Rock Bottom

There is a good thing about rock bottom, The only way is up
When you know you can't fall further ,
You try and clamber up

All your courage you muster ,
You find the ledge on the rocky wall Hanging on for dear life,
You try and scale the wall

When life pushes you into a deep pit
Keep your wits about you
Take a deep breath,stay calm and all will be well with you

If He has given you a challenge,he has faith that it will be solved
For only the best are put to test,the others are absolved

Failures are the pillars of success ,that is what they say
Learn from your mistakes,fix them and you will have your day

Stay focused, don't take your eyes off the ball no matter what the odds
When you put in superhuman efforts,
you will succeed to the delight of gods

Stay focused!

She laments

I feel so dirty and defiled
Overused and abused
By generations of humanity who my grandeur reduced

On pretext of cleansing their sins
Their half burnt bodies they dumped
Into me the deadly toxins went ,
from factories they pumped

Over a period of time I slowed
No more could I bear
To carry the weight of humanity's sins Their selfishness lay bare

I was born in a snow clad mountain peak
I gurgled through the rocks
I was crystal clear and shimmered white As I hurtled down mountain blocks

Then I reached the plains below
I continued to flow
In my quest to meet the beloved sea
I charged along with happiness aglow

As I reached closer to my beloved
I began to slow
That fertile union with the bay
was worthy of pomp and show

Many cities were born along my path Generations of humanity grew
The crops, they flowered with the water they drew
It was so clean, they could directly brew

Cut back to today, my sorry state
A woman defiled and abused
Who will rescue me from my sorry plight And restore my glory anew

Its a shame that I gave birth to a civilization
My children turned out uncivilized
No remorse or regret for their mother's plight
Their greed blinded their sight

This new generation of people they claim they will give me a lease of life again
I hope and wish they succeed
so that I can happily flow on again

Save the Ganga!

Ashes and Dust

Stop to smell the roses
Deal with problems life poses
Your life to God you entrust
Soon all will be ashes and dust

Take things slow
Don't hurtle along
Hum a song if you must
Soon all will be ashes and dust

Time is short
There is so much to do
In this ado don't lose your trust
Soon all will be ashes and dust

There are places to see
Things to do
No place for envy,greed or lust
Soon all will be ashes and dust

Enjoy the sunshine
The wet grass in the rain
Don't turn up your face in disgust
Soon all will be ashes and dust

Just smile along
Take each day as it comes
Savour each moment, adjust
Soon all will be ashes and dust

Alive

A miracle of the
L ord that I wake up each morning
V ery active in mind and body
E agerly awaiting the PRESENT

A nother day the
L ord grants
I should do my
V ery best with
E nthusiasm

A chance to
L ive another day
I should start with
V im and vigour and
E njoy every moment

Death

Death is certain
Death is enigmatic
Death is a mystery
Death is mostly feared
Death is seldom welcomed
Is Death an end or a new beginning?

Death is just shedding of old clothes by the soul
Each soul travels on its path alone
No companions on that last journey
On that last leg the soul travels sole Leaving behind kith and kin to mourn
On a predetermined trip you cannot adjourn
Though the soul moves on beautiful memories remain
Cherish them ,treasure them though the emptiness will remain
Stay strong when loved ones go
Easier said than done when one faces the blow
Each incident of death reminds one of the fragility of life
Here now,gone now ,no one knows what happens in afterlife

Conquer Desire

C urbing the urge to
O wn some more, saying
N o to many a thing the mind yearns for
Q uestioning whether it is a need or want U nderstanding that money cannot buy
E verything you
R equire for happiness

D reaming big is not wrong but try and
E nrich your life by not being a
S lave to your cravings 
I nspire yourself to
R ise above materiality and
E ndeavour to put mind over body

When desires are conquered the mind is at peace
As long as there are unfulfilled wants there is bound to be unease
Everytime you take a step to say no to a certain want
You progress on the path of self development ,its a lonely haunt
The learned man has conquered desire His mind is forever in a state of bliss
He knows whatever there is ,everything is His
No place for I, Me, Myself, surrender to the Lord
He knows how much is good for us,He who made it all

Tightrope Walking

T rying to climb life's steep slope
O ften walking a tightrope

T he challenges seem out of scope
H owever there is still hope
E ver optimistic I hope

H ope against hope
I need strength to cope
L ife is playing out like a soap
T here is just no time to mope

Don't ever lose Hope!!

Empathy

E ndeavour to understand another
M ake an effort to share their bother
P ity or sympathy is not liked by some
A hand to hold is always welcome
T here is so much you can do to help
H ear the other out with open mind,put
Y ourself in their place and share pain

Listen ,don't just hear
Reach out to wipe a tear
Tell another there is nothing to fear
Feels good when someone says "I'm here"
Look of pity may go unheeded
A shoulder to lean on much needed Empathize but don't sympathize
Fine line between the two,do recognize Share another's pain
Let the feeling be real,don't feign
Let your words heal
Put yourself in their place, feel
Do what you can to aid
To help another ,that's why we are made.

Words

Words that hurt
Words that heal
Words that love
Words that hate
Words that inspire
Words that despise
Words that encourage
Words that ridicule
Words that apologize
Words that forgive
Words work like magic
Words are like arrows
Words once released cannot be retrieved Words are wisely used by the wise
Words are indiscriminately used by fools Words have power to make and unmake Words can create and destroy
Words are the most potent weapons
Word your sentences well!

Anger

A rush of blood to the head
N ot heeding the soft voice of reason
G enerally cannot be
E xpected to yield positive
R esults

Anger leaves you bitter
How can it make you better?
Anger leaves behind scars
Quite akin to those left by wars
This is a war on the inside
Anger and reason on either side
Listen to the quiet voice of reason
Each time you lose it at any age or season
You are your own worst enemy
You can be your own best friend
Set aside negative emotion
Positive energy the magic potion
Let happy waves engulf you
A very good day to all of you!!

The milk of human kindness

The milk of human kindness
Keep it flowing endless

Touch each life with tenderness
Keep striving relentless

Swerve not from the path of goodness Keep striding ahead dauntless

Build a world of happiness
Keep toiling tireless

Just keep the milk of human kindness flowing
For that is what makes life worth living

I need an answer

I seek answers to so many questions
I wish I could walk into my past to seek answers

For hidden in my deeds of the past are answers to my present
It is of no use to crib,lament or resent Donning a new body the soul moves from one life to the next
To fulfil incomplete tasks on one or other pretext
Till the accounts are fully balanced,I guess there is going to be no respite
No matter how much you cry or plead And keep doing good deeds despite

For on that day when there is no balance left you will finally be free
That sure will be liberating for your soul, I'm sure you will agree
Till then keep at it, I guess it is ,stick to the daily grind
Keep the good deeds coming to atone for past sins or He will surely remind

The cycle of life will keep moving thus Who am I to question it?
I travel alone on life's unpredictable bus He will give and take as he thinks fit

A Social for the soul

A Social for the Soul

Cleanse the mind of evil thoughts Moisturise your soul with tenderness Scrub out the negatives and the dead past Massage good feelings and positive energies

Pat on a soul pack of gratitude,kindness and mercy
Wash off the memories of yesterday and feel a rejuvenating inner glow of a well nourished soul

Beauty is skin deep ,yet
The most importance is attached to it Beauty does not last forever
Consigned to flames as the pyre is lit Beauty of the soul is eternal,yet
No time or care taken to focus on it Beauty of the soul transmigrates life
Do we bother, consumed as we are,by internal strife?

Beauty external and internal too
A heady cocktail, if only it comes true
A social for the soul,a facial for the face Both are much needed,both need a place!

Candid Thought

Make a small difference but do not create small differences
Let the mind be open to welcome the new without fear of ignoring the old

Building walls where there are none is a cause for misery untold
There are causes galore to which a helping hand may be lent

Listening to a few may well be time well spent
Let not the mind overwork to imagine problems where there are none

Let us not be so rigid and inflexible that good work comes undone
Let our acts be pretty not petty, let's not jump to put others down

Let's work to build bridges and bring walls of differences down

Poetry - an outflow

For sometime now I have been wrapped up in work
Too urgent and too important to shirk

So much so that I put my beloved words to rest
With great difficulty I did, my flow of words arrest

Words need to spring naturally like milk from a mother's breast
They dry up though in times of stress and unrest

When times get better,they flow once again
Like a young river , they gurgle and sparkle rushing to meet the ocean once again

I wait for the words to come back to me Till then its just worldly chores and the ensuing ennui

Another bud

Another bud torn asunder
How many more I just wonder
Is there no end to man's hunger?
When will he learn to control lust and anger?

What does he gain from such blunder?
No remorse or grief after innocence, plunder
Baby girls, the most vulnerable of species Who will save them from this vile, societal disease?

Alone she lay torn and bleeding
Can we not see where this is leading?
It is but obvious that Doomsday is near When man is turning into beast and attacking without fear

Till we rise in one voice and register our protest
Scores of little buds will wither while we relax at home taking much needed rest
Is this the future we seek for our kids?
Let us act today before tomorrow goes amiss.

Melancholy

Tears they flow in gay abandon
They get washed away in the rain

Oh how liberating to release pent up pain Without the need to happiness feign Unlike summer when the cascade of tears would be incongruent
I sob to my heart's content

Together we weep, keeping each other company
The dark gray sky and me

Pondering on a gloomy evening

The tears that flow
Aren't just for me
That's for everything wrong I see around me
The loss of innocence
The wasted youth
The lack of feelings
The apathy of politicians uncouth
The walls built on food, religion caste and state
The saviours of cows letting them die famished - is that in good taste?
Pent up emotions they well up in my eyes They keep me company, the overcast skies

Am I really Free?

Am I really Free?

Am I really Free
To pray to any God without being attacked?

Am I really Free
To eat anything I want without being persecuted?

Am I really Free
To move on the streets without being violated?

Am I really Free
To drink without me and family being jailed?

Am I really Free
To speak my mind without being trolled?

Am I really Free
To wear what I want without being judged?

Am I really Free
To love another human without being convicted?

Am I really Free
To live in society without ,on account of caste ,color or gender, being discriminated?

Am I really Free
When,after 70 years my personal freedom is still shackled?

Am I really Free?
I wonder!!

Bloodshed over Water

Fight over water
Is this what we have come to ?
Have we forgotten how to share Nature's free resources too ?

Can you really lay sole claim to a river? Madness like this makes me shiver

How petty can we get ?
Our common needs forget

Today we control the river's force Tomorrow we may try to alter the raincloud's course

Don't we have a sense of shame?
For the current situation we have ourselves to blame

Nature must be shaking her head in disgust
Wondering to which monsters did she her treasure entrust

Can't we share and give,live and let live? Can't we bury the past forget & forgive? Why point fingers and blame others?
All are brothers and sisters born of different mothers

Nature's gifts are meant to be shared and cared
Not to be fought over ,with ugly fangs bared
At this rate there will be nothing left
No rivers,no forests ,of resources bereft Let us join forces to find a solution
Live as a family and have a fair resolution

Life after Uri Attack

Though I normally do not endorse violence I am forced to pen this today

Our blood we spilt to wash our land
Will you let it flow in vain?
Restore pride to our motherland
Relieve her of her pain

Enough of needless intrusion
Its time to hit back
Peace is an indulgent delusion
Please just give it back

For once just pick up your arms
And your country defend
Don't waste precious soldier lives
Don't to be a dove pretend

Like an eagle just soar high
And in one precise fell swoop
Wipe out a few of their terror camps
Don't let army morale droop

Sick and tired of pretence
Our neighbors don't seem to learn
Seems retaliation is a given hence
Let them in their self lit fire burn

Peace should not be seen as being weak Our dignity we must protect
An eye for an eye,a tooth for tooth Inaction will not help

Just rise to the occasion this time
Give them a fitting reply
Let them squirm in hostile clime
For once let bullets fly

BIRD

B orn with wings I soar in the sky R evelling in the knowledge that He D esigned me to fly B lessed am I to be free R oaming at will returning at D usk to my nest in yonder tree B rother of mine I s trapped in a cage R immed with gold it may well be D esperate to fly he flaps his wings .....he cannot escape can he? B e kind enough I beseech you R elease him back in the sky to D o what he was born to do ...O just let him fly