The power of prayer.

Prayer is a boon for mankind,

Between God and man a bind.

Of how to kneel yet rise,

For everything granted, a small price.

To cross that infinite distance,

And stand in HIS presence hence.

As I present myself to you Lord,

Only before you I'll ever bow, O God!

That peace that fills me within,

This undisturbed calm, a rare thing.

As I rush on with my life,

Marked only by struggle and strife.

Here I stand now in prayer,

Once again hoping for favour,

Though I oft forget my duty,

When dazzled by the world's beauty.

Nothing I can hide from you,

You know all I think and do,

Both my past and my future you see,

Everything that is, was, will be me.

Grant me strength and sight,

To always do what's right.

Grant me patience and will,

So every duty I may fulfill.

Magic doesn't exist.

( I was trying alternate thinking to established norms. Hehe. Dont take it to heart!!)

I don’t believe in fairy tales

In princesses and perfect males

Of horses white and skies so blue

Of satin sashes and lovers two

Knights in shining armor are,

Things that make dreams non par.

Happily ever after, a peddled myth.

Compared to reality it takes a hit.

Chance meetings and secret sighs,

Misunderstandings and mistaken goodbyes.

Mix these ingredients for a perfect plot,

And a fairy tale is what you’ve got!

They say reality is much better,

Compared to dreams in letter.

I don’t care for either views,

Arguments on this are of no use.

Reality is what you’ll get

Dreams are just to forget,

For a while now and then

Too much to bear, it gets when.

Yet maybe somewhere, I think

Between fairy tales and life, there’s a link.

That shows up in that book,

Of this world, all that’s good.

The good triumphs, the evil’s punished

Laws of nature, in this manner furnished.

It’s an ideal to see and refer

As a yardstick even, if you prefer.

Monday Memo..

Well...this was written on request...

The topic’s funny, the timing odd
‘Monday’ on a Tuesday is what I’ve got.
Random thoughts, from sources many
No matter if serious or rather funny.
Monday’s a pain, you’ll agree
The hardest day in which to be.
Weekend’s over, get back to work
Duty calls which you can’t shirk.
Most unwelcome by far, are Mondays
Whined and wished away for three days.
Friday’s spent, imagining how far
Blessedly from today, Mondays are.
Saturday's come, a day’s left yet
Thankful for the Sunday you still get.
Sunday strolls in, make the most
Few hours of freedom left to toast.
Two sides or more, to every tale
Mondays are days, some even hail
Fresh starts , and beginnings new
To get jobs done now long due.
To leave a mark, to score your goal
To let those grand plans unroll.
A classic example, of lessons taught
Whether the glass is half full or not
For what you do and what you see
Is decided by whether you were thirsty.

In Grief

My aunt passed away on the 21st of June. She was battling cancer.It still seems surreal that she is no more. They say it takes time to heal the open wounds left behind but neither is time a comfort nor is it easy. You can only hope that time will dull the edge of pain.

An angel’s been called back on duty,
To add to Heaven’s beauty.
What’s earth to do now without?
Her Light will be missed no doubt.
Bits of her we all have within,
Of what she meant, where to begin.
She was color and she was joy
Her love for life, we’d enjoy.
Myriad colors onto canvas did bleed,
Each one of her’s a masterpiece indeed.
She’d be ready to help in an instant,
With a smile and a hug, she’d be present.
Her strength and her acceptance,
Made up her exclusive essence,
For the time with her, you had,
When you called her yours, be glad.
From now, In every splash of color,
In those perfect bunches of flower,
In throaty laughs and strings of bead
And countless things she fancied.
We’ll remember and relive,
With much joy and much grief,
Bring forth that part we carry of her,
To be treasured by us forever.

In a Birthdaze

Time's up, the curtain's about to fall
A year is gone and another's here,
Let the scales weigh and take a call,
If time's been used or cost me dear.
To have been born and to have lived,
Mere existance by itself hardly a feat,
It's about what you saw, said and did
People or time, how you did treat.
For chances I've had this past year,
For things I've learnt over time,
People I've met and those already dear,
And all else that's been for me, sublime.
Thankful I am, for having had that and more,
For a past, worthy to be relieved again
With memories that warm me to the core,
And scraps that must as secrets remain.
So I begin a chapter anew today,
With renewed vigour and zeal,
To do the best in every way,
With faith, this promise I now seal.

Be seeing you.

For you as you prepare to say goodbye,
To the life that you made and cherished,
Memories that made you smile or sigh,
Of the bonds of love you nourished.

Leaving behind for a fresh new start,
In another place, miles and miles away
I know you will carry all this in your hear,
No matter how long or how far away.

For you I wish every dream comes true,
Every happiness and that quiet peace,
Luck, fortune and rewards that are due,
And all else that you please.

Leave your doubts and misgivings behind,
Your thoughts which are making you pause,
Those fears that are lurking in mind,
Bury them deep as they have no cause.

May you never change what you are,
Underneath where the goodness lies,
In certain ways you are without par,
The reason for our unbreakable ties.

In a bit of sadness, and some pride,
With happiness being ingredient main,
My wishes and farewell are tied,
For goodbyes are necessary to meet again

Lines by Poe.

Came across these beautiful lines. And wanted to share them with the world for their beauty and meaning are simply profound. Read them once and then read them again, see the meanings form in your mind. And read them once more to see how the picture shifts as understanding dawns upon the mind.
I could have written a few lines explaining what I thought. But then I thought it would be unfair to steal the magic of these words by fitting it into the mould of my mind and letting you know what you should be thinking about them.
It will mean something new to each one and something different each time.

Thou wouldst be loved? — then let thy heart
From its present pathway part not!
Being everything which now thouart,
Be nothing which thou art not.
So with the world thy gentle ways,
Thy grace, thy more than beauty,
Shall be an endless theme of praise,
And love — a simple duty.
--Edgar Allan Poe

Rewards for Labour

Long time nothing new,

We are due for a dream come true.

A demand we make upon the Gods-

An appeal to be fulfilled against all odds.

Those countless hopes and dreams we send,

Wishing all things broken will themselves mend.

The powers-that-are must grant this and more,

For on who else shall they plunder their store?

Its our right to deserve those blessings,

Help, luck, fortune and all those things.

The sun must rise and set for us,

Its only for us, all this grand fuss.

In this entire story we oft forget the fact.

That which life teaches us with too little tact.

Its better to first deserve and then desire;

Every reward is backed with efforts made prior.

Its when we do our part of the deal,

That we may apply for the divine seal.

Its why we have been given the control-

To make things that are good or foul.

It begins with a want, turned into need,

Then the effort and pain of the deed.

If your heart's in it and jobs well done,

Then its return in kind will surely come.

Song of the Rain...

Rain Rain go away,

Come again another day.

Little A.P wants some relief,

Pray do take another way.

Give us some time yet.

To pick up pieces washed out,

To tread our lives and homes,

Into that pattern we once knew about.

To get over the shock and,

Grief of being homeless now.

In an instant when the,

Rains came pouring and how!

Once upon a time,

How we craved that very rain,

To grow from its power,

Food for us time and again .

It took in its lieu all that,

Was within sight and beyond.

To carry away in its tide,

Our lives worth, and more around.

Striped the rich, the poor alike,

Taking dignity and hope too,

Left with nothing to start with,

And journeys all over to do .

After the Rain God's injustice,

It's to remember and learn,

Nature has a debt to collect,

For every boon, it lets you earn.

Two sides to every coin,

To every joy and pain,

Two points to every view,

This too is a "Song of the Rain" .

Think Again

Better to write for yourself and have no public, than to write for the public and have no self. --Cyril Connolly

Notes from life...

Oft a chance remark or a causal perusal of an interesting arrangement of words stokes the desire within to translate those thoughts in my head into opinions on record (P.S All opinions expressed here are subject to undecided and indiscriminate life spans. Causes of death or longevity are still unknown). So a comment by some one today about how it would be apt to name me the 'Consistent Poet' sparked a protest inside and thus here is evidence being presented in defence (and offence) that I do , thank you very much, write prose too.
Now there is a quotation by Charles Dickens which would be apt here- "A man needn't go far to find a subject, if he's ready with his salt-box"
Though there is much I wanted to say but it seems all that I am going to blabber about today is about people. There is this particular forward that I am sure has been around the globe half a dozen times by now, which has a very simple statement. It says people come into your life for a reason , season or a lifetime. The thought stayed with me and it keeps coming back to me time and again when I think about how funny life can be.
I am sure these things were always there, its just that I have now woken up to the idea that the people who I come in contact with are all for a purpose and part of that great scheme which is going to help me become who I am. I notice there is that category of people who you meet probably once or twice and that all that the connection is. But that in that short while they show you the 'reason' of being in the tapestry of your life. And there are some who stay for a while. The stay for a 'season' and when they have helped you with crossing that certain bridge or showing you that certain path or have added to you what ever that they were meant to add, they leave. The last are those who stay with you for a life time and their need and purpose is to add and be those colours in your painting.
When you reverse the thought- you yourself will be a reason or a season or lifetime for another. While others are doing for me, even I am filling a gap and playing my part out in yet another story. Our lives would then intertwine and separate with no beginning or end. The thought scares and exhilarates at the same time.
There have been people who have touched or stayed or stood with me and there have been those who have left. There are been impacts , additions and missing gaps after many of those transitions but this combination that you see is a result of all that was and is.

Notes from Work...

I thought it would be fun about this time of the year,
When articles would be thrown out for audit on their ear.
Its time to be watch dogs and not blood hounds-
To see that the client works well within his bounds.

You think it’s a pain and a bore to go and check
Every client ,no matter how good, you say- what the heck?
Go bug them for a while, why don’t you?
See how much they can take you and her too..

See if all their vouchers are ordered and numbered,
Printing every last one MUST leave them encumbered.
See if their bank statements are collected and filed,
Keep asking for extra copies until they are riled.

See how, when and from where , they buy
Every bill wont be explained ,but do just try.
To whom , when , why and what -do they sell,
Don’t ask trade secrets girl, they wont tell...

See if the bank pays interest and try to find,
One person there who can figure the calculations behind.
If they have loans or FD's then make them dig,
Certificates for those and that’s only half of our jig.

See that there are supporting for every rupee there-
Even in case the accountant begs ,don’t really care.
See that there is a sign and stamp for every word written,
For by the Law hound we surely don’t wanna be bitten.

See the provisions and reserves that they have and ask,
As to why they are needed a dozen times, with a serious mask.
For the Rates and Taxes that they have paid for the period,
From official departments ,demand attestations myriad.

We now come to the Salaries and wages that were given,
Or expenses which for special gains has seem to risen.
See that they clarify and justify every item in there,
But do stop an inch before they are gonna pull their hair.

Only remember that the day you sit upon my chair,
You shall have worries and so much more to care.
That day you shall realize that there is but one side,
You got to hold hands with the clients if you wanna ride.

Notes from class...

I have not written for so very very long now. I do have excuses for the lapse but that's what they are- just excuses. So picked up the pen today in a burst of bored creative energy......
To give a lil background for what you are gonna read below- so that you may properly appreciate the deed- I have morning classes seven days a week which we can't miss. Now the gentleman is good at what he does but when you are running on reduced sleep hours and conforming to the afore mentioned gentleman's rules, you lose it. There comes a point for everyone where they have sat in class without comprehending a single word said. ( yet to reach it , but don't worry its in the near future) So today was a day when we were wondering if our watches had simply stopped working , when I penned these lines. Nothing spectacular , its a come back....

Sitting once again in his class,
Is Definitely not an easy task.
For it's a perpetual pain,
All in the quest for that elusive gain.

Its to crack that set of exams you see,
Its why we are here, my friends and me.
Its not the hard benches and chipping boards,
Its only that by his lecture, I am so very bored.

Observe people around and see them sleep,
Or their mighty struggle for straight faces, to keep.
The discoloured walls, old books and broken glass,
This and more but a part of class.

Once again tomorrow morning I shall pause,
Think. wonder, debate about reason and cause.
As to why I continue to, day in and day out , go there,
Maybe its because I can't truly say, I don't care...

Think Again

I can teach anybody how to get what they want out of life. The problem is that I can't find anybody who can tell me what they want.

- Mark Twain

Pondering Shakespeare....

" There is a tide in the affairs of men,
Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune;
Omitted, all the voyage of their lives
Is bound in shallows and in miseries.
On such a full sea are we now afloat;
And we must take the current when it serves,
Or lose our ventures. "

For some reason I have not been able to get these lines written by Shakespeare out of my head for the last few days. They keep running through my mind on and off.
These lines were said at a point in the play when Brutus and Cassius are preparing for the impending war against Antony and Octavius. The bone of contention being who were more worthy being called traitors. The reason that Brutus utters these words is that he wants to settle the debate regarding what the right time is for attacking the enemy.
There is so much meaning in those few lines that one can ponder and ponder and yet feel that some meaning still lingers which one has not touched upon. They are so very relevant to every person and every circumstance. There is always that correct time and correct place for things and recognizing that particular path which should ideally be taken is oft a dilemma. Action or lack of action both can be a deciding fact. Sometimes one action or decision can alter situations and lives so much .
I guess that's why they say opportunities come only once. The moment passes and then the course of things is forever changed.

You guys..

A while ago filling out a questionnaire I paused at the question - " What qualities do you look for in friends?"

    The question did not really have an answer. No one sits with a check list of what, how much, in whom categories. These invaluable finds are just found without much prior planning or strategy.

   I came across this picture quite by accident and could not ignore it. So I put it here in......dedication sounds too spiffy for you guys, lets just say as a reminder of what you people mean to me.

    Its for those friends who have now become like family and for that family that will also be friend.  For you.....

Think Again

If stupidity got us into this mess, then why can't it get us out?

-Will Rogers

The faded past.

May be I am getting too attached to my home town Hyderabad (can there be a 'too attached' in connection to your home??) or maybe it's just that I feel sad to see the lost legacy of the once Princely State of the Nizams. A couple of days ago I was pouring over a book of photographs taken by Raja Deen Dayal. He was one of the most famous photographers or maybe even one of the only Indian photographers of that age and era. The photography shop that was run by him was called 'Dayal & Sons' and at the zenith of his profession he had two shops one in Secunderabad and if I recall rightly the other had been in Bombay.
So he has photographed the royal gatherings, being a member of the Nizam's court and the palaces and the various structures and the public places etc. Even the famous flood many years back when the river Musi had flooded over the Afzal Ganj bridge has been recorded. The point that I trying to make is I was so very impressed by the photographs and their subjects too.
You could see the way people used to dress , the Indian men in their sherwanis and the jewels according to their station ,their women in beautiful skirts and the dupattas and the finery to match or delicate sarees while the English were clothed in finely pressed uniforms and stately hats and women gowned in voluminous skirts and lace. The interiors of the palace- every single item worth looking at and admiring kept in flawless order and beauty. It was on one hand wonderful and on the other hand sad to see the palaces and the diwan-devdi's. Oh the streets that were and the motor cars!! I could not help but drool over the motor car that the Nizam was photographed standing in and watching a polo match. It had these beautiful rounded protruding headlamps and luxurious leather upholstery and the shiny black colour of it .... of cource in pristine condition.
The wide cobbled streets and the small buses , more like trams in fact and the guards standing at various places. It was an enlightening picturesque experience. How much better it would have been to see all that in person?
Sadly all the that is forever lost because we could not save any of that from being destroyed. We let it fall prey to neglect and and forever loose them. We love to hear about our past, by history I don't just mean a country's story , even our personal family tales and traditions are all lost and remain as stories to be told remincing about bygones.
I wonder why we cannot preserve our history or maybe it's just a natural cource of nature for things and people to keep evolving , keep building one thing over the other, keep giving shape to new ideas and styles in all ages. Today we are making history for the next generation.....

Think Again.

The pen is mightier than the sword.....if the sword is very short, and the pen is very sharp.

-Terry Pratchett

Dimaag ki batti...

A big hello to all the readers of my blog.

As you  see I am still not past the mental clog

Of writing things in a tiring rhyme

Trying to make words and phrases chime

Its the bug that's bitten me quite hard

Never from the path of rhythm, to part

Its an odd affliction if you may please

And it wont go even if you do tease

So once again as I pick up my virtual pen

To entertain you ladies and gentlemen

The spew of words comes out with feet

Tied up in symetry to look so neat

In case you are wondering as to the point

Of this poem I write -quite disjoint

I truly agree and say you shall find none

For it was only to kill time and have some fun

If you still want to read what I have to say

I am afraid today is definetly not the day

For the mood is to spin out a tale

Which has neither rudder not sail

So enjoy the aimless sermon that I dish

And for the return of sense , do wish!