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.'

Bridges in Life

Come what may, bridges will burn,

The heart differently will yearn, 

Life ensures that you will learn

As events uncontrollably turn.

But the bridge burns, oh it burns.

Who sets off the blazing fire? 

Is it some unknown latent desire? 

Or yet an inexplicable fiery ire? 

Regardless... It leaves one in a mire.

But the bridge burns, oh it burns.

Should I salvage the fallen debris? 

Can I salvage the fallen debris? 

I cower, unable to set myself free, 

Can't watch it burn and just be. 

But the bridge is burnt, oh it's burnt. 

Will this remain a scar forever? 

Will I build another bridge, ever? 

These thoughts, will time finally sever? 

To answer, I alone must endeavour.

But the bridge is burnt, oh it's burnt. 

But hey, you really should be smiling, 

The one across made the bridge worth having, 

The little talks are memories worth keeping, 

Now look ahead to a new beginning. 

Glad the bridge was built, oh it was built.

Some paths will never be taken, 

Many dreams will never truly happen, 

Life is too short, don't remain so shaken, 

Smile again, love again, now awaken. 

Glad the bridge was built, oh it was built.

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.

I play the beautiful game...

With the wind in my hair,

My mind is freed from all care,

I take to the field, my eternal lair.

With the ball at my feet,

My world looks impeccable and neat,

I look for challenges to take on, to beat.

With poetry now set in motion,

My soul achieves its redemption,

I play the beautiful game, in all elation.

Update: 8th June, 2016

Picture this. You’re taken away from something that you love. Taken away from it for reasons that are unclear to you, and reasons which seem ridiculous to you. It was, and it still is, your favourite drug which got you high, your favourite drink that calmed you down, and the one thing that you’d enjoy on any given day, in any given occasion. And now it’s taken away from you in a cruel way, and put beyond your reach for the next 9 to 10 months.

The wait alone will be excruciating. And that’s enough mental stress. But what if you’re made to work hard physically too over the next 10 months? You have to go through pain, through a workout regime that’s only getting tougher, while you inch uncertainly towards your target. You can decide to forget about it and put yourself through only the mental torture of forgetting it. But no. You yearn for it, you need it. You will go through whatever it takes. For you know how it felt.

Then you see others reveling in the happiness that it gives. But you can only see; not feel it yourself. Finally, after enduring through the tough months, you can have it. You’re almost there. But now there’s a new conundrum. A doubt has crept into your mind. After all this time, will it still be the same? After all the efforts, will it be worth it? You’re anxious about the new beginning. Yet, deep down, you know that you would’ve gone through twice the tough times that you did go through, just to be here. Nervously, you reach out.

You feel it again. Instantly you know that you’ve never felt it so good before. Euphoria takes over. Ecstasy will reign.

I suffered an ACL tear while playing football in a corporate tournament. The injury was inflicted by a careless tackle by the opponent. I had to undergo ACL reconstruction surgery if I ever wanted to play again. But the surgery was only the first step towards recovery. For full recovery, I had to go through a rehab protocol, where discipline and patience were of prime importance. Then after 8 months of concerted efforts, I was declared fit to return to football. In this poem, which is an emotional one for me, I’ve tried to capture the way I felt when I took to the field finally.

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.

As it feigned to rain...

As a patch of white, obscured by clouds, I see

The nearly full moon, in this tired retiring city

While I walk below the big flowery tree

I'm chilled to the bones by the cold breeze

Li'l water droplets fall from the flowers and leaves

Upon me; now arms crossed, I shudder and freeze

Looking for an ivory tower, I wander solitarily

As it feigned to rain, the night is in tranquility.

क्रुद्धा कुतोऽसि मातस्त्वम्

क्रुद्धा कुतोऽसि मातस्त्वम्

अशक्याः धारणे वयम् |

किं तु मन्यन्ति युष्माभिः

अहमबाधितेति वा ||