Two loves has she

Two loves has she in her pure heart,

Even as the world laughs at her

Calling her names.

Refusing to give up either,

She nurtures both within her soul;

Her two loves

Are connected.

When she sees him the first time in this life,

She knows he is the one,

Then, gradually, He manifests Himself through him

For, he is forever in her due to His grace.

Two loves has she in her grateful life

And her heart and soul are at rest.

(Dedicated to Manojini, a woman I know well)

Space: a mark of respect

Giving space in a relationship, marriage or otherwise, is vital for the healthy life of it. Unfortunately, not all people want to understand that space is important for the constant growth of a person, and hence, if space is compromised, the individual feels trapped in the relationship.

We would obviously want our loved ones to be happy and be happy ourselves. So, if we are encroaching on their personal time, dictating terms to them at every chance, we are not much bothered about their happiness. If we do not care about them, we do not respect them. And, with no respect in the relationship, love ceases to exist between partners.

Let us give space to our dear ones as well as firmly but gently ask for it ourselves when needed. Let us stay happy.

The floodgates have opened!

The floodgates of joy have opened

And I am washed with hope and love.

Since all things mundane, being broken down,

Have been swept out for good,

There is room now for peace and acceptance.

The waves of bliss carry me away,

Madly, but gently

To the faraway land I had glimpsed

Many a time, through the tears of heart-break.

Letting go of those who were never mine,

I have moved on, for the floodgates of my life

Have opened and washed clean am I, at last.

Released, at last

This world is a torture-house

With just glimpses of happiness.

So, what can one do when he is trapped

In this normally abnormal place?

Taking one day at a time,

And holding fast to faith and hope,

He reaches the end of his prison days

To reunite, at last, with his long-waiting beloved.

She sees her Destiny

Closing her eyes, tired after yet another day

Full of struggles and despair,

She falls asleep, not keen to wake up again.

But, tonight is different for her;

Tonight is destiny, for all her pain is washed away,

As, towards dawn, she sees in her dream,

Talking to her like never before,

Her cherished Fate.

Her dream is reality, greater than all else.

Absorption

The last walk across the beach they took

Before parting for a long, long time;

In the blue and white of moon and night,

Neither of them wanted to unclasp hands

But they had to, as time was running out.

A fleeting glance, that took in all

While moving on each one's way,

Remained etched in their hearts.

It was the nectar they would thrive on

Till they met again.

The real courage

The courage, to listen to the voice that always speaks the truth, is mostly lacking in people. That voice is that of conscience. It is conscience which tells us right from wrong, truth from falsehood. However, one needs to be really brave to follow that voice because if we choose to do so, we will inevitably meet with rejection and humiliation from the world at large. If not for life, then at least for a number of years will we have to deal with this pain. The classic example is Jesus Christ. The hypocrites all play the game of convention, pretending to be socially-wonderful. And, they get the results too: applause for what they have not contributed, but in their hearts, they tremble all along the journey of life, afraid that sooner or later the truth about them will get exposed. It usually does. What does the person, who listens to the voice, get in the long run? He/she leads a life of inner contentment and when death comes, happily leaves the world joyfully anticipating a reunion with the Lord.

The Joy of Sunset

The happy days were over for him

And the cruel ones had come;

Watching the sunset from his room

He wondered why life had changed such

For he had done none harm!

Since he could not change the change

He decided that it was not for him to ask

Questions whose answers were not given.

But somewhere within his heart

The man knew that only the temporary alters;

And knowing this, he stopped grieving

For those who had faked love for gain.

That done, he found happiness again;

Finally, he tasted peaceful joy, in himself.

She is different

Home is what she craved for

Right from her early childhood;

Parents and others were all around her,

Yet, for her, it was not home.

What she received, she was asked to be happy about.

Although not ungrateful for the food and shelter,

She felt there was something fake

In the relationships.

Was it a particular case of lack of love in her family,

Or is that the way of the world?

She is different; and grew up nurturing her soul,

Much to the chagrin of those around.

She is different, and is happy for her choice.

Bloom, even if there is apparently none to appreciate you, because there is someone who appreciates your efforts and loves you. That someone usually stays invisible to the world but observes you all the time. Bloom for Him.

The bloodless revolution in my life

Today I complete 365 days of being a vegetarian. A very happy anniversary for me because it has been a life-altering decision in my case and good things have happened to me over the last one year. My health is much better and I no longer need to take vitamin pills. There is greater peace of mind and a better sense of acceptance in me. Other blessings have come along the way, too.

I have been laughed at for my choice but I have held on to living my life based on my convictions.

If we can live without shedding blood, why kill animals? How about living healthy and letting the helpless animals live? I personally think that killing and tearing are meant for wild animals, and not for human beings.

The journey and the call

Down the road she walked

Talking to herself all along;

She spoke of what she was seeing

And learning on her walk.

There was much noise around her

For each passer-by was in a hurry

And shouting in his own way.

The girl was disturbed, yet,

Continued with her journey

For she knew only that.

Amidst all the din

She heard it clear, without a doubt,

A voice calling her; she was so sure.

The girl quietened down her chatter,

Hearing again, this time, clearer, the call.

The unknown voice seemed so dear to her

And pulled her like the greatest bond.

Her hidden chains broke away from her;

She was free, free at last,

As she chose to follow the call.

Wisely, O Gentle Heart

From the day the infant opens his eyes to the world

He starts to know what life is;

As the infant becomes a child, a man

Sometimes he is overwhelmed by what he sees.

Much of pain and some joy, and

Too much of confusion and doubts

He has to live through, fighting a lonely battle

Surrounded by many a smiling, jeering faces.

His gentle heart becomes timid

And, afraid to love again

He goes into a shell....

Wisely, O Gentle Heart,

Choose what you wish to keep,

For all are not the same;

The ones that hurt you are best forgotten.

Wisely, O Gentle Heart,

Try to love again.

The Question

The life-partner gets the name, the children;

She seems so full of all the bounties of life;

Yet, what happens if there is no love in the union?

How much of a marriage does it stay?

Sometime, somewhere, the soul-mate comes

Quietly, with an eternity's love for him.

Her eyes are full of light.

Who should win: the one who has so much to show,

Or the one who has surrendered her all

Asking for nothing in return?

(A poem on a man's experience of a fake, hollow marriage and his encounter with his one true love. In no way does the poem advocate marital infidelity)

The cleansing: an act of surrender

Looking out the window I see the downpour

Washing clean the trees and the grass;

Even the dogs are elated to feel water

After the scorching heat of days.

The soothing white sheet unfolds

As the clouds are free of their burden.

Life all around me is joyous

Because of the chance to rejuvenate,

I decide to let go of all that holds me down..

And surrender to the cleansing rain.

Cleaning my body and mind

I turn inwards to touch myself

And find the temple has already been cleansed

By the living God,

Who resides in me, Who resides in you,

And Who is there

In the burning sun and in the drops of rain.

"Tvamaeva sarvam, ma ma daeva daeva"

The little things of life

The little things of life all add up

To give the full experience

And we learn to build or to break,

Based on what we choose to have.

Small acts are not small at all

For they hurt us or they heal wounds.

A small word is often an act of love

Or a stab of pain.

A soft smile on the parting lips

Or a hand reaching out

To hold,

When many just go by without a glance,

Often make us know life,

And, we dare live again.

The balancing act and beyond..

A dear friend of mine tells me that he does not like my writing on sad themes. He insists that I should write only on the brighter side of life. Not one to dwell always on the murky or hopeless side of life, I find his criticism unfair because life is not an only-happy experience for anyone.

If we are continually running away from the pain that life keeps on throwing at us, it depicts an unrealistic, escapist's attitude. The sorrow that we face needs to be acknowledged as much as joy needs to be accepted with gratitude. Each person, in order to stay 'emotionally sane', needs to do the balancing act between his reactions to grief and pleasure; otherwise, overcome by pain, he might lose all faith in himself, in humanity and in God. Or, expecting life to be always wonderful, he might become depressed to the extent of having suicidal thoughts.

Once the balance is reached, one tastes what I would call true joy. This happiness is not tied to the circumstances of life which we have to deal with. The true joy comes when we see beyond the mundane pleasures and gains on one hand and unfair hurts hurled at us. This peace come only when we learn to trust the grand universal plan unfolding every moment.

Doing the balancing act is easier said than done, I admit. However, should we at least not try to discover the 'kingdom of heaven' within us?