Poem: The Fog

I woke up to a mystical morning
where shadows were still in play,
Up in my bed, I was mourning
the death of my sleep early in the day.

Unsteadily and slowly, I moved towards the sill
of the window which remained unwashed;
Outside, everything seemed eerily still
and the in my mind, a thought crossed.

Perhaps it was not the dirty glass,
it must be what lurked outside -
A chill white mist or a fog that would pass,
- just Winter's attempt to play 'Seek and Hide'.

But then, away from the window I turned
and tried to look beyond my bed,
A white darkness was all I discerned
for the fog was in my eyes instead.

Poem: Love

Not a thing would I want to change

about this beautiful moment we share

this moment seems so strange

yet we feel so aware

In your eyes I see a part of me

In which I see a part of you

for together we will be

till death parts us in two

Nay, even death won’t do us apart

because what we share is much stronger

it is not about the mind but about the heart

and these feelings last longer than the longer

Yet the inevitable remains inevitable

just like how our love remains the same

our minds may range from stable to unstable

and yet we will be a part of the same game

No matter what, who, where, when, how, why, we are

we will know, oh yes, we will

that together we shall forever be

since together is one still.

Poem: Paradox

Lost, we are, in our own little heads

With our aims and hopes falling high;

Just as one bright dream slowly fades,

Another, we gain, only to lose again with a sigh;

Out, we seek, in this artificial land of reality

– A paradoxical ‘wonder-less’ wonderland –  

In search of self-discovery and clarity;

However, we fail, and we sail in sand.

Fear, we do, of life and death and all else unknown;

For life answers questions of which we are unaware

And death questions all the answers we had known.

Nonetheless, we die and live a lie, accepting the dare.

Seek, we must, within our limitless soul

For a truth that underlies all those lies

which fill the emptiness and make us feel whole;

Yet, we will yearn to unlearn, as we wish to be wise.

And seek, we must, within our limitless soul

To escape from this paradoxical wonderland;

A world built at the back of our mind’s black-hole,

One that we don’t still, and never will understand.

Blog temporarily not active.

But you can still feed the fishes. 

Poem: Live and Let Live

I once knew this irksome colleague
who on my first day at work, said
“Girl, this job is way out of your league”
and asked me to leave instead.

Why? I wondered, ‘I barely know this guy!
What does he have against me?’
My assistant at length chose to reply
and told me the whole story.

“Ma’am, you see, before you came
to work for this renowned newspaper,
that man you met the other day – his name
…pardon me, I don’t remember –
had burned the candles at both ends
for the post of Editor-in-Chief.
Alas! The boss instead recommends
your name for the post, to his grief.”

Later, however, I began to realize
that it did not end just there.
The reason for his strong despise
was neither legit nor fair.

The reason why he hated me more
than the men who held the post before
was because I was no man at all
but a woman – which made me ‘small’.

My mother once told me to live and let live
regardless of gender, beliefs or race.
Sadly, not all were taught to give
regard to everyone’s grace.

Wrote this for the Big Idea WizKid 2014 Poetry writing competition. 

The Fishes Are Back!

Good news. They got back home. The Fishes, I mean.

They had gone for a walk and lost their way back. A kind friend helped them find their way back to the blog. However, only eight of them returned.
(Or maybe, as the kind friend pointed out, there were only eight in the first place)
Anyways, Yay. They are back. :)

Ok Bye.

Poem: Rumination

Music helps me open the doors
to those mystical realms of clouded memories
in the concealed chambers of my mind;
even if it is only a glimpse through the crevice
formed by the push of those musical notes
and only a faint scent wafts through
towards the surface of my consciousness.

That feeling in my heart that so expresses
a joy and sadness beyond compare
with a burst of deep-rooted insight,
just like how a gush of fresh air is to man
resurfacing from the depths of a sea;
a perplexing blue that drowns away
that elation in a flash, just as quick as it came.

Once again I pluck the strings, in my yearn

for that singular most sensation in me;
a desolate note now being struck, for
as I plunge back and the doors close,
all that hope drowns away in a drone
of the so-called reality engulfing my world
– a drab place to which I feel no belonging.  

Hello. My fishes are missing!

So, today I took a day off to get back to myself and explore my creative side. I visited my blog after ages to post another poem I wrote, only to find my dear little fishes missing!!!

I don't know how many of you remember my fishes. (In fact, I don't even know if there is anyone who reads my blog or follows it at all - that's alright, don't feel guilty because I myself have been ignoring it lately.) They were these cute little orange and white fishes that used to swim in my blog, right under the sub heading that reads 'Gotchesta! Feed the fishes...'. I don't precisely remember how many of them were there, but I am guessing there were at least a dozen of them - six orange and six white fishes.

My fishes are missing and it is quite disturbing. So if any of you come across them, please return them back. Or, if anyone had 'borrowed' them without my knowledge, please be decent and kind enough to return them back to their owner (which is me). I miss them.

Yours,
Shwutz.  

P.S. Check out my new poem Rumination if you have the time to spare. Ciao! :)  

Poem: Metamorphosis

Metamorphosis – Changing World

Across the deserts of the past

I see things that not all can;

I am Time, and I shall last

Longer than any woman or man.

Across the ocean of present

The tides constantly change;

All things awful and pleasant

No longer familiar or strange.

Across the void of future

Metamorphosis perpetuates;

All creatures and cultures

Subjected to their fate.

Look around and you will find

That nothing remains untouched;

I am Time, and I shall remind

The world of its impermanence.

Written for Emirates Airline LitFest's Taaleem Poetry Award.  

Problems are like washing machines...

Poem: Indian

I hail from a beautiful country;
it is vast, but not so far away;
with Banyan as its National Tree,
and roots that go back a long way.

Rich is its heritage and culture,
Both diverse, but in harmony;
Ever progressive in nature,
the nation strives for unity.

Every time I see the national flag
I feel a surge of emotion
Proud I am like a golden stag
to call myself an Indian.  

Poem: If sky is the limit

Once a gentle voice in me
spoke as I sat feeling low,
“Keep your little mind free
of thoughts that constantly flow.”

“Fear not, my child” it said to me
“of dreaming big and bold;
For ‘big’ is all about how you see
and ‘bold’ is how you behold.”

Louder grew the subtle voice

and stronger my self-esteem,
“It’s all about just that one choice
of believing in what you dream.”

The voice echoed inside my heart
and slowly the message dawned,
“Nothing works unless you start;
If sky is the limit, aim beyond.”

(Wrote this one for Big Idea WizKid 2013.)

An interesting article on Tea

2012 ---> 2013

The year 2012 was one of the best years of my life. A lot of things happened. There were both ups and downs. Nonetheless, it was an awesome year.

Recap of 2012

Jan - Started off with Coldplay Concert in Yas Island, Abu Dhabi – one of the best experiences of my life shared with my brother.

Feb – situation got a little nasty but managed to survive and stay happy.

March – 9^th grade exams were scary, but the results were good enough.
Went on a Europe trip; visited Paris, Switzerland, Italy and Vatican City with friends, made new friends, had the most memorable time of my life.

April – 10^th grade began and made many lives hell.

May – Got to play the lead role in a musical conducted in our school. And suddenly, I was famous. It was quite an experience. Worked really hard. Bunked a lot of classes in the name of practice.

June – The school’s Annual Prize Day functions went well. Lot of catching up to do in studies. Embarrassed myself in an inter-school competition, Won 2^nd prize for the third time in Talent Contest group western singing category (was slightly disappointed about not getting 1^st place).

July – Went to India on vacation. Made a family trip to Ooty and Coonoor – beautiful places! Watched the much awaited Christopher Nolan movie The Dark Knight Rises as part of post birthday celebration with my bro.

August – Sat at home the whole month, did nothing and became lazy. Watched The Dark Knight Rises again in IMAX, won its merchandise.

Sept – School re-opened, life became hell. Made a few changes.

Oct – School remained open, exams nearly killed us all. Regretted making changes.

Nov – was a slightly depressing month. Spotted my first strand of grey hair. Won AED 1300 worth gift card. Decided to make a life-changing decision. 

Dec – Was a month of few surprises and drama. The world did not end, 21^st December was a disappointment. Watched the much awaited Peter Jackson movie The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. Recorded a song.
Spent the last day of the year with a wonderful friend.

Although it did not end with a bang, 2012 turned out to be a really good year.
(Thank God!)
Hope 2013 turns out to be even better… a Happy New Year to all!

New Year Resolutions: Stick to whatever resolutions made.

...Now let’s watch the movie 2012 and laugh.

Poem: A Shadow that will Always Follow

(Here is the extended version of the poem)

Whatever I do, where ever I go
it follows me like a shadow;
but Guilt is a price you pay for crimes
you do, for causing sorrow

With the dagger of Guilt pierced
 in my heart, I know I am to blame;
yet I wish I really don’t have to
hang my head in shame

Above, the truth shines like the sun,
causing the shadow below;
it is the price for what I've done,
a shadow that will always follow

Whatever I do, where ever I go
it will follow me like a shadow,
this Guilt will always make me feel
as if there’s no tomorrow.

Poem: Break free

______ _ ______

Is truth ugly?

   We all like to believe that the world is a nice place to live in, even if deep down we know that it is not as nice as it appears. We want to believe that life is a great journey through paths strewn with roses of joy and celebration alone, while the truth is that life is a journey through paths meandering between pleasure and pain. We choose to believe whatever that appears logical to us, although there are many things that are beyond the comprehension of our rational mind. We choose to believe things that would make us ever joyful and happy and never sad and remorseful, even though we know that it is all a lie.

   Many times we choose to believe anything but the truth and then one fine morning reality hits us hard on our face. We finally realize the truth and then blame everything on it. We call truth ugly.
But are we right?

   Looking back at what I had said in the beginning, you will notice that I have begun my sentences with 'We like to believe', 'We want to believe' and 'We choose to believe'. This shows that we have a choice whether and what to believe. We are always given a choice on what to believe and what not to. And often we make the mistake of making a choice on the basis of what we like or want and not on our perception of what is right and wrong (which again depends on whether your perception is right).

   If we had chosen to believe the truth, the reality wouldn't have hit us that hard. The truth is and will always remain the same, it will never go wrong. So who is to be blamed - The truth or ourselves? Is truth ugly?
   The truth is not ugly. It is profound, it is timeless and beautiful. It is but our mind, filled with illusions, that perceives truth as ugly. It is because we do not understand it.

   By now, you must be wondering what this ‘truth’ that I’ve been talking about really is. Here it is –
The world is illusion in which change is the only permanent thing. The world will not give us the happiness we seek. True happiness can only be achieved by attaining self-realization or Godhead, which is the ultimate purpose of human life.
       Time and again, this truth has been taught to us through our holy books. Sadly, mankind has forgotten this truth and has remained ignorant towards these teachings. Very few actually realize this truth today.

    ‘The purpose of human life’ is a topic that most people find uninteresting because they are all busy in ‘the more important duties of life’ like focusing on their family, studies, career, ways to make more money, trying to lead a luxurious life, etc. – in other words, they are all busy in the pursuit of happiness.

   Unfortunately, what they do not realize is that true happiness – which is what everybody is indeed seeking for knowingly or unknowingly – lies not in the materialistic world, but within oneself. They do not realize this important truth and try to get away from it.

   Most often we choose to simply not pay much heed to the fact that our real purpose on earth is to attain Godhead. We often speak of liberation, but we rarely give it a serious thought. Even as I speak of it, the goal of attaining self-realization might seem far away. However, that is no excuse for not reaching for the goal. Maybe it is time we give it a serious thought.

The humankind is blinded by illusion. The truth is immortal, profound and beautiful. However, we are unable to perceive it that way; we find it hard to comprehend. This is because of the mind. The mind is the illusionist; however, it is not to be seen as an enemy. The mind acts as a veil in between the soul and The Supreme. If only we are able to remove this veil, if only we drop the mind, we might find what we seek so desperately within.
Maybe we should all just contemplate on this for a while.

The Face-wash incident

   It happened on a certain Thursday evening. I was alone at home enjoying a cup of tea, when I remembered that I had to take an important printout. Since I did not own a printer, I decided to go to the printer shop. As I was walking back from the shop, I stopped and observed my reflection on one of the glass panes of the building. I took one look at the reflection of my pimple-covered face and decided to go to the supermarket nearby right away, since buying my face-wash had now become the most urgent thing in my to-do list. 'Perhaps it must have been the dirty spotted glass pane and not your face' suggested a tiny voice in my head. But c'mon, who are we kidding?

   I headed straight towards the ‘toiletries section’ and began to search for the only particular face-wash that helped remove the pimples from my face. There it was, sitting on one of the shelves – its vivid green colour unmistakable. My face brightened up the moment I set eyes on it. However, when I read the price of the item, my face fell. “Twenty-three dirhams and fifty fils!” I exclaimed. The sales lady beside me threw me a dirty look. I rummaged my purse to see how much money I had brought with me. There were more coins than notes. I had precisely Twenty-two dirhams and seventy-five fils with me. Not a dime (here, fils) more.

   It was appalling. ‘If only I had one more dirham’ I said to myself wistfully. And then an idea struck me. Although it did take some guts and shamelessness to do it, I decided to give it a try. I went to the sales lady standing next to me and asked if she would lend me a dirham. I explained my predicament and she listened to me intently. After I was done, she pointed to one of the other products in the shelf and suggested perhaps I should buy something that was within my budget. But I was stubborn and once again reminded her that only this particular product helped me get rid of my pimples. She then said, “I’m sorry, in that case I can’t help you” and left. I threw her a look of disgust and called her a b**** in my head.

   Now there were only two options left. The first one was to pickpocket someone. However, I dismissed the idea since it didn’t seem like the right thing to do and there was a camera right above my head. Moreover, I was no skilled pickpocket and I lacked the guts and ‘guiltlessness’ to do it. The second option – now my only choice – was to go all the way back to my house, get some more money and go back to the supermarket and buy my face-wash. A tiny voice in my head then suggested, ‘Can’t it wait?’ However, I was now bent on buying it and I could not go on without my face-wash another morning.

   So I resorted to the second option, but instead of going all the way back to my apartment, I borrowed ten bucks from the generous security guard of the building. Then I went all the way back to the supermarket and along with my face-wash, bought some chocolates and an energy drink with the new found money. The chocolates and the energy drink somewhat compensated the happiness and energy that had been wasted in the whole process.

   When I went back to my building, I thanked and promised the guard that I will return his money back tomorrow and made my way upstairs to my apartment. I fumbled in my pant pockets for my house key; and here is where something went wrong - my fingers stumbled across the soft surface of a smooth piece of paper. Suddenly something struck in my mind and it felt as if somebody had punched my face. All this time I have had it in my pocket, and like a fool I had run up and down the place twice searching for what I had needed the most – a solid note of twenty bucks!

   That day, I realized something after going over the whole incident again in my head. We often search everywhere around us desperately for something we really want, but often we forget that the thing we are searching for might be lying with us all this time. That day, I learnt something: Always check your pockets.

   But what I was really proud of at the end of the whole incident, was that I managed to simply laugh it off.

Poem: Mother

This is a short poem I wrote on Mother's Day for my mom. :)


Mother

She always knows what is best,
She's the one who guards the nest,
She takes good care of all the rest,
She is my beloved mother.

When life becomes so tough and hard,
When the world becomes a bother,
When everything seems to fall apart
I run and hug my mother.

Every morning I see her face,
She kisses me every day,
And every night in her embrace
I pray forever I'll stay.
......................................................

Happy Mother's Day! =)

Poem: I dream of a better world

Wrote this for a writing contest in school based on the theme - World Peace and Harmony.

I dream of a better world

.We live in a world
.where wars are fought
.to bring about peace

.We live in a world where
.criminals are not caught
.but innocents are seized

.We live in a world where
.One man's pleasure
.is another man's pain

.We live in a world where
.One man's lost treasure
.might be another man's gain

.But I dream of a better world

.A world where all
.walk hand in hand,
.saying, "Divided we fall,
.United we stand"

.A world that heeds
.to righteous deeds
.and answers the call
.when its time to lead

.A world where people
.are bound by love
.and respects the laws
.of the One Above

.In the kind of world I dream,
.every child knows how to beam
.and knows not what is agony,
.but lives in peace and harmony.

By Me :)