Passion…unbridled

“History is the sum total of things that could have been avoided.”-

Konrad Adenaur

Weighed down by the burden 

Of an unimaginative, rote-based curriculum

Learning historical facts appeared to me

The grandest exercise in futility-

Yesterday was dead; it did not make sense

To spend time on the past, in the presence

Of exciting events taking place everywhere

I looked to the future, why did I have to care

About the dark ages steeped in ignorance

I could not see the world through their lens..

I concentrated all my efforts and energy

On the future, that seemed a clever strategy..

I ignored the five thousand year old history

Of my people, little did I care for my ancestry…

**

As I grow older in a world with shrinking borders

I am exposed to political turmoil and disorder

I have realized all manifest conflicts today

Have their genesis in the pages of yesterday

With time I have realized that, inevitably

In my lifetime I have seen the creation of history

The past is inextricably intertwined

With the present, we humans are destined

To weave a new future on the tapestry

Of the past; thus the importance of history..

**

So I decided to get acquainted with the past

Was afraid my enthusiasm would not last-

I was so wrong; I ended up enthralled

By history of mankind, how we had evolved

The subject that had such a burden been

In school, was fascinating when with new eyes seen-

I see now how history can encourage and inspire

People to follow their ambitions and desires. 

(This photograph was taken at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, Washington DC.)

 

 

 

I promise you, Mom that I shall be

The woman of substance you’d like me

To be- I have you for inspiration, don’t forget

Though my past might be dotted with some regrets

I promise you with age wisdom I acquire

The more of life I see, the more I require

To look back at your words and actions

To reflect upon all the unpleasant interactions

Of my years as an awkward teenager conflicted

I was by the evil humors of adolescence afflicted

Too immature to realize what you told me

Were pearls of wisdom, but I could not see

Myself, or the world, with eyes that were yours

Reckless and ignorant, I worried you, of course..

 

I am your reflection, I have imbibed

So much of you that even I am surprised

How, despite all my conscious efforts to oppose

You, subconsciously it appears that I chose

To emulate you in many different ways-

Your ideals and values guide me through my days

Your unwavering confidence in me has been

The powerful, but invisible force that has seen

Me sail unscathed through times that were trying

You had moist eyes while my tears were drying..

 

I promise you, Mother, that I have come

A long way from your little girl, I have become

The mistress of my destiny just as you are

Because of you, I have come this far

My final promise to you is that I shall be

The mother to my child that you were to me.

 

This post is a part of Write Over the Weekend, an initiative for Indian Bloggers by BlogAdda.

 

 

 

 

 

Standing at the edge of the ocean wide

As my eyes soaked in the vastness of the sea

Without a warning something stirred inside

My heart ached, I found my eyes misty

 

 

Blindfolded by ambition and ruthless desire

I had come far in my circuitous journey

My mind had managed to contain the fire

burning within, wrapped in the thrills of discovery

 

Staring at my new world, of boundaries devoid

My mind traveled back in time to that singular place

Of narrow alleys and chatter that could fill the void

Within my heart, bring to my soul some solace..

 

Many roads I have traveled, many  paths traversed

Through many an enchanted land I have been

Though I go on absorbing experiences diverse

To those crowded alleys I shall always lean

 

 

A word often used, in many different ways

Depending on the context, different qualities it conveys

I am talking about the elusive concept of “style”

Stretching from the way you dress to the way you smile

Simply put, it is a set of unique features that defines

A person in a way that it leaves an imprint on your mind

It is an interesting mixture of personality and panache

With extra flair, like the icing on a cake or a tiny dash

Of spice that to a  a meal  interesting flavor imparts…

Style is much more than the sum of its parts..

Style makes a statement, often quite subtle

Style transforms the commonplace into regal

Style speaks the loudest, without any sound

I wish I could say that great style I have found

But style is innate, difficult to acquire

Of many things in life, a signature style I desire..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Changes were many when I changed my land

Some I embraced, some I could barely stand

Some so subtle  they were barely perceived

Until substantial transformation I had achieved-

Amid this acculturation one day I realized

That color was ebbing from my life, in front of my eyes

My wardrobe, once filled with brilliant hues

Now boasted of blacks, muted greys and blues

Which was perfect, professionally appropriate

(Made me blend in smoothly, I must state)

Those embroidered, mirror-worked home furnishings were

Replaced by clean lines and white linens demure

My food lost the pungence and bright yellow hue

Of turmeric, as I cooked with fewer spices too

I missed multicolored kites flown in the sky

Trying to bid the winter gods goodbye

I missed the vibrant rangolis on the floor

Adorning the entrance at every door

Reminiscing over the fun-filled holiday

Of Holi, nostalgia took me in its sway

How I longed to play with colors, wet and dry

Paint the town in every shade under the sky…

**

To satisfy my nostalgic craving I brought

Home bright colors, in small aliquots-

Starting from my wardrobe, and extending

To my home and hearth, tastefully blending

Western monotones with vivid Indian hues

I set my Indian inner goddess loose..

Reminding me again how my life amalgamates

The cultures of India and the United States!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

An ‘unemployed’ existence is a worse negation of life than death itself.

Monday mornings are stressful, you say

Back to the same old job after a glorious Sunday-

You groan inwardly, and so do I

I set out on my mission, with a sigh

Ready to brave the ruthless world out there

With my resume, trying to fight the despair

That fills the air around me, intensifying

Immediately after another rejection-lying,

On the bench in a public park at mid-day

Thinking of my meager savings dwindling away,

I try to analyse what is wrong with me

Or my skill-set, or my luck, or my destiny

That employment has become a distant dream

Soon hunger shall be my companion, so it does seem..

The wrinkles of strain on my face are obvious

From pretending to be hopeful, from being obsequious

While dealing with potential employers every day

I keep lowering my standards in every way..

With my self-esteem eroded, my foremost concern

Is basic survival, there’s a lot I’ve had to learn

About being frugal since my unemployment began

This period has changed me, I’m not the same man

Who had weathered storms before and stronger emerged

 

I am torn to pieces, in deep despair I am submerged..

 

And yet, I have the slightest sliver of hope hiding somewhere

That motivates me to get up daily and put myself out there…

I have looked for a job in sunshine and rain

Tomorrow I shall look for a job again..