..
When I used to come across her stuff and then some ..
When A look at my son’s face would reveal ..
His helplessness, which I would also feel ..

Does she not understand the daily troubles we face ..
Does she not know her son’s smile is fake ..
After all that repeatedly took place ..
Why did I even think she deserved a break ..

She remains the same bitter woman...
Who still harbors hate about someone...
Someone who cared for her even while she was sour...
Who loved her once.. come to think of it..What for?

Seventeen years

Seventeen years it has been ..
During which quite a bit I have seen ..

Met a lot of people .. some nice, some mean ..
Who would be friends only for selfish mean..

I had come to this desert today minus seventeen with a dream ..
Of some day serving my kin for dessert - peaches and cream..

But most of the years have been rather lean..
For meals, I could provide them only rice and bean..

Only satisfaction I can derive is a dwelling ..
On which my mother and father were so keen ..

All these years led life with head held high ..
Never compromised on my ethics.. In being direct I wasn’t ever shy..

Never cared for freebees .. never licked boss’s ass..
I stuck to honesty and hardwork .. for me the rest was crass ..

Eminently possible that such things denied me progress ..
I was always cast aside.. but then I wasn’t interested in such rat race ..

Looking back .. was it my inability to break-through ..
Or was it a matter of pure chance .. that still remains to be seen ...

Seventeen years .. Built so little ... Razed quite a lot ..
What a life.. and what a waste it has been!

Today I am abandoned, left all alone with my kid ..
Fending for myself and providing everything that he’d need ..

Have just a lone friend to lean back on ..
When I feel exhausted and unsure of carrying on ..

Even those small pleasures people seem to us deny ..
They take sadistic delight in two friends' pain..
Could someone tell me why? ..

Life's Struggle

aajkaalchya jagaat ..
satya nehamich harta .. ani dweshala milta sundar gharta ..

lok tumhala paahtaat .. pan kaahi kanadola kartaat ..
te tumhala jaantaat ... pan kashala olakh vadhvaychi mhantaat ..
tumhi dhakke khaat jagat jaata .. dhunyatlya eka chirkuta saarkha
othavar hasya gheun .. ani dolyaatla paani utu jaau devun ..
moog gilun ... gappa basun .. hya hridayat ghusalela baan gheun .. pan rasta kaapat raahila pahije ..


paay thakale ... man hi thakala...
suklela ghasa maage ek themb premacha ..
dhoka aahe hridayatil jyot vizun jaanyacha ..
tarihi garaj aahe ha pravas karatach rahnyachi ..
Karan tuzyawar madaar aahe tya chhotya pillachi ..

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English version

These days in this world ..
where truth invariably sinks .. and hate always wins ..

Some see you .. but some pretend they can't ..
Some know you .. but most of them don't want ..

You struggle through the day .. a rag in a washer ..
These days in this world .. Lips bear a smile .. yet eyes well up .. Tongue is tied .. sound chokes up .. You carry pain in the heart .. yet you must go on .. Face the world .. you must move on ..For, this is your destiny .. you must carry on ..

Legs might tire .. Your morale might drop..
Parched throat might cry for a drink.. maybe even the heart might stop ..
but forward you must march on ..
For your cub you must live on ..

A Salute To A Woman, A Mother

Just as from Ashes to Ashes and
from Dust to Dust
A man knows right from his conception
Keep visiting he must the place of his inception

Onset of adulthood sets the efforts into motion
A man embarks on a mission
Of re-entering the place of origin
And to go back and newly begin

A mother’s womb is where it all began
The creation of the race of the man
All his efforts, all his energy
Is put into creating this synergy

As if he were paying off a debt indeed
A man must provide woman with a seed
Setting off once again this life-cycle of procreation
Never- ending is this miracle of creation

He may resist and deny, or he might pull out all stops
But he can’t hide what’s in heart of the hearts
That he must return one day where it all began,
And must concede, from a woman’s womb came a man