Part 22: The boy, the journey & the old man at the top of the hill

A day by myself
As I longed to begin
I drove by to the edge of the forest
Beyond the city I now call home

I met someone that day
Beside a brook, near the hills
Unknown to me was he I thought
And yet related I felt
For there was something in his eyes that spoke
Although no words did ears hear
A t-shirt, a cap and shorts till his knees
He wore these along with a smile
Little boats of paper and leaves did he make
And set sail them through that gentle stream
A few just sank right at the start
A few a little later began to unfold
And amidst the two that still sailed
Only to one could he wave farewell
And yet in each
He found joy enough to smile
Enough to go back to the pages he had
Enough to start building his armada once again
. . . enough to make me SMILE

I moved along

Walking further I reached the foot hills
To find a winding staircase
That seemed to lead
To the top of those hills

I began to climb
It was a long walk
The stairs just never seemed to end
And yet at many places
On my way up
I found places to rest
With food when I was hungry
And water when I did thirst

I decided to rest for a while
So beside the stairs in the shade I did lie
And in my sleep this dream I saw

I had reached the top of the hill
To find a land as lush and as green
As nature in all its abundance can be
With trees of every fruit
And flowers of every kind
And amidst all this
Was a small little cottage
With an old man sitting
In its portico
Unknown to me was he I thought
And yet related I felt
For there was something in his eyes that spoke
Although no words did ears hear
He sat there carving beautiful little ships of wood
Making each one different
Each with delicate care
And the ones he completed
He placed as trophies
Above his fire place

Who are you I asked
And do you know the boy by the brook
…do you know ME?

He looked up at me
And smiled through his beard so long

I do know the boy by the brook
As I know you
As he knows you
…for He and I are YOU

He is the child that you call your PAST
That you left long ago
Who had little dreams
Who found little joys
In the world around him
Who never got disappointed
Who never gave up

Him one day you left
To climb the stairs of time
On your journey of life
A journey that you thought was long
And yet was a journey
Where you found everything you really needed
When you needed them
A journey you made alone
A journey that you call your PRESENT

As for me
I am you too
I am the you that is called your FUTURE
I wait for you at the end of your journey
In the beautiful cottage of a life well spent
Amidst the fruits that you earned through life
Building these ships of what you dreamed as a child
For now paper I use no more
For on the journey of life
I found a box of experience
Which held within it
The hammer of knowledge
And the chisel of wisdom
And with these I make those dreams come true
To place them on the mantle of my achievements
Above the warm fire of my soul

… with this I awoke
I looked up at my road
I have a journey ahead of me

... its time I move on

Part 21: the Frosted Garden

A cold wind still blows,
As the rusty old lamppost still stands,
In the garden crafted in nature’s glass,
In a heart that no one understands.

Frosted are the roses,
Frosted is the tree of the lark.
Frosted is that lonely bench,
By that frosted lake in that park

Winter here … seems to last forever,
Time out here seems to stand still.
Life amidst all this still seems to go on,
Believing that spring shall not pass by again, believing still… atleast until.

Part 20: Like the lady I loved

(its a song)

I look at the sky
its dark and stormy today.
I see strokes of a paintbrush
flashing across that black canvas
And it looks so beautiful, it feels so nice
But it disappears before I can see it twice
the storm s so like the lady I loved

Chorus:
Come winter or summer
The cold or the heat
There s no going back for me now
For from the sea to the sky
There'll always be that drop in my eye
That'll miss you
But will never call
That will care for you
That you never fall
That will remain in your past
But love you...
Love you Forever

I look at the sea
its rough and wild today
I see splashes of whats gentle
splashing across my face
And it feels so nice...so gentle and plain
but i open my eyes and the waves have gone back again
even the sea s so like the lady I loved.
(Chorus)

I walked upon the desert sand,
Its serene beauty I just couldn't understand.
And with it I felt so warm,
nothing else around me for miles.
And it felt just like how the whole world can be lost,
When someone special smiles.
But as I continued to walk along, my feet began to burn,
Oh my! Even the desert s so like the lady I loved.
(Chorus)

I walked in the snow,
So soft and so white,
Everything seemed so serene,
Atleast all that was within my sight.
I build this nice snow house with care
Just by the crystal bay,
But just as I touched it, it just melted away.
Oh my! oh my! even the snow s so like the lady I loved.
(Chorus)

Part 19: A Stranger to Today

A sip of love,
thats all that I need.
A sip of true love,
a moment of bliss
a memory of sorrow

For I've loved once
I've loved again
a time more than two
I have felt the touch
. . . and it is no mirage
and yet it isn't with me anymore

For what was mine
is what I never owned
and who I never belonged to
was just but a stranger

. . . ha!

That's love
My love
and I've walked passed it
only to keep looking behind
to see what isn't there anymore
to see what they tell me never existed

. . . if the only knew
I live in a world of dreams
I live in yesterdays and tomorrows
. . . for I am a Stranger to Today.

Part 18: Changed

They say I have changed,
They who never knew me.
Never knew who I was,
And will never know who I really am.

They say I have changed,
That I am becoming a differant person now,
But they never knew the person I was,
Not for a day, not even a moment.

And so I wonder,
who has changed indeed,
or what has changed, if I may say so.

Is it the window through which they see me?
Or
Is it the mask behind which I hide?

Has the fog of perception started to clear away?
Or
Has the myst of time begun to gather?

I really don't know,
But then do they?
They who say I have changed...
They who say you know me...

Changed they say...ha!

Part 17: Conversations in Monologue - by the Sea

The sea at night speaks in so many languages
The stillness of the wind
The darkness of the naked sky
The anger of the waves
The mischief of the moon
. . . all together
adding up to a night of monologue

Listen … don t speak
for the stillness talks about a life without a goal to conquer
the darkness speaks about the inner you that is hidden from everyone else. . . behind a mask of what people think you are
the anger that reminds you of all you wanted to be and do but never could. . . portrayed by the waves that touch the shore only to go back again
and the mischief of a naughty moon eluding its lover through dark clouds

Speak to me Oh Night
Speak to me today as I sit by the sea
For I will be gone tomorrow
Beneath the sands of time

So speak to me Oh Night
Speak to me today as I sit by the sea
For tomorrow
We become strangers once again.

Part 16: The Unusual Dilemma

It was a quiet Sunday afternoon when I heard a strange sound, which sounded like a bird chirping. It wasn't like any bird I heard before so I looked outside my window. To my surprise I saw a small colorful yet unusual bird struggling to free her feet from some strings that she had got entangled in. I felt sorry for that bird and stretched out my hand to help it. At first she got alarmed but soon somehow realized that my intentions were noble and let me pick her up in my hand. I gently took off the entangled strings from around her leg and smilingly said as I placed her on the windowsill " Now be careful little one, don t go getting yourself in trouble again".

What happened next was quite unexpected.

To my surprise the bird spoke back to me "Thank you kind man, for helping me today. But I am no ordinary bird.
name is 'Hope'. But I was not always a bird. I was a heavenly being called 'True Happiness'.
I was cursed by an evil demon to live my life as Hope until I meet a 1000 good men. I could grant each one of them a single wish.
However the last of these I could grant only a wish that is selfless. You are that last man. So now I can grant you one wish and return back to Heaven. However, please remember, your wish cannot be one asking for wealth and power."

I thought for a while, still surprised about what was happening. "It must be just a dream" "I said to myself." So I decided to play along. After all a dream can be no harm. But what can I wish for then if not for wealth or power. I thought real hard.

And finally said to the bird "Oh little magical genie bird, this is what I ask for, may this be a peaceful world where people love and care for each other"

The bird's face fell. She seemed worried. "What have you asked of me young man" she said "It is an impossible wish you ask"

"Impossible" I said "why would you say so?"

The magical little bird looked up to me and said

"Young Man, this world, your world is a funny place.
Something no one can ever understand.
Throughout the animal kingdom
Everywhere you look
Creatures of every kind show similar behavioral patterns.
In joy and happiness they come together
Though sorrow and danger scatter their flock.

But you humans are quite the opposite of all
Your behavior defies all logic.
In Happiness and Prosperity, you forget each other.
You live a life of selfishness and greed
Loathing all for yourself
Caring not for your brother
Caring not for your world.

And in sorrow and calamity, you get closer to each other
You go out of your way to help
A Tsunami or a 9/11
Are moments that bring forth so much destruction
And yet through these moments
Come forth the true spirit of mankind

You refuse to share when you have everything in abundance
But go out of your way to give out of your nothingness

So now you see
Why I cannot grant your wish.
For in a peaceful world
You humans grow selfish and hard hearted.
Caring and loving no one but yourself.
While
In a world of sorrow and dangers
You reach out to one another
In love and care

Thus you see
Both cannot exist together
Cause you and your world
Are quite so strange.
So ask me something else
for I cannot gift a wish
which cancels out itself"

I was now more confused than the bird
Although I knew what she said was true

This then is my dilemma,

Do I ask for a Peaceful world where no one cares for each other?
Or
A world filled with chaos that holds people together.

What do I ask for what should be my wish

And so I sit with this dilemma, beside a little magical 'Hope' that wishes to turn back into 'True Happiness'

Part 15: Confused

Another time another place another moment
What would it mean?

Will I be me or will me be I
Will time stand still
for me to ponder

will I get questions
that need to be answered
will those answers be mine
will they be about me
will I be involved
or just look from afar
Or will I be asking the questions
But then who will answer them
If ask them I must
For no one knows me
Not even I

For I am not ME
For I am confused today

Part 14: Not everyone can live with a Heart

They tell me I'm crazy
They call me insane
This world that I live in
In this moment that I call My Time
They wish to tell me I do not belong
They who never knew me
They who wouldn't even if they tried
And yet what they say matters
To the others who walk in their shadow
Too scared to break away from its darkness
Too scared to step out in the light
The light of what ones heart believes
But to myself I say
Am I the one who's insane?
Or are they out of their minds
For they have eyes
That never see beyond themselves
And they have ears
That only hear the sounds of their greed
And they speak
But only to their selfish desires
And they live
But merely to exist in today
Dust in the wind… lost forever

And yet it is I who am called insane

Because I feel warm
Each time I place my hand on my heart
And look at this world before me
Filled with people whom I care for
People who make life worth living for

Because I feel cold
when I see the poor man sitting all alone by the street lamp
and a tear glistens my eye
for I feel his pain
the pain of not being wanted
by those who he wanted to be with

Because I shiver
When I see a future that is blurred and gloomy
In the eyes of the little boy working at a tea stall
Or the face of a little girl in the newspaper
who was taken away from her family

Because I laugh
At the vanity of promises made
By those in power
About efforts and plans
Of a world of peace

Or
Because I still
hope and believe
in the spirit of humanity
that lies buried in most of our hearts
begging for a drop of a selfless moment
to rejuvenate the dry soil of human emotions
to help sprout a new root
that if nurtured by a little thoughtfulness
for one's fellow beings
will yield a harvest
of a better world

Yes… this is why I am called insane
This is why you fear me
This is why you feel I do not belong
In this moment that you call My Time
And yet I can but only wonder
Is it me asking the wrong questions
Or have you just forgotten where to look for the answers
… after all not everyone can live with a heart

Part 13: The Fabric of Life & its Masterpiece

Each of us spend a large part of our time
Weaving dreams … colorful dreams… beautiful dreams
With the fabric of life.
And as we stand back from moment to moment
And take a look at the picture that seems to unfurl
We feel so happy…
It all seems to look so beautiful…
So beautiful that it all seems PERFECT.

But then sometimes there is a knot
And the threads seem to get intermingled
And we struggle to set it right
Sometimes we succeed… sometimes we don t
And the thread breaks
And the picture is left incomplete…
That's when we realize
How frail…
How delicate…
How fragile…
The fabric of life really is!

Yesterday I lost someone I knew
Someone – a part of the family
Someone we loved and someone who loved us
But it was not the call of old age
It was not her time we said
There were years that needed her to live
There was time that was left un-spent
There was so much …
So much that Cancer could not understand…
And so she had to go

. . .
. . .
. . .


I sat by myself last night
My heart going out to all those who were closest to her heart
I didn't know what to tell them
No words of mine could ease their pain
No words… nothing at all

And I wondered in grief
What about that picture of life that she was weaving
That couldn't have been complete yet
Could it?
And that is when I felt a gentle breeze from the near past
A breeze that brought back with it leaves of memories
Of moments when she made life so much beautiful for everyone around
Through a caring hand
Through a kind word
Through a loving smile
Of times when she fought against that dreaded disease
And still through that struggle
Never let go of hope
Always smiling
And living on
For those whom she loved

And then I realized
That her picture was indeed much more than just complete
For through her life and through her love
She had filled in so much in such short time
That the final picture of a life lived
Was now indeed a Masterpiece!

Good people never die
Their picture is never left incomplete
Their lives never end
For in the hearts of their loved ones
They live on . . . Forever

May her soul rest in peace and may God bless and keep her family always.

Part 12: A Man's Amnesia

You know that kind of feeling you have sometimes…that you are forgetting something?
Well… I've been having that feeling for a pretty long time now. Come to think of it, it all began way back in my life. I think it was on the day I first came into this world. Moments after I was born, the nurse wrapped me tightly in a cozy blue sheet and gave me to my Mom. She was so happy that she had tears in her eyes. It was quite complicated back for me though… At first I thought she didn't like the package she received. I mean come on, how is a newborn kid to know about the concept of tears of joy. Oh well… like I was saying, it was at that moment when she held me in my arms that I had this feeling for the first time that I am forgetting something.
Years went by and I was growing up into a fine young chap. My grand mother looked after me with so much care that at times I felt she mistook me for a rare and delicate porcelain figure. I felt so protected that I could almost look up to that Blue guy with the red cape in the sky and say "Hey there Mr. Underwear on your pants, I bet even you can't harm me".
School was fun. Great friends and ya! the part about studies and homework too. Man! it got scary at times. I mean an apple falls of a tree and a guy wants to call it a science. Or then again this chap who s taking a bath in a bath tub and then suddenly runs out screaming Eureka! … and even he's got a chapter written on him. Where's a good old censor board when you need one? But all this just never seemed that complicated when my teachers taught me about them. I could never fathom their magical ways by which they controlled such a wacky herd of wild kids like us. They would step in through that classroom door and all the chaos and clown acts would turn into peace and quiet. And then they'd open the doors of knowledge and take us on this amazing journey of learning and personal growth. Those were the most memorable days of my life. But even then I had this feeling that I was forgetting something.
While I was still in my 8th grade, God gifted me with a little sister. That bundle of cute smiles and googly eyes could make me do almost anything for her. She was such a heart stealer from the start that I loved getting in trouble for her … if it made her sweet little face sparkle a laugh. As she grew up she gave me so much love and affection. Even my slightest blue moment would not miss her radarscope. And then she'd sit by my side asking me what went wrong. Getting her in my life seemed like finding a treasure. But even then I had this feeling that I was forgetting something.
Time went on and I stepped into the world of College Campuses. FREEDOM was written all over the sky that day… no more uniforms… no more rules (atleast not the dorky ones like you can't bunk classes). It was in those very years of college life that I met my first love. She was so beautiful that my heart skipped a beat every time she wore her blue denims with her white t-shirt. The movies, the long walks in the park… those sneak out picnics by the beach on college days… that was the life. And then again the studies. Completing her journals while she did my research on Economic trends in 1952. Life was beautiful… and yet I could not shake away that feeling that I m forgetting something.
Finally college life was over and the rat race of life began. Jobs and work and career and money… these were the new goals that grabbed the spot light. It was then a few years in my late twenties that I found that special person whom we call soul mate. And as we decided after a few months of courtship to walk side by side for the rest of our lives, we tied the knot and entered into our married life. With her by my side, it almost felt like I was re energized to take on life head on. No problem seemed too big to handle, no sorrow too much to bear. Every moment was now a magical moment that I lived with her. But strangely still… I kept getting that feeling that I was forgetting something.
Then came that special day. I will never forget that moment. While I pranced around the corridors of the hospital … nervous… biting my nails (a habit I could never give up), the nurse came out and asked me to come in. and there beside the love of my life, wrapped in pink was the most beautiful person I ever saw. She was my daughter. She looked so tiny… but when she grabbed my finger in her tiny palm, I felt like the happiest man alive. Time went by and I saw her grow in front of my eyes into a lovely child. I could not wait to reach back home from work, only to see her wait for me at the door and then greet me with a big hug. The bosses new targets seemed like straws in the air when she sat on my lap to tell me about her day in school. There cold not be a happier moment in a man's life. And yet I could not understand why … o why do I still feel I am forgetting something.
Life sure was beautiful… it was really wonderful looking back at all these years, for on last time before I walk up to the gate. Which gate you say? The one where St. Peter stands of course.
Oh don't be confused… my time is up… I lived my life… and just moments back I closed my eyes for the last time. Have been waiting in this queue to get in ever since.
Oh I think I'm next… but… aaaghh... oh my! How could I have been so stupid.
All my life I kept getting that feeling and now…. After all my life's spent… just when the guy in white is about to call my name I remember what it was all about!
What is it you ask? Well it's a Thank you of course!!!
I never did say those words …
- To my mother when she brought me into this world
- To my grand mother who brought me up as the apple of her eye
- To my teachers who taught me all about life
- To my sister who stood like a pillar
- To my first love who taught me what love means
- To my wife who made every day worth living for
- To my daughter who made me feel special
Suddenly this long life I lived seems so small. Why could I not have some more time? I want to go back… back in time to tell all of them how much they mean to me… to tell them a Thank You for making life wonderful… but alas! I have no more time left.
With tears I walked up to St. Peter, "Young Man why the teary eyes, aren't you glad to enter heaven… you've lived a good life so why are you sad."
I told him about my life and how I forgot the most important thing of all.
He looked at me for a while and then smiled "Young Man" he said "that's how most people live their lives, chasing what hardly makes a difference while forgetting what matters the most. At every stage in life, you've met a woman who loved you and yet you always forgot to tell her a "thanks". She never asked for anything in return for her love, but she would have felt even more special if you had let her know what she meant to you. And so in a million ways I always try passing this message down on earth that never wait to tell a woman a "thank you" or even a I love you"… but if only you would ever look or ask for directions.

Part 11: The Page that changed the Story

What is my life today,
If tomorrow no one remembers my name?
Do I call myself now,
Only to be forgotten a little later?
Every thought I think,
Every word my lips speak,
Every stroke my hands draw across this canvas of life,
Are they to only become lines across the sands on a shore?
No… that is not to be.
For I refuse to be lost in the myst of time.

This life I own today is a gift…
A mass of wet clay for me to mould
Into a pot that would hold
The precious waters of opportunity.
For each drop from this pot when it falls
On the soil of my life
Will nurture it to produce a harvest of my achievements.

For I am no ordinary man… for I live in no ordinary world
And I walk not among ordinary people…
I am ME
Never has there been one such as I
I was made what I am … to become what no one else would ever be.
Then why would I accept to fade away?
Into the past…
Into the crowd of ordinary people…
A crowd with no dreams…
A crowd that chooses to exist rather than to live.
A crowd of bystanders…

No … that is not for ME

For I am … what those books of History will someday call
The Page that changed the Story

Part 10: When knights roamed the earth

Oh how I long to live in those days,
when knights roamed the earth.

When for the love of his princess, a knight would seek the rarest treasures.
And travel far over fire and snow, through forests and deserts, over rivers and seas.
And yet would never turn back in regret, in neither thought nor deed, or question or doubt about this journey he is on.
And all for his love, who waits by her castle window, with her eyes fixed upon the horizon, searching every second to catch a glimpse of her knight riding back to her through the sunset to take her in his arms for love and into his heart forever.
Oh how I long to live in those days,
when knights roamed the earth.

Oh how I seek to live in the times when a knight would fight for his King and country, giving all he has and much more.
Standing tall before the gates to the city, riding forward on his trusty stead, with the name of God in his heart, raising his sword and ending the evil that threatens the kingdom he so earnestly loves.
And even when an arrow pierces his shoulder or a spear finds his heart, he never stops, until the last soldier in the enemy camp falls. Only after this does he close his eyes, to fall back on his horse.
He rides into the city, no life in his breath, as blood trickles down the side of his faithful companion who walks him through the city streets, with people on both sides, with tears in their eyes.
Alas our hero has fallen, his heart beats no more and yet he rides in - his mission accomplished – a hero who died today – a man who will live forever in our hearts and
through the pages of our history books.
Oh how I long to live in those days,
when knights roamed the earth.

Those men, those knights, lived by a code of honor. A way of life that put others, before their own lives. For they belonged to a time when each lady was treated with respect and every maiden could walk without fear. When a 100 dragons were slayed to keep but one safe.

But alas they tell me now, I live but in fantasy. For no more do knights of honor walk among men anymore.

No longer would anyone fight armies for a king, nor slay a mighty dragon for the rose of a maiden's heart. No longer do men respect their fellow beings… valor and honor seem dead today.
For a dark age is upon us and it seems to have been here for a while, where the only one a man loves and dies for is the being he calls 'Himself'. And his only companions are Ego and Pride. With them he walks on trampling many a dreams underfoot, for his heart no longer cares… he knows not what 'True Selfless Love' means anymore.

Oh how I long to live in those days,
when knights roamed the earth.

Part 9: Introspection

What does life mean to you?

Is there any real purpose for your existence?

Or are you just meant to be a pile of living tissues taking up square foot areas on this already over populated planet which crying for some free space?
If yes, then do you feel you deserve to live any more than the ant you stamp upon so callously as you walk, quite often not by mistake but just because you can.
And you feel proud to call yourself a Human being! The jewel of God's creation… the being who is probably at the top of nature's food chain… FOR WHAT?
You go about living your day to day lives… cribbing and crying for what you don't have as you overlook and undermine the vast abundance of gifts and resources that you have been blessed with. Nothing ever satisfies your desires… your passions… yours wants!
And all you've perfected in your centuries of so called evolution is your ways of begging…asking…demanding…for more than what you already have… for more than you would ever require.
And all this craving for what?
The planet means nothing to you as you ravage and plunder its resources without the slightest bit of remorse for what you are leaving for your future generations… a barren wasteland!!!
And all the flora and fauna around you have also just become means of fulfilling your greedy desires… you speak about their preservation in your white collar gatherings while your bulldozers plow down fields and forests to make place for your metallic monstrosities. And you shed your pseudo tears before other phony individuals like yourselves about the cruelty to animals to gather their admiration while at home you cannot possibly get sound sleep unless you lie on your stand wearing crocodile boots and coats made of mink fur…
And lastly your family and other fellow human beings mean nothing to you… Your parents have become a burden for you today… they are no longer fashionable to have around.
The Old man whom you once called Dad and who held you when you took your first steps, today has to stumble towards his walking stick for he has no one to hold his hand while he walks.
And the woman who held you close to her heart… never letting you go… who came running every time you called… who toiled day and night over the stove to cook for you your choicest dishes… who never needed a reason to shower all her love and affection on you… the woman whom you called Mom… she now waits by the corner of her bed waiting for you to atleast walk up to her in the course of the day and ask "how are you?" She does not want you riches and fame… nor do you expensive automobiles and gadgets impress her… all she seeks is a glance of affection from the apple of her eye.
Your children seem to spend more time with the friends and their video games and probably your housekeeper who takes care of all their needs because you are too busy today. You give them every comfort that money can buy…everything…except Love and your time.
And your fellow human being out there in the society… do I even dare mention about him.
Who you ask?
And why am I not surprised!
How would you know him? He is just the man by the street corner who lives on scraps out of the garbage heap and that little shabby kid who runs between traffic lights to sell you your news paper and that watchman who is such a nuisance as he keeps coughing all night on that cold December night when you would like to enjoy a cozy night's sleep in your soft bed under your imported blanket and that mentally deranged girl woman who keeps smiling at every one in her tattered clothes on the road and then looks up at the sky and then at the stones and starts talking to them… probably because she is mentally unstable and left out there on the street because no one needs her anymore… or probably because in "Your World" the sky and the stones seem to be the only ones who would listen to what she has to speak

Is this your life… the 24 x 7 that you live? And in the end… even after all this self centered egocentric way of living, you have the audacity to look up to heavens and ask "Why God can't I ever find true happiness?"

I fail to grasp the meaning of such existence.

If this is what life means then I find the sound of a click followed by 3 inches of metal casing going through my head much more soothing.

But then again I look out of my window at the garden below and see a little boy struck down with polio at the tender age of 7, struggling with his crutches as he tries to pluck a flower for his little sister sitting in her pram. And as he finally gets it and gives it in her hand, she smiles and jumps to give him a hug. And he hold s her in his arms and smiles with joy like he's conquered the world.
What has he found that makes him want to go on?

Or when I meet the sweet lady living down the street always playing with her children in their garden - two daughters – the apple of her eyes. A sight which makes the most beautiful of paintings by the Michelangeloes of the world seem worthless. This makes it even more difficult for me to keep a smiling face as I chat with her husband over a glass of beer at the men's club on Saturdays. "Her cancer has spread all over and the Doctor hopes for no more than 2 months" he tells me as he tries his best to stop that tear from rolling down the corner of his eye.
And yet when I see them together… all I see is love. What have they found that keeps them going?

Or again as my colleague at work pins up the crayon drawing made by her 15 year old son. "Yesterday he made this for me all by himself. The doctor says he is making good progress and will be able to speak clearly in a year" she says with a smile. Whats so great in this you ask? A 15 year old son drawing with crayons… well it is a big deal if you are the parent of a child whose brain has not developed with his age.
What has she found that makes her want to go on?

Is this what life is?

Our world is filled with both types of people. People who happen to live and People who make life happen.

Which one are you?

I for one would not want to belong to the first half. Don't get me wrong… I don t mean to say that your life must be filled with great sorrows and trying circumstances. No… never.
Then what am I trying to say! Do I have a point?
Well…yes I do!
Life for each one of us is a different experience all together. But as we rush through it like wild horses, wouldn't it be nice to slow down a bit. Life is about living and not just winning.
Take sometime to look around … at the world that you live in ... at the people who love you and make your world complete and appreciate them.
Take care of the world around you TODAY and you'll have a world to gift to your child tomorrow.
And when you bump into that shabby old man while walking on the street, don t brush him away with a scorn. I am not asking you to adopt him and bring him home with you (not all are saints). All I ask of you is to gift him a smile. It won't cost you a dime, but might be worth a fortune for him.

"Life's roads may lead you into strange people today,
Be nice to them, share a smile…for you may never again walk this way."

Part 8: The Baker at Heart - Special Biscuits

As the sun sets into the sea of time,
bringing this day to an end.
I stand in the Kitchen of Memories,
baking a batch of special biscuits for my friend.

It has taken a lifetime to create this recipe,
Each ingredient carefully selected by me.

These are special biscuits, not heavy on the hip,
Baked in the oven of the heart, from the batter of friendship.

These biscuits are rare, although their flavors are few,
Strawberry, Chocolate and Mint just for you.

Strawberry, this flavor, will remain for a while,
Reminding you of sweet memories, bringing you a smile.

Chocolate and milk, a combination so wholesome,
Gifting you wishes and prayers for the days to come.

And Mint promises that on a cloudy day, if no friend you find,
Just turn around, I'll be two steps behind.

And so as the sun sets into the sea of time,
bringing this day to an end.
I stand in the Kitchen of Memories,
baking a batch of special biscuits for you, my friend.

(A gift for a Friend)

Part 7: Silence

Silence, how sweet are your words,
sweetness not found even in the sound of the birds.

But not always do we hear you speak,
for you ask for the ears of one who is humble and meek.

Even the deaf can listen to the words you say,
you talk to us through day, you talk to us through night.

Within you are hidden the mysteries we try to find,
mysteries left unsolved by the human mind.

We are too caught up in the river of life,
swimming through sorrow, struggling through strife.

We are so ignorant to the wisdom you wish to give,
help us to listen, teach us to live.

So that when we may rise to the light of a new day,
we may find you as a guide to show us the way.

... to be continued

Part 6: Tears

Tears, dear tears, tell me why do i cry?
why, at the slightest grief, you glitter in my eye.

When I am very happy you glow with a smile,
you fill my heart with memories which last more than a while.

But sometimes I wonder where do you go,
maybe to some place about which we will never know.

Or do you, deep down in our hearts hide,
and with the flow of smiles or sorrow with our words abide.

Tears, please be there in the corner of our eye,
and flow for someone, someday, when I die.

... to be continued

Part 5: The Man in the Mirror

As I look at the mirror, from the world I feel so apart,
They say I am a crazy man, I think from my heart.
Little instances across the day, things that should not even matter,
Are things that trouble me, and so they call me Alice’s Mad Hatter.
I wish I could talk to this man in the mirror, he just stands there looking tall,
I’d like to give him a piece of my mind and tell him I don’t like him at all.

He makes me feel attached to people I care,
He tells me its good your thoughts with friends to share.
He tells me that to live life as your own, as it never will happen again,
He tells me to be me, and all such advice, that always causes me heartache and pain.
And that’s when he ‘s silent, when I am much hurt, that’s when he never keeps score,
What do I do when I’m being me and no one wishes to hear me anymore?
I wish I could talk to this man in the mirror, he just stands there looking tall,
I’d like to give him a piece of my mind and tell him I don’t like him at all.

He looks back at me, no words does he say, just stares back at my eye,
A single drop of glitter rolls down his cheek, he still tries to smile and not cry.
And through that drop as I look back at him, a different image I see,
He is no stranger that I never met before, he’s just the real me.
The world doesn’t like him for he’s not that much fun, they feel he is quite apart,
For they think he is crazy, for he thinks only from his heart.
I cannot change this world, so I guess for some time, I’ll lock him and keep him away,
Hoping that the world will like to know that man in the mirror someday.

... to be continued

Part 4: To tell someone you love her

To tell someone you love her, three words are all you need,
a moment stolen away from the world and a heart that would heed.
Three words so simple, even a child can spell,
Three words, though when she stands before you, are the hardest to tell.
For what if she thought those words were not from the heart,
What if she just turned her face and walked apart.
Or what if she told me, “I just don’t feel that way”,
What if she in her anger, took even my friendship away.
Or what if on hearing the words I speak,
Tears glisten her eyes, … is that what I seek?
No, not that, never, that’s the last thing I’d ever want to see,
For even though my love for her I treasure, she’s far more precious to me.

I love her with my heart and soul,
I want to tell her that she completes me; with her my life seems whole.
I want her to be my side, through joy and through strife,
I want to tell her I’ll keep her safe, she means more to me than my life.
I want to tell her a thousand things, nothing I wish to hide,
I want to tell her, my happiest moment, would be when she would be my bride.

My heart grows weary and scared, with each passing day,
What if, before I tell her, some prince just carries her away?
For pretty as she is like a flower, glittering in the sun beam,
Like each lovely maiden, even she would have a dream,
That some handsome prince on a royal steed would ride along her way,
Someone with a big castle, together where they could stay.
How could I compete with a dream so high?
For in today, I am just an ordinary man, however hard I may try.
I am building up a world of my own, each day part by part,
But standing against the prince of her dreams, today, all I can offer is my heart.
A heart that yearns to love and be loved by someone who is true,
Someone who won’t disappear like a dream, or like the morning dew.

What scares me again, is what if she likes me and in my life would like to stay,
But cannot trust me, or my love because of the past that has passed along my way.
What then can I tell her or do to make her believe that my love for her is true,
And that I can never love anyone more than her, no one old, no one new.
I only can hope and pray that she looks into my heart to see,
How precious and how dear she and her friendship are to me.

But all said and done, as that day when I tell her how I feel comes to an end,
I beg the Almighty on bended knees that we always be and remain friends.
For if I am doubly blessed, life would be wonderful with her as my bride,
But if not the will of GOD, I’d still always have a very dear friend, always by my side.

... to be continued

Part 3: The Heart Vs. the Mind

What is this love that everyone around talks about,
Was the question Rationality asked Emotions one day.
The mind smiled as my heart thought hard,
And after a few minutes, this is what it had to say.

Love is feeling, you feel for some one who is rare,
Someone who means the world to you, someone for whom you care.
With that someone special, each day seems bright and sunny,
Moments together are treasured through time, more valuable than money.
And then comes a time, for you in your life,
When you want her to be with you, when you want her to be your wife.
And then life will be as sweet as a song,
You will have her next to you always, through right and through wrong.

My heart felt proud at what it just said,
But my mind laughed, “You stupid Heart” he said.

“I know that in love you find your whole world in her smile,
And you feel like the King of the world, although just for a while.
But have you even thought of what the other side of this coin has to show,
What if she doesn't feel that way, what if she just says NO?
Then what will happen to your dreams, your castles of sand?
The world will call you a fool, your pain, no one will understand.
For she'll walk away from you, leaving behind a pain that will never end,
In your quest for true love, you'll also loose in her a friend.”

And as my mind finished this line, a tear dropped from my eye,
“You cannot catch the waves of the sea, “ my mind said,” then why do you try?”

My heart spoke up ” Listen to me O Mind, I know you consider me a fool,
But in life, a man should always try and never give up, is what they taught me at school.
For I would never have learned to walk as a child, if I always feared the fall,
The girl I love is so precious to me, so for her, I am willing to risk my all.
I know the prince charming she seeks forth in life, is what I may never be,
But I still hang by the thin thread of hope, that in me true love she'll see.
For you like the rest of the world don't realize that in love sometimes there can be pain,
But the magic of love is that never a single tear would ever be shed in vain.
The tears are proof of a love that's pure, a love that is kind and true,
It stands as a testament, that although she refused, she will always be precious to you.”

“I will never understand you,” said my mind to my heart, “you defy all logic today.
I stand by my views, and I know you won't change, so all I ask is this question today.
If you were to know that she wouldn't say YES,
If you were to know for sure, not just a guess.
If you were to know she doesn't feel the same,
If you were to know you cannot win in this game.
If you were to know that this would break your heart,
If you were to know that you'd be torn apart.
Would you still love her and ask her to be your wife?
Why would you not hate her for casing you so much strife?

My heart tried to smile again, as another tear dropped from my eye,
“Yes, I know, I will love her always, I just don't know WHY?

...to be continued

Part 2: A Special Day in Love

Life seemed long, but the day was new,
Dreams a many, with hopes though few.

I woke up at the chime, and wondered for some time.
Why do I feel this way, is there something special about today?

And then it struck me, Oh how could I forget?
It’s the 8th January - You guys are still clueless, I bet!

Well don’t seem surprised with that look on your face,
Only to me is this day special from all the other days.

Its exactly 3 years since I met that special someone,
The love of my life, who made life so much more fun.

With moments to share, with someone beloved who cares.
To hold someone’s hand, a magic only few would understand.

To love that special woman, and to be loved back in return,
Are blessings from above that every young heart would yearn.

And so I got off my bed, there’s lots to prepare,
Being late is not for today, I ‘d rather not dare.

Lets pick her up from work, by 4 should be fine,
A movie, a walk through the park, and a sweet place to dine.


She loves pink roses, and chocolates and wind chimes,
But most of all, she always says, is together spending some time.

But just then my eyes went on the cracked photo-frame by the door,
Of when she walked out, saying she loved me no more.

Oh that’s something that just slipped my mind,
Of moments that hurt, of a life left behind.

A single drop of tear, glistens beside my coffee cup,
Its just another day again, the sun’s on his way up.

Ready for work, and out of the door,
Welcoming a new day, on a quest for more.

But time goes on and its not all just strife. . .
Its all part of this wacky adventure called a “The Common Man’s Life”

Part 1: All in a Day's Work

Life seemed long, but the day was new,
Dreams a many, with hopes though few.

I woke up in my bed, last night’s vodka still in my head.
All efforts once again in vain, the clock said I’ll be late to work again.

Off from my home, through rickshaws and buses,
Packed like sardines in local trains with a crowd of 1000 fusses.

Walking into office planning what’s today’s reason to say,
Just to learn that Boss called an early URGENT meeting today.

The knock at the Board Room door, I could almost feel the heat,
“Oh so you’ve finally arrived” says my boss, my heart skips a beat.

To take your seat and try to gather the crums,
And try to ignore the shady comments from some of the bums.

2 hours of brain- storming, but yet most of it a waste.
Decisions are taken based on the last 5 minutes and that too in haste.

Its lunch time by then, time to grab a bite,
Hustling ones way through the cafeteria frenzy, it no less than a fight.

Back to your cubicle, in 20 minutes sharp,
To still find the Big Kahuna standing there, like a devil with a harp.

5 new plans to implement, in 5 different ways.
And all this needs to be done by the end of the day.

So I set my schedule, lets get it done by 4,
At 3:40, the Big Guy calls me up to say, “lets re think these plans once more”.

Back at my desk, a little banging of the feet,
3 hours of dedicated hard work and a SHIFT & DELETE.

Back in his cabin, new thoughts floating in the air,
He goes off on his tangents, leaving us pulling our hair.

The meeting ends a minute before 7,
Which means with these new plans, I’ll be working again till 11.

Walking out of office, back in the train,
Too late for dinner, its Take Out food once again.

As I lie on my bed, I hear the street dogs howl,
As I ponder for a few minutes on my lifestyle of an owl.

Trrriinnggg! Goes the clock, its another new day again,
With a 100 new experiences ready to drive me insane.

But time goes on and its not all just strife. . .
Its all part of this wacky adventure called a “The Common Man’s Life”

. . . to be continued