Return of the Prodigal

As the plane took off, I stared wistfully out of the window

One last glimpse at the land of my birth

Never had I thought it would hurt so much

To have the umbilical cord severed such.

The grass was greener on the other side

Or so it seemed to us

When we moved to another country

Without too much of a fuss

The grass was greener

The air fresher too

The water cleaner

The sky bluer too

The first few days

We lived in a dream

Smelt green grass

And had a scream

After some years reality set in

This wasn’t the life we had imagined

From afar the grass looked green

Close up front it was a mirage serene

Could deal with this

In one of two ways

Accept and stay

Or just move away

The latter I chose

It appealed more

Why not return home

To my motherland once more

Agreed the grass is greener here

But I hold my country more dear

Have not given up my citizenship you see

Will go back and see of what help I can be

A mother’s arms are always open

To embrace her children when they return

Have always carried her in my heart

No regrets do I have as I depart

It was good while it lasted

No hard feelings there

But I wish to return

To my motherland fair.

If I don’t take pride in my nation who will

My country needs me more than anyone ever will

Indian I was and Indian I’ll be

Not for me the wonders beyond the sea

Fine to travel and spend a little while

Learn things new, make friends and smile

At the end of the day, there’s no place like home

No matter where in the world you roam.

To my Guru

To you my guru

Who taught me to live

A token of gratitude

I need to give

May be it was for this

That I came from afar

Blessed was I to drink

from the ocean of nectar

So beautifully did you

The lessons impart

Never will I forget

Till the day I depart

These years close to four

Was time well spent

Not for a moment

Will I repent

Time spent in self learning

No words to explain this

Hours spent listening

Enraptured, in total bliss.

For back at home

Amid the hectic pace

Maybe I would not have had

The time to inward gaze

These years spent

In inward reflection

I am sure has made me

A better person

These learnings I carry

As I move on

They will stand me in good stead

As life goes on

This is but a small world

I am sure we shall meet

Memories I will cherish

Till the next time we greet.

Thank you for everything

You have given me

With bowed head

I take leave of thee.

Childhood

Childhood a time of innocence
Childhood a time of gifts and presents
Childhood a time of cuddles and hugs
Childhood a time to catch ladybugs
Childhood a time to laugh and play
...Childhood a time to be happy and gay
Childhood a time to learn and enjoy
Childhood a time for mummy’s joy
Childhood a time to play in the rain
Childhood a time of gain no pain

Why is it then that some have none?
Doesn’t every child but deserve one?
In a world torn apart by war and strife
Of guns and cannons, what a life?

Famines, floods and disease
Childhood the worst victims of these
What about man's senseless need?
Do beasts deserve to be called humans indeed?

Time to wake up from personal greed
Time to help childhood in need
If the call of tomorrow we heed
No time better than today indeed.

It is a sunny day today

Time to keep your frowns at bay

Let a smile light up your face

Let twinkling eyes your face grace

Count your blessings each day

Upto us to be happy and gay

Every time the clouds of gray go

It’s time to find your own rainbow.

Like a child with a treasure found

I with new found pleasure abound

Discover myself and explore new skills

I find peace in my solitude, can’t sit still

With my colours and words

Pictures I portray

With wonders and dreams

I wake up each day

Relaxed I feel and happy too

Great sense of realising my self true

Humming a tune, I relish each day

No longer a burden, my stress at bay

Nothing has changed on the outside though

Life continues to be a conundrum so

Issues many to be resolved

Inwards, I feel a contentment though

Probably, this is the meaning of learning to live

Less to take and more to give

Richness of thought is what you need

Everything else is a myth indeed.

You may your coffers with wealth fill

In your mind, there will be unease still

Further to climb and further the goal

When will you find time for your soul?

What is, isn’t

What isn’t , is

Takes awhile to make sense of this

Neither black nor completely white

A shade of gray always in sight

In this complex tapestry of life

In every mind a constant strife

What’s right for you may not be for me

Let each with his own thoughts be

Each Day is a present

Each day is a present

I wake up and wonder

Just what the day holds for me

Each day is a gift to be opened

To see what’s in store for me.

Each day is but an experience

That life imparts to us

Foolish are we that cling on

To events that happen to us

If we have but learnt from the day

Its time to move on for us

Tomorrow comes after today

Time gallops on but thus

If we cling on to the present

And take no action jus’

Time will change and we’ll repent

Having missed the bus.

Up and down, and round and round

The roller coaster of life goes around

One moment you feel on top of the world

The next you are completely floored

Take the highs with the lows

No reason to feel morose

The attitude is the key, I suppose

To come out smelling like a rose

Darkness comes but with it brings

Hope for better and brighter things

For after winter comes the spring

For flowers to bloom and birds to sing.

Like the two faces of a coin though

Joy and Woe are woven so.

Good times don’t last nor bad ones too

Upto us to understand the nature of life true.

Today is the harbinger of tomorrow

nurture today to build the morrow

Death

Death is certain 

Death is enigmatic

Death is mysterious

Death is unknown

Death is fascinating

Is Death an end or a new beginning?

Hope

Hope the word life revolves around

Hope the word that keeps us sound

Hope for what is lost to be found

Hope for times to turn around

Hope for when we with joy abound

Hope for when our feet don’t touch the ground.

Smile

Smile – the act that lights up your face

Smile – the something that fills you with grace

Smile – something that we must do some more

Smile – to our lives we must restore

Smile – and brighten others’ lives

Smile – in this world of war and strife

Smile – for that’s what we are meant to do

Smile – just do it without much ado

Focus

Focus on give and not on take

Focus on love and not on hate

Focus on life and not on strife

Focus on calm and not on storm

Focus on peace and not unease

Focus on hope and not despair

Focus on future and not on past

Focus on action for time won’t last.

Life - a bed of roses

Who said Life was a bed of roses?

Even if it were, who said a bed of roses would be comfortable.

For roses come complete with thorns

No pleasure comes with pain shorn

The many faces of life

Life is a conundrum – solve it

Life is a challenge – take it

Life is a treasure – find it

Life is a gift – open it

Life is a mystery – unravel it

Life is a pleasure – savour it

Life is a pain – endure it

Life is a battle – fight it

Life is a game – play it

Life is a voyage – travel it

Life is a destination – discover it

Life is a roller coaster – ride it

Life is a meal – cook it

Life is a dessert – enjoy it

Life is a movie – watch it

Life is a roleplay – act it

Life is an adventure – explore it

Life is an anagram – unscramble it

Life is a code – decipher it

Life is a race – win it

Life is life – Just live it.

I like it on the counter

I like it on the chair

I like it on the table

I like it anywhere

I like it in the cupboard

Especially if it’s bare

I know I must seem sloppy

But do I really care

I like it in the bedroom

I like it under the stair

It’s just a matter of preference

I like it everywhere.

Old is Gold

Why is it then that some people talk

with clear intent to hurt?

Is it wise of them to butt in

without understanding the words?

Is it necessary to take a counter stand

to just  a point oppose?

With friends like these, surely,

you don’t need any foes.

Never forget friends of old

I’m sure you have been told.

For new friends are but like silver

But old is surely gold.

The morning after

So we rose to the occasion

And created a night

An event to remember

No dissenters in sight

Interesting to note

That all the critics

Are suddenly coming out with plaudits

Where was this faith when things went wrong?

Now that the world is awed, all are quick to sing a song.

With lessons learnt, I pray we lift our game.

Contribute to the nation’s pride and not it’s shame.

Happy Birthday

Man of principles

Apostle of peace

Humanity his ethos

Approach so novel it shook the world

The father of a liberated nation

Martyr who put the nation before self

A leader by example

Giant among men

A thinker with foresight

Non violence his creed

Did not hanker for power

Honesty his virtue

India’s gift to the world

Tujhe doondte hain log

Mandiron aur masjidon mein

Tumhe khojte hain woh

Girjon aur gurdwaron mein

Apne dil ko chodkar

Har jagah batakte hain log

Phir tahash me aakar

Ek doosre ko marte hain log

Agar samay nikalkar

Apna hi dil tatolte

Dekh tumhe khush hote

Apni hi zindagi sanwarte

Itni akal agar unme hoti

To khoon ki nadi na behti

Mazhab ke naam par

Ye duniya na ladti

Koi tumhe kanha kahe

Toh koi kahe tumhe  khuda

Koi tumhe nanak kahe

Toh koi tumhe isa

Par tum to bas ek ho

Jo har dil me baste ho

Is choti si baat ko

In nasamjhon ko bata do

Varna nafrat ki is aag mein

Sab kuch jhulus jayega

Na mandir rahegi na masjid

Na girja na gurdwara

Tere hi naam par

Sab khatam ho jayega

Tune hi banaya

Ab tu hi bigaad raha hai

Ai khuda ye bata

Ye bhala kaisa insaaf hai ?

jo beet gayi so baat gayi

aaj phir nayi ek subah hui

man me phir ek tarang hai

kuch kar guzarne ki umang hai

kal kya ho ye pata nahi

par aaj ab hai yehi sahi

yehi ek pal to apna hai

phir kal kya hai bas sapna hai

jo beet gayi so baat gayi

aaj phir nayi ek subah hui

tum jo saath mere ho

iska mujhe ehsaas hai

dikhte nahin ho par tum ho

iska mujhe ehsaas hai

tumhare karam nirale hain

iska mujhe ehsaas hai

andaaz tumhari anokhi hai

iska mujhe ehsaas hai

gum aur khushi do pehlu hain

iska mujhe ehsaas hai

saath tum ho to darna kya

iska bhi mujhe ehsaas hai

kalam hath mein hai meri

par likhane wala woh hai

kadam mere hain zameen par

par chalane wala woh hai

man mein hain kayi baatein

par bulwane wala woh hai

nazaarein kitne hain saamne

par dikhlane wala woh  hai

charon taraf hain sur haseen

par sunane wala woh hai

hum to bas katputle hain

nachane wala to woh hai

bigadne wala bhi wahi

banane wala bhi woh  hai

In the bigger picture of life, tiny specks we crawl

If our problems are big, spare a thought for him

He who made us all.

He has more on his plate than all of us though

Does he make a noise, does he put on a show?

Does the sun stop shining or the moon not glow?

Why is it then that each one thinks

no problem bigger than his own?

When will we learn that the world

does not revolve around us alone?

Eulogy to my uncle

How do you capture the ocean in a bottle? How can you describe a phenomenon

in a sentence? My uncle, KLN, was a giant among men. He was the epitome

of selflessness. He was someone that others can only aspire to emulate. He was a

genius at everything he did.- a true all rounder. I cherish fond childhood memories

of the uncle who got me my first Enid Blyton from the library and introduced me

to the fascinating world of books. He would quiz me at the end of a book to make

sure I understood what I read. Till the end of my education, I knew that if I had a

mathematical problem, there would be one person who could solve it – my uncle. I

would leave the problem beside his bed and wait till he got home from a busy day at

the hospital. By morning, the servant would deliver my solution along with the milk.

We shared a common love for books, cross word puzzles and quizzes – probably

the genes had something to do with it .He was a whiz at chess, caroms, card games

– anything you did, he could do one better. He remains the only doctor I know with

beautiful handwriting. The beauty of his entire personality was his understated,

unassuming profile. He never craved for the limelight. Although he was a wonderful

writer and orator, he let other people do the talking whilst for him – his actions spoke

louder than words.

He was a self made man who lived and died by his ideals. Never did I see him wallow

in self pity even in the face of insurmountable personal losses like the death of his

babies. He took everything that life threw at him as a challenge and moved on without

complaining.

If he had so wished, he could have made a fortune in his career by moving

to the west. However, he chose to stay and work for the poor and mentally

challenged of Kolkata till destiny played a cruel hand in snatching him away.

Those whom the Gods love die young. However someone who lives in the memories

of so many never really dies – he just moves on to a different world. I just feel blessed

that I had the good fortune of having him for an uncle. If I go through life being a

fraction of the person he was I would have led a meaningful life.

Is a nation separate from it's people?

If India is disgraced, we are disgraced. If India has failed, we have failed.

Wherever we are, whatever we do, we are Indians. We have ourselves to blame for the state of affairs.

We are quick to speak of India and Indians in the third person when it suits us. We take more pride in the foreign citizenship we choose to have and speak with pride about the adopted country and shower abundant praises on it. Had we but shown the same pride for India, it would not have come to this.

We are the most selfish people and never look beyond our own comfort. We will clean our home and litter the road. We are quick to keep the pavements clean when in a different country but will spit our gum on the road outside the International terminal when we land in India.  We will indulge in voluntary activities in a foreign land but are loathe to lend a helping hand to our own people.

The NRI community, while discussing indian affairs refer to indians as “they.” They take pride in the fact that their money has not been wasted in the Commonwealth Games. Have you ever seen another national behave in this way about his country?

If you are so ashamed of your country why do you need to be an Overseas Citizen of India? If you are so embarrassed to be an Indian,  why don’t you surrender your citizenship once for all?

When will we learn?

Blame it on others when it happens to us

When will we learn to accept faults without a fuss?

You are affected only by you

Why then is there so much ado?

Quick to point fingers at others too

Take time to sit down and reflect, will you?

When it comes to us, excuses galore

When it comes to others, the accusations flow

When will we as a nation realise

We cannot be separate from the nation’s pride.

We make the nation, not the other way round.

Need to drill that in for a turnaround.

Commonwealth games - my take

The bridge collapses, the ceiling falls
The writing seems to be on the wall.

It is India’s pride which is at stake
Politicians busy counting their take.

How long will you, your coffers fill?
No shame, no guilt , no sense or skill.

If you really want to be the best
Rise to the occasion when put to test.

We have but ourselves to blame
For electing the same despite knowing their game.

Like a Phoenix from the ashes, will India rise?
Will the Games be a success to everyone’s surprise?

Miracles do happen, but will it this time?
Or will millions be blamed for someone’s crime?

Will the guilty be punished? Will lessons be learnt?
Or will we just move on with fingers burnt?