He was a planner, what he wanted he knew
He would never venture into something new
Without planning for every predictable consequence
Every outcome was preceded by events in a sequence
That could be logically predicted, he would say
He could not tell you when he last had an unplanned day
Be it work, play, travel- his planning was impeccable
His family and friends considered him The Dependable
He had charted his life’s course and was cruising
Along the path carved out, every step of his choosing.
**
You might think he was perfection personified
But there was something below the surface, unidentified
Underlying the meticulous planner lay a man
Afraid to death of derailment of his plans
His life had to be concrete, something he could touch
Anything abstract or intangible frightened him much
Underneath the confident front he presented
He was insecure, and this made him discontented
**
But life has a habit of coming in the way
Of the best laid plans, any moment, any day
One moment can change one’s life forever
Shake a person such that he might not recover
A bomb dropped on his head one day
Diagnosis of cancer that took his breath away
All his plans fell down like a pack of cards
His heart and mind were pierced by a million shards
Not knowing whether he had time, if so, how much
The vanishing strands of control he tried to clutch
Treatment was possible, but no one could say
Whether it would work, they told him to pray
The fear of uncertainty he now faced, and realized
He had to conquer it, he could not stay paralyzed.
**
Learning to take one day at a time, he could eventually
Go through the daunting prospect of chemotherapy
Not knowing where his journey would end
Every day was his last, he had to pretend
Admitting that planning was futile, he learnt to live
In the moment, love he learnt to give
His stars were aligned, and he achieved remission
On the cancer treatment, God had heard his petition
**
Once he had faced the fear of his plans going awry
He realized excessive planning was worthless, he was sorry
That he had underestimated the power of Nature
Which could instantaneously make a mockery of his future
He learnt to live in the present, without fear
This is how he continued to live year after year.
Passion...unbridled 