Gravitational Waves!

Billion years ago were two orbiting black holes

Closer they drew; they collided and merged through

Space-time fabric was warped; still it folds and unfolds

The colossal collision set off these gravitational waves

Stacking crest after trough, endlessly propagating, until time stays.

I wrote this poem to celebrate the historic day on which mankind first observed the gravitational waves directly! This poem - an acrostic - has more than the word formed by first line first letter, second line second letter and so forth. There’s another word in it. Can you find what that is?

Also, for reigniting my interest in astronomy and black holes in particular, many thanks to Usha Keshav!

Song for Life

Strung together are myriad notes

Often words too, to go along

Now the listening of the composition

Gives birth in us to emotions strong.

Souls are touched, we find respite

Or comfort in grief, or ecstasy in joy

Numerous meanings in different life phases

Gifts of music are for everyone to enjoy.

Similarly I hope to be a song

Of lyrics meaningful and melodies soulful

Now my existence I will deem successful

Given I make at least one life purposeful.

Sure the song will not last forever

One day my last note will be played

Notable, let my song be called, if it is

Given at least just one more replay.

An acrostic written and published (take that, you government!) in China.

Ocean Tides

On the shore, with a salty breeze on your face

Cold and dour, you walk at a mellow lazy pace

Expanse of dark water, the object of your hazy gaze

Allays your fears, telling you so to face ahead unfazed

'Now see, life's problems are but a drop in this ocean.'

The day turns steadily dark; water retreats beneath your feet

In the moon's growing presence, as tides rise, roar and beat

Down to your new found zeal, you smile feeling upbeat

Eventually with dawn, you know the tides will concede defeat

'See now, life's problems are but like the tides in the ocean.'

Mangalyaan

This has to go down as a failed attempt. ISRO's official facebook page of the Mars Orbiter Mission called for posts by users which they would in turn post on their page. I submitted this acrostic, but it wasn't published. The picture in the background is from the MOM.

The Quantum Cat!

Contrary to the intention of leaving quantum theory in knots,

Came this example, which only illustrated the apparent paradox:

Hats off to the cat of Schrodinger, still dead and alive in its box!

An acrostic written on Schrodinger's birthday.

Recover

Roads, they sure are rough

Me, I am equal and tough.

Incapable, is my body like this

Indomitable, yet, my spirit is.

'nd invincible, is my strength of will

Unrelenting, I shall continue to till.

Until I recover, until I surely heal.

An acrostic describing my ongoing ACL reconstruction rehab.

Quantum Reality

Quite bewildering, but nature just has to be

Quantized inherently, lest there be UV catastrophe

States of multiple reality, a consequence of uncertainty

Principle of complementarity, illustrating the duality

A testimony, we have, for this world of potentiality,
In the alive and dead Schrodinger's cat, a singularity!

This acrostic is a result of the inspiration that I found after reading George Gamow's "Great Scientists from Galileo to Einstein" and Heisenberg's "Physics and Philosophy."

Lightning

Rushing charges, from one cloud to another

A bolt of lightning, followed by roaring thunder

Ionizing nitrogen, which pours with rain, together

Nourishing plants, helping the cycle of life prosper.

The Captain

Cast in turmoil, thrown about in the fiery sea

Was she sinking? The crew looked for lifeboats to flee

Hopeful one sailor, that the shore his vessel shall see

'O but the skipper! Where, in this time of need, be he?'

Screaming he scoured; an answer though, wasn't to be

But guided by his leader's deeds, the course he conceived

Now standing at the helm, the captain he shall be.

Thoughts!

Thinking I was, That I should write a poem,

"The blog is so small! Why even have one?!

"Should it be an acrostic? Or just plain rhyme?

"Though the topic, I just can't seem to find!

"I'm no good at this, I'll only try in vain...

"What a headache!! What's gone into my brain??"

Thoughts thus grew, and along with it a plan

Now, I guess you know what I had in mind!

If you still don't know what scheme I'd come up with, it was to pen those thoughts as the poem you just read!

Life

दुःखे दुःखाधिकान्पश्येत् सुखे पश्येत्सुखाधिकान्|

आत्मानं शोकहर्षाभ्यां शत्रुभ्यामिव नार्पयेत्||

- सुभाषितसुधानिधि

Low you may be, but lower you could've been

Higher you see, when you are in much glee

No, foes they are - these petty joy and misery

Never you concede; over life you'll have mastery.

This is a humble attempt at capturing the essence in the subhashitha. It gives motivation to push yourself further, to better yourself, while you remain satisfied with what you have. Yes. The two thoughts (those of pushing further and staying satisfied) seem to be in conflict with each other. But finding the right balance is the key.

This one shloka has had much influence on me. It has given a better understanding of life. This is an acrostic as well.

Sun

Lustrous, scorching; he makes the sky alight
Little atoms - they fuse, so the moon shines bright
Huge ball of fire, holding the planets tight
And has life ticking, radiating his might
The star in the sky, our sun is such a sight!

This poem, an acrostic as is the previous poem, was completed in my room in the Infosys campus, Mysore!

Courage

Cower not, my dear friend distraught

For you have more, within you, find.

Bound to recur are dusk and dawn

Sorrow and joy too, as life flows on.

With affixed faith in Him, tread along

Knows good-He does, too-for everyone

So brave you be, 'cause He's watching on.

This one is similar to the first post in that this is an acrostic as well. 

My first poem

Never before, had I seen

Nay, I may never see

In this land, which is God's own

Beauty and grace

In her soul

Nature was so, oh behold!

I decided that my first poem shall be my first post and this is it.

It's not just my first poem, but also happens to be my only poem till today!

This was inspired after a class trip to Kerala.

There is one interesting aspect in this poem- that it is what I'd like to call a "modified acrostic". Take the first letter of the first line, second letter of the second line and proceed similarly. And you get...??