Rhythmic Rhymes

Two Roads diverged in the yellow woods & I, Took the one less travelled by, And that has made all the difference, Or so I have heard them say, And I am sure you have too. Why difference did it make I wonder, Because I was the only one yonder? None to challenge me there, None to help me as well, Left to my own struggle was I. Or maybe because I took a risk there, With no one to laugh at my failure, Oh what confidence it gave me, That I was standing on my own two feet, Without the support of any other. Afraid of taking risks we are not, In the web of failure fear we get caught, More on others we have learnt to depend, So we don't believe we have got the strength, To get up alone and go on. So that is what they imply, When they say two roads diverged in the woods and I, Took the one less travelled by, And that made all the difference, Because of the strength I believed I had.

Life never comes at an easy pace, We always seem to get caught in its race, For fame, money, career map, Each one gets in it trapped. There are exams to give, degrees to get, Entrances to be cracked, expectations to be met, Milestones to be left behind as goals are pursued At a reckless pace, there is no solitude. We need to run, the future tugs, Everyone has been bitten by the career bug, We need to slog, the competition is intense, If we don't want to perish, we must excel. The brain will be taxed by tensions new, Moments of relaxation will be far and few, Energy will be sapped while career we make, But we can't pause with future at stake. On our toes we need to be all the time, Juggling education, career, and family life, Multi tasking is the need of the hour, Various things need to be kept in our power. In midst of all this we may lose the strength, At some point of time the motivation may end, The enormity of task...

There away he goes, Accompanied by noise of dhols, With dancing men & women playing lead, As to their favorite, adieu they bid. Its a moment of sadness & pain, 11 days of joy have come to an end, Though decked up & noisy the procession, Its anything but a celebration. 11 days ago in great pomp he came, The adorable deity of elephant-faced fame, At homes, societies & mandals established with love great, Each one eager to pamper their favorite. Letting their imaginations run wild, Creatively his 'Asana' they have designed, Chariots, temples, eco-friendly sets, There is no end to the variety one gets. Decorated & worshipped with durva & flowers, Hoping by his blessings to be showered, All kinds of delicacies make way, Including his favorite modaks, laddoos & pedhe. Day & night his praises are sung, His prasad is enjoyed by the old & the young, For most this festival also becomes an occassio...

I met a number of people one day, They were from different ages, castes & race, Had I understood what their eyes had spoken, I would have realized that they had their hearts broken. A young girl she was with a brother younger to her, Their dearest mother was battling the deadly cancer, The harsh shattering truth they were unable to believe, That she had just about 6 months more to live. He was a teenage boy living with only his dad, But now the father, a heart stroke he had, Traumatized the boy is with simply the thought, That he may be about to lose the only parent he had got. A woman awaiting her husband at night, Got a call that shattered her entire life, Her husband got killed in an accident to his car, Due to another driver who was under the influence of alcohol. A man was struggling with some inexpressible emotion,His wife had just died during child birth, He had to hide his pain & bring up their kid on his own, Without letting the child ever fe...

No peace in life, so much rat race around, In a world of tension we are drowned, No time to relax, deadlines surround, All smiles are replaced by frowns. Future of the country dangles, politics is in a mess, Entertainment is also on the rocks, Match fixing scandals & scams are topics of interest, Each day a new opportunity for gossip knocks. The girl child problem, it just refuses to cease, Rape cases have stopped making news, Trying to compromise with the situation, with the problem that doesn't decrease, As issues over the safety of girls continue. The deadly competition, future of individuals it affects, All people worried about their families, Marks, exams, interviews, these are the main suspects, That refuse to let live a single soul happily. Worrying about the future, we forget to live in the now, Worth enjoying are so many moments, There is so much to smile about, so much to love, Instead of which over several things we lam...

A number of people set out one day, Different their origins were, different their heart's desires lay, But for this once their destination was the same, And to reach that end, together they came. The purpose of the journey however was not the same for all, For some it was fun, others were answering their job calls, For some it was experience new, for others it was routine, While some others were after a long time visiting their kith and kin. Excitement, apprehension or boredom was in their hearts, Their minds pre occupied with exciting or work related thoughts, Carrying all the diversity into the sky the flight inhabitants all, As the pilot was fighting desperately to gain control. For the entire world it was curiosity and shock profound, How a huge aircraft suddenly vanished and was not to be found, 26 countries joined in the search, But day after day revealed nothing much. The relatives of those people were sick with worry and fear, Minds filled with apprehe...

Calmness and serenity are flowing around, There is not a noise, nor any unnecessary sound, Everything has just come to a standstill, I am the only one present I feel.   The sun has just set in the sky, The horizon looks pinkish and shy, A light breeze is tickling my face, Of restlessness there isn’t a trace.   The numerous birds are making their way, Back to their nests, its the end of the day, Their chirp is like music to my ears, Driving away from my heart all doubts and fears.   Around me all the trees, Are swaying in tune with the breeze, The entire nature is in harmony, And to itself it is beckoning me.   When the busy life gives you a chance, Take that one moment to pause, Appreciate the nature and its beauty, It will for sure bless you with calmness and serenity.

Numerous times in my mind a question pops, And whenever it does it troubles me non stop, Restless it makes me over and over, And then the fear of death begins to tower.   Impossible it is for me to imagine, A dead person's after death scene, What exactly happens when death plays its part? Does as per mythology an after life start?   Is the soul then consciously aware, Of his travel to another world through air, Of the fact that his life on Earth no longer exists, Of his earlier life cycle gist?   Does he really meet there some unearthly being, Who recounts to him his life's achievements and misgivings, And assigns him a place in heaven or in hell, And then with the rest of inmates does he gell?   Does he meet the other souls of his life, His parents, grandparents, friends, children, husband or wife, Those of whom he had lost to this world prior to him, Does he get to interact there too with his kith and kin?   D...

There are some feelings in my heart, Feelings wanting to make themselves felt, Feelings that I wish to sort out for a start, Feelings that I later want to get rid of as well.   There is a feeling of anger in my heart, For all those beings with screwed up mentality, Harming innocents by their gruesome brutal acts, And getting away despite all their profanity.   There is a feeling of disgust in my heart, For all those inhumane beasts out there, And for all those who defend or protect them on their part, Blaming the blameless with a superior air.   There is a feeling of sadness in my heart, For all those suffering needlessly, Affected by inhuman acts from near and far, And by cheaters who betray their trust shamelessly.   There is a feeling of indignance in my heart, For all the injustice happening around, Where the guilty are defended and are free to dart, And in the wounded innocents the fault is...

Host of things happen around me, I am but a silent spectator, And despite the sympathetic sadness there is some security, That I am safe and secure in my own world.   Earthquakes crack up some places, Destroying lives, families and homes, Can one help the thoughts in traces, That those killed were not my very own??   Terror attacks and bomb blasts so common today, Thousands of lives they take, And all I do is go and pray, That give their souls peace and keep us safe.   Girls and women attacked and raped everywhere, It makes me tearful, restless and angry, But above everything all that I care, Is that Thank God it was not me!   That experience that left me shattered, And put me in a traumatic phase, Before that all that had mattered, Was that me and my people were not that victimized case.   Is that why it happened to me? To give me that important lesson to learn, That when it al...

A girl in pain; A girl on road, Lying raped and naked and left to pray, Millions pass; but not one helps, Is humanity left in this world; I say.   The rain pours; a city floods, And people get lost and drowned during the lighting and thunder, Strangers risk their lives; to strangers save, Is that my answer, I wonder.   Helpless old people looted and killed, Living alone and left to their fate, Does no one pity them, does no one care? Has humanity been taken over by hate?   Some brave souls on the road, Fighting ruffians to save someone, Taking the blow while protecting a stranger, Is that my answer; another one?   Two army youths slashed brutally, No compassion no kindness shown, The country shocked; and angered much, Has humanity to dogs been thrown??   The army stands at border straight, Sleeplessly and bravely the country it guards, Ready to sacrifice its life for the nation,...

Life is a strange journey; Sometimes rough, sometimes smooth; Time and again it makes us wonder; What is it that makes us move.   Life is a strange journey; Meaningless at times; It makes u ask what purpose; Do the learnt values serve during strife.   Life is a strange journey; Too short to waste crying; But long enough for us to succeed; In whatever endeavor we keep trying.   Life is a strange journey; It makes u think when u least want to; To throw your mind into the past misgivings; When a bright future beckons u.   Life is a strange journey; Sometimes smooth, sometimes rough; It is upto u what u choose to see it as; An easy sailing or a journey tough.   Life is a strange journey; Think of it as what u want; But ultimately in your life that tree will grow; The seed of which u will plant.   Life is a strange journey; Sometimes rough, sometimes smooth; Time ...

Circumstances sometimes force you to choose, Something that you would rather not, At such times there goes on a strife profuse, Between your yearning heart and logical thought.   You would prefer to risk it all, And go there where your heart leads, But you know that what you need is a safe & sure job, To wipe away all those worry kneads.   You would like to go away, To someplace where your heart and mind will soar, But what is required of you is to stay, And get through the daily monotonous chores.   You would choose to favor the easy path, Because you are afraid of obstacles on the other one, But you are forced to go for the tough part, The path which can give you a successful run.   You go against your heart, your dreams and your wishes, You feel you are in for a disappointing or humdrum life, But you don’t see the pleasant surprises that for you life dishes, For with distress and dilemma ...

There comes a time in everyone’s life, The time when life brings us to such a crossroad, That we become unconscious to every shock or surprise, And all things cease to matter anymore.   There comes a time when the road does turn, When you would rather have it simple and straight, But after a while accustomed you become, To the unpleasant and unwanted twist in your fate.   There comes a time when you mess up big-time, Things that are of immense importance, When things seem to happen for no reason or rhyme, And nothing that you do gains acceptance.   There comes a time when the passion for work cools down, And worthless seems anything that you do, When each little smile is replaced by a frown, And no point is worthy enough to prove.   There comes a time when tears are tough to come, And smile is the hardest thing to muster, When to each shock you remain senseless and numb, And in your mind confusi...

Some events you can foresee coming all along, While some just spring out of the blue, And they make me wonder whether what is said is wrong, That all the things that happen, happen only for the good.   Happiness or Distress that last only for some moments, The short-lived results of some short lived act, And whether you rejoice for it or whether you lament, You need not worry about it for long and that’s a fact.   Some happenings may probably change your lives, Or atleast to a large extent it may affect, Like a well deserved success after many tries, Or a heavy loss that you may least expect.   Some that do come in gradually you can foresee, So that to encounter the event you are well prepared, Then neither does good news evoke your ecstasy, Nor does a tragedy make you lose the cool of your head.   Most of the events are such that they catch us unawares, And more often than not they make us shocked, m...

Peace or violence, with humans you never know, When love will sprout or when seeds of hatred will be sown, When in humanity & compassion people may find satiety, Or when the lust to kill will choke up all their pity.   The bitterness in the human heart is like a patch of rust, More the time you provide for it to go but spread all over it must, For all the time inadvertently it is exposed & encouraged by all, Till it begins to loom bigger than the source which started it all.   Peace, harmony & brotherhood prevail in times of trouble, Which in the company of like men seems to disappear like a bubble, It is true that in times of need often united they stand, And peace regales on this Earth as the people live hand in hand.   But at times mad violence destructs this harmony & peace, Fear & terror of its outcome each person’s face does it kiss, Someplace this hatred reaps for someplace it had been sown,...

Why feel so upset and look so glum, Just because a few things in life went wrong, Troubles will go and troubles will come, They are there just to make us strong!   Look at the wonderful nature all around, a great example of a cheerful fight against all worry, Although in threads of care nature too is wound, Yet each component of it is worth some individual glory.   When the power of storm casts on the Earth a gloom, And the world is enveloped in a dull darkness, The sun suddenly spins out on its invisible loom, A thin ray of sunshine which spreads some brightness.   The seemingly carefree birds so happily keep flying, Chirping and singing cheerful songs with no mortal fear, Oblivious of the snare & the trap & the net & the birdlime, Never hopeless for they know that there is hope even in despair!   Each part of nature has a message to convey, So learn from the nature all around, Even the m...

A little bird on my window sill, chirping its sweet song, So pretty was it that my eyes followed him along, As it hopped and twittered around, I couldn’t take my eyes off him, And when he sang a melody aloud my heart was filled with happiness to the brim.   He was a brown, chubby, tiny little thing, with a sharp, long beak, And he looked at me with his beady black eyes as if willing me to speak, And speak I did, quite involuntarily though, the words just came from my mouth, “Oh! You are such a pretty, adorable little thing!” I impulsively quoth aloud.   The little bird jumped merrily around, pecking into this pot and that, But he looked at me from time to time, like an inquisitive cat, His heart was bubbling with happiness and joy as it flitted up and down, And it made me smile with sheer delight and gently wiped out my frown.   So many hardships I had gone through recently that I had almost given up hope, But now watchi...

The Earth dry and bare; waiting eagerly for the drops of care; Caught in the hot, steaming summer’s snare; The flowers and creepers decorating window sills; all look desolate and ill; As the nature withers away in the sun’s merciless glare.   The men and the wives; the kids and the wild; All are enduring the summer’s waterless exile; They are waiting for the rain; to relieve them of the heat pain; And of that life which has become a sweaty turmoil.   The wind strong and gusty; makes the roads yellow and dusty; And the air around becomes suffocating and musty; The birds forget to sing; their lilting, musical thing; Even as the tree leaves wristle and make noise so husky.   Then come the Monsoon showers; falling first on boughs and flowers; Making the trees and plants glisten and glower; So the monsoon comes in grace; driving away summer’s trace; Lashing at window-panes with its all-reigning power.   As th...