Category Archives: musings

“Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.” ― Abraham Lincoln Driven by ambition and a desire to succeed I scaled the heights at a dizzying speed Working hard, making moves that were right I rose to a position of power without much fight I hadContinue reading “Power corrupts”

You all proclaim this mantra repeatedly Be comfortable in your skin, be carefree Accept your body as you are Disregard critics, and you will go far.. * As a woman trying to find my place In a world that still judges me by my face And other physical attributes I care not to mention BeingContinue reading “Comfortable in my skin”

I’ve had the idea for this poem for quite some time now. I always wanted to give a voice to the abandoned women of Indian mythology and history. (1) Urmila, wife of Lakshman (brother of Rama) You went away, following your brother in exile You left me, expecting me to bear my burdens with aContinue reading “Women, forgotten”

“We are sensitized by the books we read. And the more books we read, and the deeper their lessons sink into us, the more pairs of glasses we have. And those glasses enable us to see things we would have otherwise missed.” — Alain de Botton As a voracious reader, one day I felt uninspiredContinue reading “Bookish travel”

A simpleton was I, my dreams limited in extent My life was peaceful, in relative ignorance spent Politics was something  for important men Who deliberated in meetings, using paper and pen For all that I knew, their promises were meant to be, Mostly false, never to be taken seriously Even when policies changed, seldom itContinue reading “That Simple Life”

They told me education I could not receive It did not help in the household, so they believed * I learnt my letters, but I was explained Going beyond elementary school was a financial drain * Schooling I completed, college was out of question For I was of age to be bound in matrimonial unionContinue reading “Women at work”

I support minimalism, at least in theory “Lessons from shopping bans” make a capital story Yet when faced with 60% off sales, my resolve To refrain from buying more stuff quickly dissolves I am “saving” for a rainy day, I rationalize About the joy of a new purchase I fantasize Before long, virtual objects haveContinue reading “I am on the minimalist bandwagon…or am I?”

Then…she was young, and starry-eyed Brimming with enthusiastic ideas inside That on the tip of her tongue were ready to dance Yet seldom did, because they were denied the chance Girls were meant to be seen, not heard They were supposed to be careful about each word That past their vocal cords made its wayContinue reading “Woman with a voice”

She entered the classroom with some trepidation It had taken her courage to overcome her hesitation Clutching her satchel, an empty seat she occupied Nervously, she looked around, other women in groups she spied Of course they looked much more confident They must be better at expressing their sentiments Self-doubt filled her, she wondered whatContinue reading “Creative writing course”

I needed a pep-talk. So I wrote this- too idealistic, but here I am! Like many others my age, as a young girl I had dreams of changing the world This was wishful thinking, I had not realized To the world’s ways I was not yet wise..   Even as I grew up, the careerContinue reading “I am going to change the world!”

Heirlooms are priceless, I think I’ve known Away from homeland, they acquire a meaning of their own..   Going through the contents of my safe one day I found the heirloom piece I had locked away It was a necklace with beads black and gold Family lore said it was two hundred years old NotContinue reading “Heirloom”

The more I climbed in the world’s eyes The more my soul appeared to die… * At the pinnacle of success I was perched high Yet part of me longed to bid goodbye To this peak below which shaky was the ground Ambivalent I felt about wearing the crown The top, you know, is aContinue reading “I quit”