Breakfree

How are you Mother,
are you happy?
Then why are your eyes
void of the light...
the light that I had seen when
it was just you and I in the park.
You had let your hair loose, and
your voice resembled the chirping birds.
You had held me tight
and said with moist eyes
'I'm so happy'
I did believe you then,
but today you just lie!

You lie when I ask
Who is he?
He can't be my father!
coz he never hugs me,
nor tells me stories,
and he calls me 'you boy'
and not my name!
But you say he is! You say,
'He left when you were 2'
but why is he back now?
now that I'm 7 and grown,
now that I understand
ways of this world!

And he can't be your husband
coz I see no love,
all I see is that you are blue,
blue here and there.
And again you lie,
lower your eyes, hide, and
meekly say 'it's just a rash,
But I know otherwise!
coz I hear it every night,
every night when he comes drunk.

How are you Mother,
are you happy?
Take courage,
and answer truthfully now!
We can go back to being
just you and me!
Breakfree ma,
you want to, don't you?


Sometimes the heart sees what is invisible to the eye. We should never underestimate the understanding of a child. They are the first ones on whom an abusive loveless relationship takes effect. Their heart understands the sadness and they start to reject life. A woman should not consider herself a weaker sex. Keeping quiet and bearing the ruthlessness of life is not courage. Saying 'NO' is! To breakfree is!

This above form of poetry is called Epistle. The term epistle comes from the Latin word 'epistola' meaning letter, hence this form of poetry is written as a letter. There are no more complications to it. These generally don't rhyme but are more a form of voice and persona. More examples can be seen here and here.

Linking this to Write Tribe and open linky's at Poets United and With Real Toads. Happy Monday folks!! Have a bea'YOU'tiful week!

'YOU Inspire'

24th January was celebrated as National Compliment Day at Write Tribe's! A day of spreading smiles and doing good! You know when you genuinely compliment someone and you hear them saying back a shy 'thank you' it warms your soul! So try it today, don't hold back. It is never to late to spread joy, right?

Is it strange when a stranger admires you? A few days back, while travelling to work by metro, an aged lady sitting beside me mentioned how lovely I looked in the bottle green sweater I was wearing. I smiled humbly and mentioned it was my Mom's and a beautiful conversation struck up between us, just like that! I felt so good :) Have you ever praised someone you didn't know? Or didn't know too well? In metro, in the ladies compartment, you see all kinds of girls, women of all ages, all dressed up to their best going off with their daily works. Many a times, a look, a smile, the way someone has done their hair, a color they are wearing that brings out the best in them, does come to my attention but I haven't really gone up to the person and complimented them. I say it my head and intend to go to that person and mention 'You look so lovely today' but haven't really. Have you? Or do you hold back?

Compliment a stranger today! Try it! I'm gonna, for sure, no holding back this time!

and see the world becoming a better place!

:)

So, on this special day gifted Vidya has asked us fellow bloggers to mention the best compliment you've received till date. For me, it is 'I'm proud of you!' This one sentence from my parents, my sister, my husband, friends and family makes my world go round! But specially when my grandparents say 'I'm proud of you', I can't describe the immense joy I feel. My heart dances, my soul sings when I hear this from my Nanaji and Nani. My grandparents are eighty plus and both are ardent readers of my blog. They support and encourage my writing and this means a lot to me! Recently my Nanaji (maternal grandfather) called to compliment me on my writing skills and also offered an idea for a fiction piece! I love him! He went on to say how I've inherited this flair for writing from my mother, to which I had only one reply...that it's in our genes and we have inherited all good from you!! From a very early age, Nanji encouraged all us cousins to excel not just in studies but all sorts of extra-curricular activities. Every summer holidays when we used to go to our maternal home in Lucknow, he asked us to prepare a skit or a dance or a song, and perform at the end of the month. This created a lot of excitement in all of us and was also a very intelligent way of his to keep all us naughty kids busy! Nanaji for all those years, for your constant encouragement and support, for being 'YOU', for being an inspiration, for developing us into all-round personalities 'Thank you!'

My Nana-Nani :) 'YOU INSPIRE'

This half a post won't do justice to the many wonderful facets of my dear grandfather. He is a remarkable person and inspired by him, I plan to start a new category on my blog 'YOU Inspire'. It will feature a person, someone really close or a person whom I just happened to cross path once in my life, but nevertheless has left me inspired! First, of course, in this series is my Nanji's story so watch this space closely :)

And to all you readers, you are beautiful and you inspire me! Thank you :)

Your eyes

When I look into your eyes, I see a mirror
Somewhat like the Mirror of Erised...your eyes,
your eyes reflect, your heart knows, always,
even before I realize...
what my heart wants,
my deepest desires, aspirations,
my devotion and my passion..
And you nurture all, with love and care
Giving wings to my dreams, a gift rare!
And if I ever doubt myself,
all I have to do is look into your eyes,
and my fluttering heart finds peace,
in your calm, soft, brown eyes.
Reassuring me, inspiring me,
Nudging me gently to go on, to live!

Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi

I show not your face but your heart's desire

Linking this to Poet's United Mid-week Motif ~ Mirror and also joining this week The Real Toads where the theme is 'Eyes'

God's Child

Curious eyes all around
"Whose is it?" the question surrounds
Few walk past, "Why do I care?"
It is this attitude that gives me the scare!

The uniformed men are tight lipped
"An accident, a murder?", a coin is flipped!
"A girl or a boy", nasty innuendo begins...
"T'was perhaps the father, a girl you know, is a burden!"

"No-no", another said, "how ridiculous to blame the parents,"
"In the dark she was taken by few drunken lecherous serpents!"
"Yes-yes", "tch-tch", "so shameful", the voices agree and disperse...
"Whose is it?" someone asked again, "rumour has it, she was a curse!"

Fuming I turned back, shouting through angry tears,
"T'was a child's, God's special one, God's very dear!"
"He doesn't care if it was a boy or girl,
All are equal, all precious gems, all sparkling pearls!"

Written for Write Tribe's Wednesday prompt! Also linking it to Poets United's Mid-Week Motif ~ Equality!

It's a small world

A steamy college affair is not that easily forgotten. Even as you make-believe your happiness and see your world through rose-tinted frames, the inside of you is quite a dark space as you fantasize about 'him' while cuddling in your husband's arms.

My relationship with the college heartthrob, as speculated, ended with the last day of college. I got married, arranged to the best of my parent's ability. I got to love this new, now the only, man in my life. I deleted all possible connections with 'him'.

As the dreams got weary, as I thought that finally I was free of 'him', the doorbell rang and I shook my head in disbelief. " It's a small world" he said, his dreamy eyes working their magic on me, as if nothing had changed. "A cup of tea for your new neighbour?", and with that he confidently walked into my life again.


Written for Write Tribe's  Wednesday prompt "It's a small world"

My sister

I've always been so over protective of you sis
Fearing that your innocence, your pure heart
would not be able to cope with this dubious world
But you've done so well for yourself my love
I'm so proud....beyond words really!

I am trying to let go of this grandmotherly stature
really...
but it's not that easy..
when you say Diiii in your sparkling voice
my hear melts...

And I want to...
be your strength when your self-confidence wavers,
your something-snuggly when you feel cold,
your world-full-of-possibilities as you take on the world,
your companion, your teacher, your mother....and your sister!

Linking to Write Tribe's 100 Words on Saturday where the prompt is 'My little sister'

The sweeper and the CEO

" Good morning Saheb"

" Same to you, but it's just another day no?"

" No usually I start my work at 6am, but any special day or festival and you city people go crazy, partying till 3am - 4am, leaving behind such a mess to clean for me"

"Arre Saheb, every day is special for me. I was with my family last night having garam daal and roti in this bitter winter. God is kind enough. I thank him we are alive and well. Why just 2 days ago my neighbor, a rickshaw walla died due to this cold. Mad man was so drunk, he passed away on a footpath and shivered to death. Allah...bless his soul"

" A little Sir. Everything should be enjoyed in moderation no? I'm not an addict or drunkard but sometimes I like to let loose"

" Saheb, what is happiness if not a state of mind. Life never goes as expected. But you have to mind your mind...say All Izz Well...like in that Aamir Khan movie..."

" Arre Sir why are you embarrassing me. Am I wise?...can't say...but yes, I have seen much. Life teaches you. I'm a Muslim refugee from Bangladesh. Yes I converted. I'm now Ram Singh. It is better like this, for me and my family. I'm happy. I work. I live too. I provide for my family. I'm grateful I can send my children to school. What more do I want? Children are the greatest joys. They give you will to go on"

" Ah I came to this city looking for greener pastures but I sweep all day making the cemented city pastures clean and green. Irony? Oh but don't get me wrong. I crib only sometimes. People keep their homes clean but not their streets! 
But I'm filled with gratitude for the little joys too. In my 12 years as a sweeper I've never missed a sunrise and all of them are so wondrous...so magical...filled with hope. Sometimes my only companions have been birds and stray dogs, they are so much more compassionate than us humans. Arre but there are good people too, surprising you when you least expect it. I have been offered tea and food often from complete strangers"

" Oh...1 hour already! Didn't realize the time... Sorry for being a trouble. My wife doesn't call me a chatterbox for no reason"

" Saheb why are you thanking an old man. I'm grateful that you were so patient with me. These days youngsters like you have no time. Running. Running all the time. Tension all the time. Sometimes I want to grab them and tell them to pause and look...Reflect... Realize... Life is beautiful!"

********************************************************************************

January 1, 2014

People of mIT,

At 43, after six years of leading this prestigious IT multinational, after two heart strokes - one as recent as last week, after having the great opportunity to interact and learn from some of the world's most educated and learned thinkers, today morning I had the most important and stimulating conversation of my life - with a sweeper. And I have decided to resign as mIT's CEO.

My reasons are very personal and I am sorry if this has shocked you. But it just felt right to start New year's with a start to a very personal journey...of reflection...of rediscovery...of realization...of redemption.

I have not thought about how tomorrow will work out for me. Everyday for the past six years I have followed a strict regime, my life revolving around my work, so much so that I lost to time in becoming a parent. Tomorrow I just might go and adopt a girl. Or I will brush off the dust from my long lost friend, my DSLR and vanish into the Himalayas, into the wilderness. This uncertainty of tomorrow, this freedom of today is what I'm enjoying the most since I decided on my resignation.

I want to wish everyone of you a very Happy and Joyous New Year. Although I am leaving physically, I'll always stay with each and everyone of you emotionally, and till the time my successor is decided upon I will continue to provide my leadership insights to the management as and when required.

I want to leave you with some important pointers for soul searching that I believe all of you will find valuable in time, if not today...

- Work is important. But it is not your life.

- Value your relationships but value yourself more.

- Health is Wealth, is not just a saying, but one of life's greatest truths.

- Enjoy the joys around you. You need not travel to Swiss to find that exhilaration, a walk in the park with new pair of eyes can do the trick!

- Happiness is a state of mind, and I quote that kind sweeper here for this simple yet profound statement.

- Never give up on your dreams. That young and enthusiastic teen who wanted to become a dancer, a painter or a writer, is still in you. Find time and do justice to that young man's passions.

- Care for nature. It has sustained despite all attacks by humans.

- You are responsible for your life so makeitbeaYOUtiful.

I wish you a wholesome, rich and enlightened life ahead.

Love,

Mihir