Banking on banks....???

Rowing smoothly in the river of life,
I made some money selling fish on the banks
But then came a tiger in the garb of a cow
He called himself "a bank on whom I could always bank."
Said he,"Gimme you're money, you won't have to row,
"Let's invest now and reap a lot tomorrow.
You're bailed out, you're insured, you and I
Let's give up the river and plunge into the ocean.
So what, if you have less as of now? Buy, you can
And pay in bits over time you can."
I plunged to enjoy the oceans blue,
Crossing the bounds that I never ever knew.
And then blew the winds of change so fast,
Helter skelter I ran for the mast.
Never did I know that a tide so high,
Could plunge so deep with no relief for a sigh!
No land in sight and none to bail out
Trapped in the ocean of debt I thought,
The river was small and so was my catch,
But the peace I had, had no match.
The Masters are true, I realise today,
Enjoy the little that you have today,
Tomorrow shall shine and show the way
For a little more to grow in the right way!!

My Love

I hadn't written a romantic poem before, but I was challenged and it happened on one fine morning. Enjoy(tolerate) reading

Your smile is like the hues of dawn,
Your eyes, like flowers on the lush green lawn,
You walk past me like a fragrant breeze,
Your very presence puts me at ease,
Your sweet words put the cuckoo to shame,
Can I Oh honey, give you a name?
You’re purity personified like the lotus leaf,
To the worldly talk, your ears are deaf,
You’re majesty is like the Ganges divine,
Take me into your fold Oh my love pristine.
I don’t want a tale on the sands of time,
Nor is my love bound by Nature’s clime.
I know not Meera’s yearning in trance,
Nor Radha’s love in her cosmic dance.
My love is in my heart, it’s my breath and my life,
Make my life a part of your life.

Vaishno Devi

My recent visit to Vaishno Devi taught me some important lessons. It's needless to say that the picturusque mountains and the location of the deity are a real treat to the eye. The visit also was a show case of the faith that Indians have in Vaishno Devi and indeed, it taught me that there is trmendous power in faith. But above all, an important question that I have been asking many is the difficult terrain that one has to pass through to get 'darshan'. It's not just Vaishno Devi, but there are several holy places in India which are located in places that pose a great difficulty in reaching them. The answer to this question occured to me during the long trek that took me to feet of the Lord.
We started our ascent sometime at 9.00 p.m. Five of us we were, all eager to reach the top of the hill, started are journey talking to each other, looking at passers by, palanquins and horses straddling ahead, helpers carrying kids on their shoulders, groups of devotees chanting Jai Mata di amidst the hustling pathway rich in bright colours by the decorative shops of the numerous vendors. A little more into the journey and I could see some of us compete with each other trying to show the agility and speed with which we could ascend. And periodically, we all would look at the hill top and crib that it's quite a long journey. A heavy body that I carried on my feet, I soon realised that the ascent was not going to be that easy and my brisk friends were no match for me to catch up with. I looked at the hill top and again at my friends and said to myself, "Boss, yeh to bada mushkil lagta hai. My friends call me Dada. And what the hell? I can't climb a mountain that is being fathomed by hundreds of people older than I am ? Shame on me." And as we walked I could see all of us getting tired and sitting on the roadside drinking some water or tea or whatever was available. And as we proceeded, again the thought of covering such a long distance bothered me. I was not tired, but I felt I should sit aside and spend a few moments with myself and think. As I was thinking, I suddenly decided that I would stop looking at the destination, I would stop looking at others speed past me, I would slow down and choose my own speed so that I do not get tired. The path is known and the destination too. I have to reach there and Vaishno Devi won't question me for having reached a bit late. Why worry then? These words kept ringing in my ears, "Move on traveller, move on. Think not of what others think of you. You are alone and you, and you alone are your guide. Move on, you shall reach the destination. Keep walking..." With these words in mind, I got up and started walking slowly and steadily acheiving a speed that was as good as stationary - a sort of a quasi static walk. My friends left me behind and went at their speed. The world moved on, the horses straddled ahead, the palanquins were swift, children ran up, older men were sometimes faster than me, but I didn't see them. I too started chanting the name of the Lord like many others and kept walking at my speed - no tension, no fatigue and it was fun. And my friends reached the destination and were waiting for me to reach there. With hands joined, I entered the temple and amidst the vociferousness of the devotees and the ushers, I could feel a great peace within. It was indeed a great experience.
And then we all walked back and had a gala time. Yes indeed, I learnt that the journey is as important as the destination and yes, looking within is as important as, or infact more important than looking without. It appears that all the holy places which are in such mountainous regions drive home this point. But then, we have roads carved out, helipads etc. for the physically weak and for the VIPs. I wonder if the VIPs have learnt what I learnt by landing in front of the diety in no time. I guess they've already learnt it. That's why they are so fast!!

Tagore revisited..

Where the head is held high and the mind is without fear
A place like this I wish to see, feel and hear
Gone are those days, Oh Tagore!
The mind merely says, “Gimme more”
New is getting older faster than the old,
Is change so rapid imperative for gold?
Government after government, reform after reform,
Give up the old and live up to transform
Minerals and mines, coal and power,
Roads and bridges, bikes and cars,
A click, a shot and a million for a dot,
That’s business at the speed of thought
Stock markets and bull fights,
Blinking in sleepless nights,
Dance all night and break all loose
Lose yourself in a sip of booze
Dreams of the dollar, the euro and the pound
Bliss in opulence is what we hound
Your struggle oh soul for the unseen utopia
Is today a day dreamer’s myopia
Come back oh Lord like Krishna or Christ
Lead us again from darkness to light,
Let the land rise from its slumber in pleasure
Into a land of pure knowledge as treasure
Let every ritual give meaning to life
And end the fundamentalist’s age old strife
Make this land a garden of peace
Make this mind an abode of bliss
With the head held high and the mind without fear….

Another drop in the ocean

Millions of minds - each mind with multitudes of thoughts. What a treasure of accumulated thoughts with unimaginable depths and breadths!! Some of these find space in the world of words and some remain hidden in the form of actions that speak louder than words, and many neither find words nor action. Amidst this vast ocean are a few thoughts of this mind that constitute nothing more than a drop. The drop though, wants to give rise to a rainbow that adds to the vibrant hues of the world. Do see if you can find some colour coming out of this drop in the vast ocean of thoughts.