Staying Grounded

 From the Land of 'Ayubowan'

Staying Grounded

They always said, fly high,

The sky is your only limit.

Break free of bounds,

Take off from the ground.

Slowly, I spread my wings,

Swaying gently with the winds,

Pushed and pulled by unseen forces,

Escaping valleys, crossing gorges.

I gazed upon the ocean wide,

Like the timeless kites of Ceylon in flight.

Longing to soar ever higher,

Yet fearing the pull that drags one lower.

I saw...

Joy and sorrow,

Success and failure,

Love and loneliness,

Friendship and betrayal.

Youth and old age,

Freedom and responsibility,

Celebration and poverty,

Cities of chaos, villages of wisdom.

Fragrance and fumes,

Black and white,

Rainbows blooming, ruins fading—

The world, a canvas of contrasts.

Searching for harmony,

I found only differences.

I saw the crows and the koel,

So alike, yet never the same.

I saw day and night

Sharing the same horizon.

I flew further still, chasing purpose—

But alas, only upon landing

Did I awaken to truth:

In the end, we all return to the same ground,

Merging into the same soil.

That day, no tantrums, no turmoil remain—

Only sorrow, and tear-filled eyes.

And then, once more,

A new kite will rise,

Soaring freely,

Across the boundless Ceylon sky.

Gulaab

 

Seasons in Life!

 You are.. 

The first ray of my sun ☀️ 

The silver lining of my moon 🌙 

The rainbow of my clouds ☁️

The beat of my heart ♥️ 

The blossom of my flowers 🌺 

The dew of my winter mornings ❄️

The first shower of my monsoon ☔️

You are mine, all seasons in life! ♾️

Zindagi Bhi ...

 Zindagi bhi yuh rukh badalti hai
Kal jo beparwah si thi, aaj zimmedariyon ke bojh mei ulajh gayi hai
 
Dil jo titlii ki tarah banjara tha
Ab woh zarurato ki dor se bandh gaya
 
Parties ka shor hamara energiser hota
Ab shanti hi hame sabse zyada lubhaata
 
Ghar se baahar rehne ke bahaane dhundte
Ab bas ghar ke bistar kii raah taakte
 
Choti si chot pe bhi itna zor se rote
Ab toh bada sa gam bhi haske pii lete
 
Pocket money se saare shauk poore kar lete
Ab pocket mei money kam, loan zyada rehte
 
Maa ke khaane mei nuks nikaalte
Ab toh bina namak bhi chup chaap kha lete
 
Papa daatenge soch kar chhup jaate
Ab bas papa ko yaad karke rote
 
Bhai behen se lad ke hi chen lete
Ab toh baat karne ke liye time nikalte
 
Weekend mei sab dosto se kaise mile sochte
Ab toh bas chores poore karne ko dekhte
 
Ek car mei poora Parivar saath ghumne jaata
Ab sab apni-apni car mei alag nikal jaate
 
Har choti baat mei excited ho jaate
Ab toh khud ke birthday par phone off kar dete
 
Zindagai bhi yuh rukh badalti hai
Kuch nahi kehke bhi bahut kuch sikha deti hai

Sometimes ...

Sometimes, just one of those times 

You come across an attractive door 

Knowing that it isn’t yours 

Still curious, about what’s inside 

It could be too bright for your sight

And make you blind 

You still want to find? 

Wearing a brave armour

You seek to find some glamour 

Is it the burning ashes or the rising Phoenix? 

Energy so magnifique 

You want to touch and feel 

Scared your soul might peel 

It seems so pure 

You only want more 

This could be your Midas moment 

Something you don’t want to repent 

We don’t have forever to wait 

And don’t want to leave it to fate 

If telepathy is true 

Could someone peep through? 

And let them inside the door 

Before the lights burnout !

New Beginning

So here I make a comeback, after a really long gap 

trying to summarize my 3 years, to all my near and dears

come the lockdown of March 2020, there was work just more and plenty

the concept of work from home and work of home

was so new to digest, it took almost 3 months to adjust

just like old most everyone else, we also became MasterChefs

nights of Netflix and surfing, and mornings of ‘Surf’ and mopping

Spent long hours in the day working, taking breaks in between for cooking and cleaning

that was also a time for introspection, and we took a major life changing decision

to become three from two, as we were also near touching 32

And after that the story of the 9 months ahead, which were made easy by husband being the best

bouts of nausea and missing Mumma

regular doctor visits and advice on eating nutritious

creating positive thoughts to learning squats

getting to meet family after long,

that moment I wanted to forever hold-on

attending to regular scans waiting to hold those tiny hands

As the time was coming closer, my breathing getting heavier

the nights felt longer, with the belly growing larger

still remember the last few days, I had my last scan on a Saturday

the doctor said I could start preparing for the D-day

it was that final scan that showed those tiny ears and nose

the face you view so up-close

it was the best family time ever, playing cards after each dinner

the week went by and came another Saturday

another visit to the gynae, she told me the baby is slowly creating its way

but you didn't need to stay, come to me another day

That night was different, as the clock struck twelve

We all wish our mommy “a birthday special”

wrapped up our rummy game and went into our dens

later in the night started the final countdown,

counting contractions every 10 minutes down

I prepared my bag and gathered my medical file

woke up everyone as it was beyond time

we reached the hospital early in the morning

and few hours later welcomed “my new beginning”

 

Gathering strength from within

Getting strength from within

They all think its happy life

Just husband and wife

Living in a foreign land

Distant to mom and dad

Our worries are lesser

And days are merrier

It is just their perception

The reality is very different!

We are just two people living for, and by each other!

It isn’t easy to be just by ourselves in every weather

Less are the friends and lesser family

Still our days are very busy

Eighteen hours of office and sleep

Only six hours to personally reap

And if there is any further energy left

We fulfil our personal quest

You don’t often hear anything new from us

Cos ours are very fixed routines

The city clocks tick faster than yours

And we are submerged in never ending chores

We don’t share much

Cos you are sooo far to touch

We have grown stronger over the years

Sharing things would only make it worse

Why add to your worry

With our problems of sardi and garmi

The feelings just subside

In the chime of phone dial

Don’t let the happy talks deceive you

We are as human as you

Yes, we do enjoy this freedom

However, there is enough boredom

The festivals last short

Meals not spread vast

No one to pamper after a long day

Wish for longer you would stay

Every time we say ‘Goodbye’

The heart questions Why?

To everyone who thinks we are thick skinned

Its only cos we gather our strength from within!