A secret

In the eyes that forever watched, never questioned
In the heart that bled, never burdened
Lies there hidden, a half-truth, half-fiction
Prisoned behind muted lips, awaiting confession.

A silent sufferer, a child bride
What is that you hide?
Won't you tell me your little secret?
Is it a tale of love or of regret?

Do you wish upon the stars,
That someone takes away your scars?
Or do you dare to dream a dream,
Of breaking away from your life's realm?

Are the words too many or far too less?
Do they break into a forbidden song or a whisper so careless?
Do they speak of the turmoils of a nation,
Or do they tell of a journey with no destination?

A silent sufferer, a child bride
What is it that you hide?
Won't you tell me your little secret?
Is it a tale of love or of regret?

I ran away..

When the world became too overbearing

And the callous men turned savage

I ran away

When love became a long-forgotten illusion

And humanity was feigned by animals

I ran away

When life seemed worse than death

And hope was buried beneath the despair

I ran away

When happiness was an emotion I no longer knew

And anger with its accomplice-violence, hunted in packs

I ran away

I ran away,

From the streets that had no name

From the fire that knew no end

From the devilish faces that knew no shame

From the growing storm that knew no calm

I ran away and I found Him,

He who gave birth to the world

But we created countries

He who gave us the life we know

But we return to him an impious world, we recognise no more.

The Beginning..

I got lost in fiction, never saw the truth fading away
Created a world so fragile, never heard what my heart had to say

In the heartless roads that stretched far ahead
And the pretentious smiles, there were signs I hadn't read

Darker and deeper, life's mysteries surrounded me
Shattering illusions and assumptions, I wanted to be set free

Time to purify the soul and peel off the aged skin,
The end of lies is where we begin. 

Keep the child in you alive!

I love being around kids. They teach you so so much more than an old sage or a priest ever can. By saying things you don't understand, things that you don't NEED to comprehend or decode to understand. They make life's greatest problems look simple.. just by smiling.

You see them being so happy, with themselves. Truly creating something of their own. Like dragging a chair or kicking a football was the best thing they ever did in life. That's all they need. They don't need another person to tell them to have fun. They don't have to go to parties in order to lighten up. They don't have wait for that one approving nod or fake compliment to feel good about themselves. About life. They're not busy pitting themselves against others, comparing and thinking that what they have within themselves is never enough.

When was the last time we did that? Did something we truly WANTED to? Not because it was needed, not because we had to, not because someone told us to. We go around pinning our hopes to find happiness when our Mr. Right comes along. We go around waiting to be noticed, wanting to be accepted.

And we lose ourselves. We lose the innocent child in us. We let the world decide what we are, what we can become. If they think we are ugly, oh we must be. If they say something is impossible, they can't be wrong! If they say, "Wow! You're awesome!", we automatically feel that way. 

And we lose the belief that .. Hey, maybe, I can be as happy as I want to, on my own. That hey.. I can pick up a guitar and make music. I can put on the sports shoes and play football, even if I am a girl. I can take the stage and sing, even if I sound like a frog. Because that's who I want to be. That's who everyone can be.

As children, we always wanted to be a Superhero. As children, we already were. And we still are, we still can be. Anything we want to be.

We can be a Superhero without needing a cape or red underwear. We can sing as badly and as loudly as we want to. (I like Rebecca Black at this moment.)

Why the hell do we have to excel at something to do it? If we don't even try, how will we ever even know whether we have the potential to excel?

Sometimes it's not about topping a subject, but truly wanting to learn it. Sometimes it's not about being perfect or correct. 

Sometimes, it's just about BEING.

Story of a River...

I was nurtured in the womb of God,
I was born in the lap of the Himalayas
Heaven and Earth celebrated my birth,
Creation chose to name me- Yamuna.

In my childhood, I was chirpy and free
I was happy, as happy could be.
The mighty hills, the narrow valleys
They lifted me up, proved to be my allies.

Civilisation around me grew,
I was witnessing a world totally new.
From a child, I turned into a woman so pure,
People termed me Divine, some were so sure.

I was in Taj the power of love,
Towards me flew the pigeon and the dove.
Never the one to tire and stop,
I entered the plains, leaving the hills atop.

The large industries made my head reel,
No one seemed to care how I would feel.
Bags and trucks of waste they dumped,
For their greed, more and more water they pumped.

I grew weaker, strength I had no more
The filth slowly penetrated my heart's core.
While I struggled to breathe fresh air,
The ministers sat comfortable in their chair.

It seems like another lifetime, when I was considered Divine
Today, I'm struggling for life, but known as the "Lifeline".
That was my story, you patient child
I hope you'll come to me and not be blind.
Till then, all I have are memories and dreams,
Help me, don't let me break at the seams
Help me, don't let me break at the seams.

Sorrow of the Sparrow

I stand against the window
Watching the gentle raindrops fall
What a melody they make, what a sight they create
A day like this, I cannot easily recall.

Suddenly, I hear a muffled twitter
So soft, I almost can't hear
It contains an emotion of both joy and bitter
Is it really there or is it just my imagination?

As the uneasiness grows, I walk away
A small creature it must be, nothing to worry
But the sound still lingers, it's here to stay
Unknowingly, I find my feet following the cry

The shimmering sun joins the rain
My feet lead me to the shade of a tree
A bird breathes softly, trying to hide the pain
Its wings lie broken, its moment seems numbered.

I kneel down and realized I'm shivering
Those iridescent eyes look at me
Long forgotten memories and instantly reverberating
Taking me back to a childhood once cherished.

I reminisce the open fields,
The crisp air and the sounds of Nature
Those eyes, they manage to penetrate my shield
Oh! how selfish I had become, how could I not see.

The sparrow's heartbeat quickened
It did not respond to my touch anymore
Not to the hands that had left her threatened
The breath slowly quietened, the life slowly faded...

It was the end of a song,
The end of a childhood memory
The bird had gone, it had suffered for too long.
And I was left lamenting, for a part of me was gone.

Never-ending Quest...

I was looking for courage

I searched high and low,

In the mighty mountains, in the deep sea

Bruised and broken, I didn't find it.

I was searching for wisdom,

It took me to different places, different faces

No wise men could provide the answers

I appeared to be no wiser.

I began my hunt for faith

I went to temples, churches and mosques

My pilgrimage seemed never ending,

At the end of it, I knew no God.

I started in pursuit of love

Tales of heroic romance, historic monuments

Nothing could quench my thirst,

My craving only grew.

The years passed by, the miles stretched on

My face showed signs of weariness

My heart wanted to give up,

There seemed to be no answers.

Summer changed to autumn, autumn to winter

I lay, praying for Death to come.

Praying for the other life to provide me answers

Hoping for God to come and show me the way.

Death came, so did God

He took me on a heavenly ride

To a world so beautiful, so happy

But the raging sea inside me knew no calm.

Then the answer stuck me,

Walking blindly on my road of quest,

I had forgotten to look in a hidden place

The place where all the answers lay...

Inside me.