Glittering and Gritty

Every beat of the drum,

pierced his heart.

Every note of the shennai,

brought tears to his eyes.

Yet he kept on playing,

longing to go back in time. 

Clutched tightly between his fingers, 

like grains of sand.

Glittering and gritty. 

The time when every moment was celebrated,

big or small..

The breaking of dawn, 

the last light of day and closing of gates.

Birth of a new life,

victory over old foes.

New ends..old beginnings..

the age of innocence.

Now there are just two of them,

keeping the tradition alive. 

Alone and forgotten.

a spectacle for rare visitors,

Relic of the past. 

The music fades away,

few odd spectators leave.

Its been long since a crowd gathered. 

he packs away the instruments,

The memories and the times.

and the few grains still left between his fingers..

Glittering and gritty. 

Written on 18th August, 2012.

(Its been a long long time..almost three months.. sorry sorry.. This poem also took a long time to take shape four months almost. The old city of Ahmedabad has lot to explore. The history,the stories. Some traditions still continue..The city gates when they were closed at night in the past did so with music playing in the background. One family still continues that tradition till date and at night around 11pm in a small room above the gates which now remain open play for sometime. It is sad and heartening at the same time. What will you do to go back in time which we think to be better than the present. Till next time..Eid Mubarak.. :) ) 

The market for horses

मैं नींद के कुछ घोड़े बेचना चाहती 

पर बिकते नहीं मेरे 

मैं मिन्नतें करती 

विनय  पूजा करती 

पर अड़ियल  टटुओं की तरह 

वो हिनहिनाते और मैं भिनभिनाती . 

रात  भर  करवट बदलती 

चादर कभी हटा देती कभी दाल  लेती 

ताकिय  कभी सर के नीचे

कभी पैरोँ  के पास ..

धरती की तरह अपनी अक्सिस  पर और 

पलंग  के चारों ओर चक्कर काटती रह्ती 

कुछ ज़ल्दी सोने वालों कि असीम अनुकम्पा बनी रहती 

सारा मार्केट कुछ ही घंटों में घोड़े से लबालब भर जाता 

और मेरा माल बिक नहीं पता 

बोनी करने वालों को कुछ गा.. कुछ कटोर शब्दों में 

मैं बहुत कुछ सुनाती ..पर कुछ नहीं बदलता ...

मैं और मेरी नींद कोसौं दूर होते 

और बीच में यह न बिकने वाले घोड़े ..

मैं खचर , गधे.. यहाँ तक कि भेड़ के दाम में भी बेचना चाहती 

पर कोई खरीदार नहीं मिलता..

लोग कहते है नींद न आना प्रेम में होने कि निशानी है.

इस बात पर मेरा मन करता..

कि इन्ही घोड़ो के परौं तले सारे बेसुरे शायरों को कुचलवा दूं !!!!

थक हार के जब घोड़े और मैं दोनों शांत ह़ो जाते ..

तो सूर्य कि पहली किरण के साथ एक आशा कि किरण दिखती 

अंतर राष्ट्रीय बाज़ार खुलने का समय हों गया..

धरती अपने अक्सिस पे घूम गयी ..

घोड़े विदेश में बिक सकते है 

मैं सोचती देर आये दुरुस्त आये.

कुछ नहीं से थोडा कुछ  सही 

दो पल के लिए ही सही ..

कुछ ही घंटे वोह घोड़े फिर वापस आ जायेंगे 

मुझे ढूँढ़ते हुए..

जीवन कि इस आपा धापी में मेरे साथ भागने के लिए ..

फिर रात में ना बिकने के लिए..

घोड़े नहीं गधे है !! 

पर मेरे है. 

Written on 6th May, 2012

(This is my second poem on sleep. The earlier one was Surrender and you win.. .. Well what can I say .. writing poems about sleep deprivation at this hour is saying enough.. Till next time.. Happy Summers !!!! :) )

Then we will talk..

My name.
the colour of my skin
how i look.
my accent
the language I speak.
how i dress
my size.
the way I eat food
how i live.
my sex.
how much I make or giveaway.
who i love.
to whom I bow my head or raise my hands to.

When it all does not matter.
When you look at me and only me
And find me.
Then
We will talk.
Listen and speak
And live.

Written on 13th April, 2012.

(You can discriminate and you do on every thing that makes me.. me and different from you. Am I fat, am I dark skinned, am I speaking your language with a accent, do I pray and to whom, who i choose to spend my life with and when and how. The list goes on. Take a breath, step back and look.. and see...They are you.
The blog completes its three years this 19th. Thank you for reading and appreciating. Till next time. Happy Baisakhi and all the Happy New Years !!!! :) ) 

Fare..Well..

Silent tears,
Starry smiles.
Waving hands,
Unsaid goodbyes.

Million memories,
Tugging the heart.
Sweet and sad,
Merry and mad.

Dreams fulfilled,
Wishes granted.
New paths and new dreams,
Unexplored and expansive.

A wish on the lips.
A tear in the eye.
Looking back,
With a wistful smile.
They bid adieu and say,
Fare..Well.. my friend.


Written on 2nd  March, 2012.

(One of my friend's got married last week and one is leaving after completing her degree and it is season of goodbyes. Mostly happy but it is a little sad. It is hard to say goodbye better to say we will meet again soon. Till next time and hopefully sooner, my apologies for the late post again missed February. Happy Holi !!!! :) Be safe play safer.) 

Love..in the..Story

She remembered everything,
He forgot most of it.
She reminded,
He regretted.
She sulked.
He dealt,
With love, kisses, hugs.
She smiled,
He sighed.
Then...

She remembered some of it,
He forgot nothing.
She fretted,
He cajoled.
She feared.
He fought,
With her demons, dreams, nightmares.
She sighed.
He smiled.
A little...


Written on 27th January, 2012.

(Sorry for such a long silence. It has been two months. First of all A very Happy New Year !!!! :) We are still in January so it is still valid. And before you say that the poem reminds you of a certain Hollywood movie based on a book and remade into a Hindi movie. Well let me say that, that is not the inspiration. Just that it is said that and true to some extent women remember a lot. Dates, incidents, time, mistakes... ;) and men don't. I know vice versa cases and am sure there will be many. What is important the love of two people in all the mayhem of her and his..story to find their love story. And it is a scary thought that someone whom you  love does not remember you or anything else. Till we meet next time spread love and Happy Valentines' Day !!) 

The Heart in response to Despair

Scared of the new he did not move on,

Looking back on what was long gone.  

The chasm of despair was wide enough,

Dark and deep, pulsating and painful.  

The abyss of fear had its own echo.

Trying to drown the sound of that soft tinkle,

And the eyes would now and then wrinkle.

But on the morrow or days after,

The sun will warm every corner.

Leaves will struggle and shoot to new life.

And one dark corner will be a room long unvisited,

A treasure to keep, to smile and reminisce about.

Shake your head and laugh about.

For the heart believes, has faith.

Hope and love are all around.

To take, not two steps but a leap, 

To cross the chasm of despair so deep. 

Its beats every day and says

Why think of the end at the new beginning?  

Written on 7th November, 2011. 

( The second para of the poem (now modified) was in response to a friend's poem about a personal loss. Trying to give him hope wrote that and today completed the whole poem. Life and loss go together and despair has such wide encompassing wings that it can engulf you forever. It is enticing too and a safe place to be because the world out their seems scary and brutal. It is and it is not. Most of us are fortunate enough to have friends, loved ones and family around reach out , hang on , cry, throw a tantrum , sulk but move on. If not for yourself but for them for they will also be tired of counselling you after sometime :P just kidding. Move on. The heart is strong more than you think. Otherwise start using saffola :) 'teri dil ki baat main jaanu' 

On that note Eid Mubarak !!!! :) Till we meet again Khuda Haafiz !! :) ) P.S. do visit the link behind the room long unvisited words a previous poem about heart and the hall of life. 

To whomsoever it is concerned

Taking out time to listen,
Hearing out and holding on.
Always around,
Never letting go.
Kissing away the tears and fears.

Years go by,
Only thing that passes are good times,
Unending and unusual.


Written on 23rd October, 2011

(My birthday just went by and I was overwhelmed with the love and wishes of friends and family. There were midnight celebrations and surprises and a treasure hunt thrown in for good measure. Phone calls (international calls too !!), smses and gifts. The day and sometime after it was full of joy, happiness and so much love. It made me realize, well I know it but it reinforced and reiterated  the fact that I am much loved. Such a amazing feeling. So a bigggg Thank You to all ( you know who you are ..!! ). A poem after a long time. Till we meet again a very Happy Diwali !!!! :)  Adios Amigos..)