There’s a place where all dreams go to die
Built upon the shackles of society
Nurtured by well meaning words spoken by snakelike tongues
Propped up
By pillars of self doubt and uncertainty
With a healthy sprinkling of what if it wasn’t meant to be
But all it takes to realise them all
Is to stand up
And defy
If I told you there’d be no consequences
Would you do the things you wouldn’t dare to
For fear of failing, being misunderstood or talked about?
Write words straight from your heart
Without forcing your mind to filter them out?
Say stuff to people’s faces
that you’d kept bottled up for ages?
Sleep a good night’s sleep
Finally dreaming of your wildest ever desires?
Yes?
Well then why let a small thing like consequences stop you?
Whenever I’m one with nature
I feel poetry ebb and flow within me
Yet, I cannot pen down words
In awe of the splendour and grandiosity
It is only when I lay in bed
Awake at night
My pillow still wet from tears which should have long dried up
My bed still yearning for some warmth
And my body feeling cold even on a mid summer’s night
As cold as the heart which broke me
Is when I can write
Words flowing out
With great urgency
As if something would go rather amiss
If they weren’t spelt out right away
As if I need to empty myself of every single drop of them
Before sleep could be allowed to overtake me as a blessed relief
The frenzy with which my thoughts arrange themselves
The headiness of feelings described
Confuse and amaze me
Both at the same time
And I end up reversing the age old idiom
Of a lull before the storm
Tonight
However
Sleep evades me
So you should brace yourself
For some mindless poetry
A spark ignited
Four centuries ago
Yet its embers
Threaten
To burn down the future still
Created by God (whose versions in fact are of human design)
Rekindled by man
To prosper and reign
Temple or Mosque
They query
Why not both
I ask?
They were razed to the ground
Why can’t our hearts be raised instead?
Worship where your heart desires
And let’s douse some communal fires
Or ask yourself
Is your faith so weak
That it needs brick, mortar, statues and shapes of stone
For you to be able to proudly atone?
My heart cries today (and always) for my country which takes pride in its Constitution boldly proclaiming it a secular nation. My heart wrenches today for its people who’ve allowed murky politics to twist religion and brotherhood into an unrecognisable satire. I don’t usually comment on politics or religion but I cannot stay mum when people forget the basic tenet of all religions – brotherhood/kindness to fellow men/love thy neighbor. I say what if there was a Ram Mandir there earlier, do ruins of temples stop holding value for you? If a mosque stood there for 450 years and was broken down, does it cease to be a mosque now? Can the place not be both? Do you need a physical structure to be able to pray…I say let it be barren ground…let it stay as it is. For if you believe the land held a temple, you pray. And if you believe the land was always a mosque, you pray. Why not simply pray together? Look at the number of lives taken for us to decide which man gets the right to pray at a particular place when God resides within us all. What a shameful waste! You might call me an atheist and a non-believer for having said all of this, but tonight I know I’ll pray for all our souls.
At half past midnight
I woke up in a fright
My chest felt tight
Better senses took flight
I’d left on a light
But it isn’t nearly as bright
I hope I’ll be alright
If I just sit tight
And squeeze my eyes shut with all my might
For it’s half past midnight
And there are nameless horrors
Within my sight
We’re slowly but surely moving into autumn, it seems
My favourite plants are shedding leaves
Boughs drooping
As if reflecting my inner sadness
The skies are gloomier still
Interspersed with hues of grey
Trees, however, are on fire
Basking in their last glory
A swan song
Before it’s all gone
In one fell swoop
Leaving a barren shell
I think I’d much like to go out like that
In the autumn of life
Shine
Rise once more
Before returning to dust
Smile infectiously
Even if it’s a toothless one
Laugh heartily
So that it resounds
Live unapologetically
And maybe leave a mark
Love fully
So that the cup runneth over
Dance joyfully
Regardless of stepping on some sore toes
Let my scrawny, white hair down
Like fair Rapunzel’s crown
Yes, I think when comes the autumn of life
I’d like to show it a thing or two
What do you think you would do?
Good evening, dear friends, and congratulations for making it halfway to the weekend once again! This is exciting for me also because my blog is halfway to 5K which reminds me to try the couch to 5K thingy as well.
However, before committing to weeks of running, I feel it to be of the utmost importance to first prepare my body for what’s to come. I can’t just throw it in the deep end of the pool without any inkling.
Now, I don’t know how long it’s been proven to take to make or break a habit, but I’m guessing half a week is a good way to start. And if you sustain it through the weekend, where all good things go to die and evil rules the roost, it is bound to be a good omen for days to come. My body can then power through.
So who’s with me to give half a week to bettering our mind and bodies by following the self care manual by yours truly?
And thanks to the whole lot of you for keeping me on your screens. Your constant support means more than words can ever convey!
I wish I had words for the visions in my head
I’d paint you a kaleidoscope of colours never seen before
I’d take you places ethereal and surreal
Like living a dream, I dare say
I’d write you a picture book
Capturing a million stories in a single glance
I’d show you a new world all around
Equal parts beautiful and terrible
Awe inspiring and frightening
Calming and excitedly rattling
Soothing salve and heartburn
But alas
My words would scarce suffice
So take a walk, will you, through my eyes?
Sleep early and sleep enough. Every night, for instance.
Being bored is not equal to feeling hungry. Portion your meals and have them on time.
Workout for 30 minutes (minimum) daily. Not for a summer or bikini bod but for a long, healthy life.
Your body is a temple and your mind its reigning deity. Monitor what you consume, both physically and emotionally. Don’t eat crap, don’t take crap. Don’t drown yourself in tears pitying your existence while gorging on unholy amounts of french fries.
Socialise. Share your time. Share pieces of yourself. Allow kindred spirits to enter your life. Allow yourself to be treated the way you actually deserve to be. Look at yourself from someone’s else’s perspective. It’s okay to have some alone time and well defined personal space but it’s equally important to get out of your comfort zone too.
Better functioning adults than me, please feel free to add to the list. Let’s all lift each other. There’s enough in this world to pull us down. Always remember the words of one very wise, albeit forgetful, fish, “Just keep swimming!”
I’ve never known beauty
As profound
As the raindrops wetting parched mud
As ink gushing out of a fountain pen’s nib
As a child’s laughter
As a mother’s heart
As a father’s embrace
As a brother’s banter
As a sister’s adoration
As love’s first moments shared in silence
As a bird’s chirping heralding a new day
As the twinkling of stars on a cloudless sky
As the sinking of sun across the shore
As your reflection beheld
In my teary eyes
