Tears Aren't Taboo

When was the last time you cried your heart out

and did not apologise?

When life got all messy

with your nose running streams as much as your eyes?

And your face looked like a thunderstorm waiting to happen?

You did not wait for the rain to disguise those tears.

You did not rush to the bathroom so you wouldn't be heard.
When was the last time?

Have you been stopping yourself from crying 

because they say 'girls cry all the time'?

Or you did not let that tear drop

because 'boys do not cry'?

You did not fully cry out your heart-break

when your heart was shredded,

your trust betrayed,

your dreams stamped on,

your expectations crushed.

You did not let your weary soul wail
and let out the pain it's been barricading.

You've been holding it all in for so long,

the wounds remain sore.

You've 'toughened' up

so much 

that you've turned your heart to stone.

You've stopped yourself from feeling,

letting the dams break

to release the reservoir within,

Because, they say, tears are for the 'weak'.

When was the last time you cried your heart out

and did not apologise for being the mess you aren't allowed to be?

When was the last time you cried your heart out 

and just cried?

The Deafening​ Silence

As she sat at her laptop, she paused for a while.

She was talking a whole lot without even opening her mouth.
Her fingers now moved faster across the keys,
Some might call it a skill
But she called it a handicap.
Her ability with words was slowly turning her speechless/
She wrote now, for others;
She spoke, for others'
She spoke, when her fingers flew across the keys.

Her space, as she called it, was right there.
It was when technology sat by her bedside when no one else did..
She did reach out to many, but that was in her 'virtual' space
In the physical... It was her and the damned device.

As her thoughts grew louder and louder
Her voice grew softer and softer.
She had so much to say
But no one to listen.
If someone were here would they want to listen?
She wasn't sure anymore if she could speak as easily and freely as her thoughts flowed.
No 'backspace', no 'delete' buttons, that she had grown so accustomed to.
As time passed she resigned to it,
She knew she would have to accept it,
She would gradually come to terms with the deafening silence!

The Littlest Lights

It's always the littlest lights

The ones that flicker

The ones that waver

At the slightest attempt to put them out.

It's always the littlest ones.

Give them space to breathe

And a chance to grow
They'll steadily learn to shine
Even when the tough winds blow

And you'll see their light dance in your eyes.

It's always the littlest lights.

Some wrongs are forever

As she sat with her 4 year old

Teaching him how to read and write;

She decided to take the lesson further

And also teach him wrong from right.

“Freedom comes with boundaries”, she told him,

“Each person has their own space.

“Your freedom doesn’t allow you to invade their boundaries.

Promise me you’ll never bring me disgrace!”

Trying to figure out what his mother meant

He listened to her attentively, unfazed

“Every time you choose to act,” she told him, “Remember,

“There are some actions that can never be erased!”

My angel in disguise

The universe heard a prayer

Sent up to the sun and skies,

“We need help here on Earth

Could you send down an angel in disguise?”

So the Earth was blessed with…

Well, she just looked human.

She was just like the rest of us.

What was God proovin’?

Then we began to see the wonders

This human could do.

Her wide eyes and infectious laugh

Affected others too.

Her magic slowly began to appear

When she sought to help others in need.

She didn't know that was to be her calling

Her vocation, her good deed.

It wasn't all sunshine and rainbows;

There've been plenty of falls.

She picked herself up, brushed herself off

And trudged onward through it all.

Battered and worn

Like a well-weathered stone,

She emerges like a diamond.

Through​ the process, she has grown.

Her brilliance lights other's lives

Guiding them to the right path.

Her heart is the fireplace we need

To bring warmth to our home and hearth.

Some angels forget they are angels

In their struggles on this Earth.

But we should always send up a prayer of thanks

For the day they were given birth!

Should we tell you what we want?

Should we tell you what we want?

What we really, really want?

A helping hand when we require. Yes, even in the household chores

Why we were assigned them at birth, nobody really knows.

Y'all seem the best hosts when you go out of your way to serve guests

But it's in the daily deeds and the people who know you that you need to impress.

We don't deserve condescension. Don't command, demand, expect or order

Talk with us, not at us. Would a simple request be too much of a bother?

Spend time with the children. You know, they're yours too.

To know and to cherish and not just to brag about others to.

We're not just better or worse halves. We do make a whole on our own.

When given the opportunity, more than the brightest stars we've shone!

Flowers and gifts are beautiful. But those won't change our lives

What we need is respect as equals, when that happens it will truly be a beautiful surprise.

Angels have Fallen

Life might finally get better for the down-trodden

Let’s thank the heavens, coz the angels have fallen

 

They are badass, they are strong

They won't accept life done wrong

You won’t see their wings, you won’t see their halos

You’ll feel their presence when the unjust receive blows

They’re finally here among us, they don’t apologise

When they untiringly work to call out the bad guys

 

You might try to look for them but you really need to see

They work their wonders in ordinary ways, they look like you and me

When you look around and see injustice, plunder, deceit and lies

Get to work, you. You might be an angel in disguise.

Dying Fields, Dying We

Money may grow from trees,
But they don't really help trees grow
We keep telling the government
But, our needs, they ignore

Yes, subsidies and waivers help
They make the cross lighter
But the burden is still too heavy to bear
What with our pockets getting lighter

No water for our crops to grow
No water for us too
No water for a sustenance
The money won't bring water true

The fields are greener
On the other side. That's true.
The fields that have machines and fertilisers
The villages that have electricity too

The middle keeps growing
I mean, the men in the middle
They take away our harvest for a pittance
Are we just playing second fiddle?

Working dawn to dusk, we are
Burning our backs in the sweltering heat
Our families pushing themselves to their limits
Three meals, sometimes, is a great treat.

We can't promise our children a better fate than us
They must work with us in the field
We can't afford to send them to school
Until our farmlands truly bring yield

Even those who want and can give their children an education
The future doesn't hold much
A classroom barely lit, a room that's rubble
Is 1st standard a qualification as such?

We've protested, we've rallied, unions we formed
We've screamed ourselves hoarse, we've whispered our plea
Our fields are dying, can anyone hear us?
Our fields are dying and so are we...

Whirlwind

A whirlwind
in chaos and mayhem
looking for a bit a peace and quiet
they found each other

Now they are lost in their whirlwind

Hands

Her hands were delicate, slender
She created words with them
Words that travelled countries in the span of seconds
She brought colour to life
Charcoal, under her hand, dashed across the paper
Seamless on easels
Just like the black and white keys
That bent to her touch
They seemed to understand the beauty of submission
They were, after all, a means towards an end
An end that left listeners astounded.
Her hands were delicate, slender...

Miners

Miners
Wonder what they were looking for
Gold? Money?
Or love?

He needed to prove
that he could care for his wife-to-be

Mining
He put his life at risk for the life he loved

Shells

Wrinkles or ridges

Radiating

Natural beauty

Protecting preciousness

Floating on undulating waters

Seeking new shores

Shells

or her mother?

Soft toys

As she glanced at the soft toys

She was reminded of a childhood gone by

Soft. Toy.

Why had he handled her so?

Courage

There was a lump stuck in her throat

While her heart beat thunderously inside her chest

Dare she say what was on her mind?

Should she take the plunge?

The answer could change her life

For better or for worse

She took a deep breath and began….

Life changed.

A Friend or a Foe

An ally, a friend, a lover, a foe

Which one would help you, do you really know?

When the tides turn and circumstances change

And priorities begin to rearrange

You might learn a lesson that’s hard to forget

When a foe fought the world for you with no regret

A Strange World

What a strange world it seems to me

The world where others yearn to be

To be the alpha, the omega, the King of all

To do the things that can make your stomach crawl

Why must you do the things you dislike?

I ask myself the same at the turn of a spike

To do what one wants more than what one needs

To satisfy our wants and our greeds

That we turn into another version of ourselves

The real us, hidden so far beneath the shelves

What a strange world it seems to me

The world that doesn’t ask me to be me

Expectations

Disappointment

Expectations and reality

Whose fault is it really?

We build it up inside our head

The perfect gift, the perfect life, the perfect scenario, the perfect people

But

What is perfect?

Life isn’t!

When the world we built inside our mind comes crashing down on us

The heartbreak seems impossible to cure

How? Why? Why me?

Reality seems tough

The bubble seemed beautiful

And we long to go back

But living in the bubble doesn’t bode well

For anyone

Let’s break the bubble

Let’s build the bridge

Between our expectations and reality

Let’s make our dreams come true

Let’s let our hearts break

And mend and maybe break again

Why hide it in a closet and not give it a chance at all?

Reality may not always be kind to us

But

Let’s give life a chance

Grey

Sometimes words are hard to find

Even when there’s so much on your mind

Which words are right? Which ones are wrong?

Do I still have to sound strong?

To put on a brave face and smile through

When the skies are grey and you’re feeling blue

When the waves crash over and drip down your cheeks

And you wipe them away before someone sneaks a peak

Things don’t make sense, yet you try to push on

Coz somewhere, someday there’ll be a new dawn

Though your world seems to be caving in today

Maybe that ‘someday’ isn’t too far away

Some days are duller than others, just wait for the sun to shine through

The turmoil inside will be laid to rest and soon you’ll be brand new

When Time Runs Out

Why is it only when someone dies
Do we truly realise their worth?
That we didn't tell them "I love you" enough then
But only when we feel their dearth?

Sure we hugged and kissed
And had a jolly good time.
We laughed, cried and played about
While the sands of time trickled by.

We weren't warned that our time was running out
Sure we knew that life isn't always a glass half-full
But we thought we'd grow old together
Why did time treat us so cruel?

To rob someone of life's chances
And experiences of growing old;
To live the life they dreamed of
And watch opportunities unfold.

All the plans planned, all the schedules made,
Now they're left to fade away
They never got a chance to be fulfilled
They never got to see the light of day

Those people leave empty spaces behind
In places you would never think
Harmless places that can now overwhelm
Causing the tears, that away, you try to blink

All their quirks and annoying habits
Now seem dearer than before
"Come, annoy me again. I promise I won't mind",
You despairingly implore.

When you just need to hold their hand again
Or hear the sound of their voice
You'd give anything to have those moments once more
No hesitation, if given a choice.

The smallest of instances can trigger
And make your heart explode;
They are bullets too deep to extract
And it's too heavy a load.

The pictures, the places, the journeys,
The moments together that you spent
Are hard to visit without paying homage
To the memories that they lent.

Tell your loved ones you love them
It's never often enough;
To wake up one morning and never see them again
Is a regretful reality that's tough!

The pain and grief might slowly diminish
The hurt might pass away
Carry their smiles, their dreams, their hopes with you
And bring them to life one day.

To,

To the dimple that didn’t jump in and out

Because it was permanently etched on your face.

To the long lashes we envied

Because it gave your eyes a twinkle that was difficult to trace

To the hugs you gave 

Though your hands didn’t go all the way around

They were large enough to envelop us in your warmth.

To the cute hands

That clasped ours tight and didn't let go 

To the chubby cheeks we each took our chance to pull

Only to realise they weren’t really as soft as they looked

Their looks were deceptive, just like you

Though you were short and tiny

You were anything but tiny

To the largest heart I ever encountered

Ever open to strangers, with a smile, ready with introductions

There was never a place where people didn’t know you

Even after you are gone,

People are still forming connections in your name

(And I’m sure you are introducing us while you’re up there)

To the moments you showed us 'grace'

Even in moments of meaningless mirth

To the leader in you

Who always made everyone feel included

To the matured grown-up in you

Who always knew to say the right things at the right time

To the f.r.i.e.n.d. in you

Who always said ‘I’ll be there for you’ no matter what and was always there

To the artist in you,

Who found beauty in simple things (like sand)

To the photographer in you

Who managed to get the most beautiful candid pictures out of the millions clicked (without consent)

To the director in you

Who knew when she had to take charge to turn chaos into something heart-rending

To the story-teller in you

Who made ‘Game of Life’ one of our most precious memories

To the fighter in you

Who always stood up for what was right

To the baby in you that we couldn’t imagine being married

Because you were our baby

To the mother in you

Who wanted to provide a loving home to those who hadn’t

To the times when we were scared and close to giving up

When you rescued us with your reassurance and prayers

To the times when you were sick

And still made an effort to send a smile through

To the times when we blamed you for stealing friends

And now your friends are all you've left us with

To the times you avoided travelling alone

Only to travel the hardest one alone

To the times I wish I could have with you

To the times I still wish I could hold you

To the times I wish you were here