Flights of Fantasy

A Drink of Love

2011-07-02T23:01:00.001-07:00

Fill me some wine, brimming in a bowl,
In which I can drown my soul
Mix in it some drug, designed
So, I could forever hold her in my mind.
She is fairer than most maidens known
With her beauty and charm full blown
Those Revealing and sparkling eyes
She smells of flowers in her every sighs
The melting softness of her face
Or, her every step she takes in grace
At every look of her, my heart throbs
With her smile, my all sorrows she robs.
Her presence brings such warmth and relief
For with her I could find joy in my grief
All I need is Love’s deeper draught
For all her love shall quench me not!!!

How well do I love You

2011-07-02T22:58:00.000-07:00

In how many ways do I love you?
As many there are beads in the rain
As many flowers that bloom in the meadows
Double the stars, spangled in the sky
Then Add to it as many times my heart shall beat.
All those grass blades that cover the fields
And the grains that a harvest yields.
As many times a bird's wing sways
I Love you in so many countless ways.

How much do I love you?
As much water that fills an Ocean deep
Or, all the white snow that the Mountains keep.
Double The brightness that a sunny day holds
Then add to it all greenery in the forest's folds.
As much sooth and cool of a moonlit night
Or, the glee that cometh with morning's light
Nothing less than the whole sky's Blue
So much my Lady, do I love you!!!

Butterfly

2011-06-07T08:05:00.000-07:00

Caterpillar crawling
Like a worm
Rises and falls
Ring by ring
Eats to live
Lives to eat
Forever feasts
Bothers no least
Bloats like a fuzz
With a lethargic buzz
Shy to be seen
By eyes so keen.

Its times to spin
A net so clean
Weaves a cocoon
Pale as a moon
Hides itself
In warmth of a shell.
But who can tell?
For a magic brews
Behind those silken hues.
And emerges a surprise
For the chrysalis dies.
And in lieu
Emerges beauty
Colorful and bight
A creature so lovely
Truly sublime.

Fluttery
Airy, Butterfly
Floats brightly
In the blue blue sky.
Tiny little wings
So lit and bright
Set on a fairy flight.
It sits on a flower
To take a sip
Then hops to another
Fast and quick
And flaunts its beauty
So hip and chic.

Symphony of the Sea

2011-06-07T08:02:00.000-07:00

Awed, I stand before the sea,
As a tumult sweetly plays
Splaying the froth in playful ways
The waves break upon the shore

Azure with an aqua hue
The bird’s song plays on
Secrets of the depths are viewed
Unlocked by the coming dawn

A melody floats upon the tides
Wafting around with cool sprays
Perched on creamy foams the tune rides
And amused, my heart this music praise.

An Ode to Solitude

2010-11-15T03:15:00.000-08:00

Oh Solitude, where is thy grace?
The charm of which the sages praised.
Silence shrouds my forlorn face.
Gloom and Anguish leave my brows raised.
I wish to taste my life’s sweet share,
To assuage my pain and despair.
You remind me of carefree days,
Of abundant joy and limitless mirth.
The days of wild pranks and plays.
And the warmth of my mother’s hearth.

Oh Solitude, where is thy grace?
The charm of which the sages praised.
Maybe it’s lost in the din of life’s race,
Or you, by Man’s indulgence have been disgraced?
Solitude! You reside in heart's deepest place,
And Shower solace, encouraging peaceful thought.
Your soothing touch gives affliction a grace
And help reconcile man to his lot.

Oh Solitude, this perhaps is your finest grace
The charm of which the sages praised!!!

November Nights

2010-11-09T03:00:00.000-08:00

The chilliness of November nights
The winter showers of Bangalore
Make my mood sink to lower heights
Why this familiar air brings memories of the yore?
Why gloomy blue is the color I see around?
Why emptiness in me builds all over again?
Like an ethereal cloud held in bound
That wants to melt in joy and rain.
This chilliness of November nights!
These winter showers of Bangalore!!

To my MBA

2009-09-04T11:59:00.000-07:00

I wake up in the morning with bleary eyes
Still reminiscent of the last night’s work
Rushing for my class, as time flies
You can’t escape & of attendance can’t dare shirk
Oh! It’s all so routine, you feel like déjà-vu
No respite & with means of recreation only a limited few.

I sit in class, staring at the board
The words of my professor feel so harsh
Oh! I start feeling so damn bored
At times i wonder are these “gyan” all farce?
English is passé, and my prof often talks in greek
The “gammas” & “sigmas” would even kill a geek

The fan keeps squealing above my head
My neighbours, with sleep, already dead
I keep looking quite often at the clock
“It’s simple relativity!” in my mind it flocks
Why time trudges so slow whole day?
But at night, it’s almost dawn as soon as i lay.

Assignments & quizzes rain so often
You can’t expect better when things are bitter
No surprises if you get a “D” or a two on ten
B’coz it’s “MBA” and life can’t be sweeter
All the more you start hating it all
You feel pushed, perpetually against a wall.

In the end it all feels like an Irony
You pay to get screwed here, Isn’t that Funny!!!

Love and Greed

2009-04-15T06:22:00.000-07:00

When Love arose in heart and deed

To shower the world with great joy,

“What can She give me now?” said Greed,

For Greed thought to win some costly toy.

He rose, he ran, he stooped, he clutched,

And soon the Flowers, the Love let fall

In Greed’s clenched fist were smirched.

And Greed said, “Flowers! Can this be all?”

He flung them down and went his way,

He cared no jot for tulip or rose.

But boys and girls came out to play,

And some took these and some took those.

Red, blue, and white, and green and gold

And at their touch the dew returned,

All the flowers bloomed thousand-fold

And so crimson, so bright, the flowers burned!!

Idleness

2009-04-01T05:03:00.000-07:00

As peace is the end of the war,

And night, always, isn’t from light too far.

To be idle is the only respite for the Busy

For our mind, from life’s labour, wants to be lazy

Who says idleness is a vice

A curse, a punishment for the wise

A rust that eats away one’s brains

Us, from success and wisdom, it refrains

Idleness bestows upon us leisure

Time to recount and peep into memory’s treasure

Time to observe and think out of the rut

It goads curiosity and feelings from the gut.

Idleness gives solace and peace from life’s Din

So, for the “Counter-wise” idleness is not a sin!!

She

2009-03-05T04:02:00.000-08:00

She is beauty’s own dame

Of ethereal clouds and grace divine.

Worthy to drive most of men insane

Her eyes lit with resplendent shine.

Tinkers her voice with a sweet chime

In her tresses resides the darkest night

Her sweet frown can change all clime

And all that’s dark and bright

Meet in her face and her eyes

Mellowed to, in so tender a light

Which a sunny day despise

Like thousands a tulips bloom

When her lips brook a smile

A tint that wins, lightens all gloom.

Her brows of dark wisps

Conceal and guard her calm.

Her cheeks blushed of a rose’s kiss,

Lies with her, a heart which knows love & no Harm!!!!!

Lessons in Neglect

2009-03-04T10:15:00.000-08:00

The primary education system in India reeks of gross negligence and incompetence on the part of the government. It is shocking that India spends a meagre 3.6% of GDP on education, notwithstanding the size of 290 million students to be taught. Despite the vociferous claims of the incumbent parties doing well on educational front; it just turns out to be hollow in the light of the fact that –India’s illiterate population equals the population of USA. India when compared to most of the developing countries like Brazil, Russia, South-Africa etc ranks far behind in the Human Development Report (HDR 2006-07) of UNDP. In order to be an economic power and a global player ---in the long-term—India just cannot ignore the potential of primary education system. No matter how much the government does to improve the higher education system in the country, with a near moribund primary education it would just turn out to be a wild goose chase. 9 out of 10 students in class 1 won’t get into colleges!!!! This hole in the education “bucket” needs to be plugged—sooner the better.

Looking forward what can be done to improve the whole educational milieu in the country. After reading a number of reports and articles I believe certain bold and new steps could be taken by our policy-makers— at least to start with:

1) Privatise primary education. By privatisation it shouldn’t mean exit of government from primary education. Operations like Mid-day meal scheme, Maintenance and teaching staffs etc can be taken care by the private players. While government’s role would comprise developing course curriculum and management. There are innumerable government primary and middle schools across the country. But most of them are in a dilapidated and neglected state. A Private-Public-Partnership (PPP) model can be envisaged. If railway can do a turnaround using a PPP model why not education system?

2) The teaching staffs --which are already a few --are not performing well. Most of the schools today are understaffed --with 1 teacher per 120 students. Most of the teachers are reluctant to perform and are mostly truant from their work. The government must decentralise the primary education system. By this I mean, the teachers must be made directly answerable to the Village panchayat and the parents. The Panchayat should be given the authority to audit the performance and use of funds in the school. A monthly report and a performance appraisal of the teachers must be done. By doing this the teachers would be directly answerable to his “Customers”.

3) Why should the Higher education be subsidised? A major portion of government’s education spend is lost in form of subsidies. Only a small fraction is left for primary education. In the first place why should students pay only $45 per month in IITs when students can easily pay $2000 for US universities? In India the higher you study the more subsidies you get!! Such anomalies must be addressed soon so that primary education is not left in lurch and dearth of funds.

4) The problems of poor education quality will not go away by control but by decontrol. As of today education system still remains regulated by the government. Education system is perceived as “Not-for-Profit” domain. This has to change. Education too can be run as a profitable business and at the same time not hurting National interests. This sense of misplaced anxiety—a vestige of pre-liberalisation period--- must vanish. FDI must be allowed into higher education at least. Recently the government was mulling over this, let’s hope such progressive initiatives are expedited.

Come as I please....

2009-02-13T21:58:00.000-08:00

Oh sweetest memories why don’t you tarry

Your sweet pricks torment and harry

Why don’t you come at a ripe time?

When my happiness and mood rhyme!

Too Solemn for day, too sweet for night

Come not in darkness, Come not in light

But do come in some twilight interim

When the gloom is soft and light dim!!!

Frienship

2009-02-13T16:50:00.000-08:00

Men of golden hearts be treasured

Your company and charm will forever last

The depth of your love cannot be measured

Oh! Good days have gone by fast

We loafed endlessly under the sun

Exploring adolescence’s all colours

Experimenting with life’s newer sins

Chatting on subjects of beauty for hours

We ran together up the hills

Played tirelessly till twilight grew

Went through many a trails and thrills

Failed, cried and laughed all through

Those carefree days still dwell in my mind

Of happiness and pure mirth they remind!!!!

When we Parted....

2009-02-07T13:13:00.000-08:00

In silence and tears

Was when we parted

A pain so deep and fierce

Left us half broken-hearted

Your vows are all broken

And light is thy fame

All our fondness forsaken

And I share them in shame

They name you before me

A knell to my ear

A thought runs through me

Why were you so dear?

They know not I knew thee,

Who indeed knew you so well?

For long shall I rue you

Too deeply to tell

If we should meet together

After so many a years

How should we greet each other?

With silence or with tears!!!!

Experience: A comb, Nature gives Us when we are Bald!!!!!

2009-01-29T15:26:00.000-08:00

“Men are wise in proportion, not to their experience, but to their capacity for experience.” G.B Shaw

There are few things in world which always leave you richer. One of such things is Experience. Experience is earned the hard way through our mistakes and failures. Life’s vicissitudes may seem tormenting at times. Life is often criss-crossed with failures and success; an opalescent potpourri of happiness and pain. Buffeting of fortune and failures may often unleash pessimism and lack of will to pursue any further. We may even be disheartened and may give in. But failures are Nature’s way of teaching things. It’s only human not to appreciate this at a present situation. Though i bet many of us (including me) may laugh at our own mistakes in retrospect. Our mistakes and acts of stupidity may bring a smile on our face when we think about them in leisure. Experience can only be derived if we learn from our mistakes; only if we think about our failures and try to improve upon them. Only then can it be said Experience makes us richer all the more every time. If you will call your troubles experiences, and remember that every experience develops some latent force within you, you will grow vigorous and happy, however adverse your circumstances may seem to be.

Sleep

2008-09-16T14:21:00.000-07:00

O soft embalmer of the still midnight
Shutting, with careful fingers and benign
Our gloom-pleased eyes, embowered from the light
Shaded in forgetfulness divine
O soothest Sleep! if so it please you, close
In midst of your hymn my willing eyes
Sneaking past all weariness on airy toes
Halo my pillow where my head lies
Save me from curious Conscience, that still lords
Its strength for darkness, burrowing like a mole
Turn the key deftly in the oiled wards
And seal the hushed Casket of my Soul !!!

To Mother

2008-09-16T13:54:00.000-07:00

When by my solitary hearth I sit
And hateful thoughts enwrap my soul in gloom
When no fair dreams before my mind’s eye flit
And the bare heath of life presents no bloom
O mother, ethereal balm upon me shed
And wave your silver pinions over my head.

Whenever the fate of those I hold most dear
Tells to my fearful heart a tale of sorrow
O sweetest mother , my morbid fancy cheer
Let me awhile your sweetest comforts borrow
Your heaven-born radiance around me shed
And wave your silver pinions o’er my head.

Should ever with unhappiness my bosom pain
From cruel love, or a bitter affair
O let me think it is only quite in vain
To shed tears in the midnight air!
O mother, your sweet love upon me shed
And endow your sweet caresses over my head.

Missing You

2008-09-15T11:36:00.000-07:00

My heart aches within from missing you
My lips long for the feel of kissing you
All I need is to gently touch your skin
To look into your eyes and see deep within
Just to look upon your face
Just one little touch
From the one I love so much

If I could gaze upon your smile
For just a little while
To know that you miss me too
As I am thinking of you
Every little kiss from you
Was like a dream come true
This love that I have in my heart
It all belongs to you

It’s funny, all those little things
I never thought I would miss
Like all those conversations we had
Or the first time we kissed
I guess that what I am trying to say
Is I miss and love you more each day!
It hurts me not to see you
Or not to know if you are ok.

We can never part
You know it from the very start
The tenderness I feel from your loving heart
We go together like a horse & a cart
Sweet memories to hold forever
Etched in my mind, never to sever
No matter how many miles do us apart
My love, you will always dwell deep in my heart!!!

HOPE

2008-09-15T11:34:00.000-07:00

Emotional storm that buffeting of fortune brings
Leaves us in pain and so crestfallen
Despondence and fear shrouds our thoughts
And heart quails at every difficulty brought
With its ploys and vicissitudes
At times life seems so rude and unjust

But a thing we mortals are endowed with
In a narrow niche in our hearts reside
A divine, a golden bliss called HOPE
Hidden yet easy to find, but at times needs some grope
With hope we can scale obstacles high
Hope indeed is a precious thing!

In guttering flames of a lamp
In the unfathomable depths of the sea
At the core of a seed that grows
And in the little wings of the sparrows
In the doughty currents of a stream
Resides this mighty HOPE

Every heart has this innate HOPE
That gives us courage in difficulties to cope
So why not persevere and seamlessly try
For this beautiful thing called HOPE shall never die!

Love to Live

2008-09-15T06:16:00.000-07:00

Life is so short
And things so many to do
Ever dwindling like sands of time
So much to achieve, so less to lose
A lot to explore & so far to travel
About self to know and lots to feel
Joys to garner and sorrows to heal

Life at times seem so bright
But most of the times full of blight
But it’s us to take the blame
Joys are killed with craving for more
When come difficult times
We linger it with worries and gripes
We can’t add a moment to our happiness
But to sorrows teach to stay

In solitude we find loneliness
And sorrows in our happiness
Why not love to live each day
Grumble less and smile more
Row our boats in life’s breeze
And drink the cup of life to its lees!!!

Jouney of a Drop

2008-09-14T12:42:00.002-07:00

I trickle down from a soaked cloud
My birth heralded by thunders loud
Falling freely, riding the wind
Gathering my mass, round and rotund
Here begins my downward journey
Accompanied by drops so many

Shimmering in the golden sunlight
I scatter the colours bright
Sometimes I form a rainbow
Iridescent and with hues which glow
Cooling the wind and stealing sun’s heat
I make the climate cool and so sweet

Blown by the wind, I ramble in the sky
To many places and dark lands I fly
Barren deserts die for my touch
Rivers wail that they don’t get much
Forests wish for my soothing feel
Drooping fields want their wounds to heal

At times I seep in grounds deep
Sometimes I run down the slopes steep
I am lost in the thirsty sand
Or trapped in pools deep inland
I quench the thirst of men and beasts
Or run in the veins of the trees

Standing alone I am so vulnerable
My shape and form easily mutable
Strong winds blow me astray
Sun’s heat can wipe me away
But when with other drops I coalesce
My existence lingers with an ease

We form a stream with currents strong
Cutting through the land, meet rivers long
Threading my way through all obstacles
I finally empty into the ocean
Lifted into the ethereal clouds again
I complete my journey from where it began!!!

Childhood

2008-09-14T12:40:00.000-07:00

When I look into retrospect
The memories, in darkness, rustle like numerous leaves
Growing on the trees of years lived
Memories of all colors come alive
Some honey-laced, some bitter
Leaving my heart yearning for more

It feels like yesterday
When I was toddling around
Like a mite in a dark pond
Waiting for someone to show me the way
The peace and solace of mother’s lap
Days of many a escapades and innocuous pranks
The scolding of elders and assurances of own
That feeling of being gagged and not understood
And the hurriedness to grow up fast
Those petty quarrels with my siblings
The longing for old toys
The feeling of not being loved
That feeling of security and in some faith deep
The days of sound and serene sleep
The comforting ignorance of life’s deceptive face
Unknown of galloping Time’s pace
Now those carefree days have vanished alike
Stolen away by the fleeting time

These reminisces play a tumult full blown
Like waves from the ocean of the timeless bygone.

The Moon

2008-09-14T12:37:00.001-07:00

Oh stars thou glitter why?
Scattered promiscuously in the sky
Embellishing the beauty of the dark
Like entourage of the silver ark
Twinkling like myriads lamps little
Studded in the sky as crystals brittle

But, oh moon thou steal their glory
Standing nonpareil in your beauty
Stars in the sky so many shine
But your charm unique & divine
Like a monarch you rule the night
With million stars paint it bright

Blessed with a placid moonlight
You colour the darkness silvery white
The touch of your moonlight
Conquers all blight
A glimpse of your resplendence
Heals all decadence

Bringing solitude to the unquiet
Showering tranquillity upon distressed
You make ugly look beautiful
Making dwindled seem bountiful
Providing comfort in so many a way
May your magic forever hold its sway!

Growing every month from a crescent to full moon
You are perhaps, Nature’s sweetest Boon!!!

River

2008-09-14T12:36:00.000-07:00

I start in a cavern
Gendered by mountains barren
Swirling, gushing, running around
Full of exuberance, know no bound
Flowing down the slope, young and callow
With a deep valley & waters shallow

Gnawing, breaking and grinding stones
I reach the plain with loads in tomes
Spreading my banks and growing from young
Serving the plains and taking turns
But now I am grown, with my duties known
Cradling people and fields full sown

Oozing ahead with a senile pace
Slow and meandering with envied grace
Threading my path through cities & places unknown
With distance of thousands flown
Weary and old I reach the bay
And here comes to an end my journey

Showering happiness and gifts so many I give
And like creatures others, rivers too live!!!

Bonsai

2008-09-13T07:33:00.000-07:00

Perched in a glass case
I grow in a little vase
Cut to a height small
Yet in beauty stand tall
With gnarled trunk and branches
With leaves few and little fruits
I take a shape that best suits

I decorate galleries and halls
Glittering in my case when light falls
People look at me with pleasure
Some jealous, some amazed at my measure
Some talk of my beauty
Others love my stunted size

I relish the attention I get
But some pangs I can’t forget
Something with my life is amiss
Chirping little birds & greenery I miss
Quintessence of a tree
Yet not set to grow free!

Made to grow in a serried place
My limits confined to a small space
All my attempts of growth foiled
My branches cut and coiled
Yet have a relentless will to survive
Desire to grow in my heart will forever thrive

I will live hundreds of years before I die
Because many a man doesn’t know I am a Bonsai !!!

Be a Winner

2008-09-13T07:19:00.000-07:00

The Whole world conspire against you
And none is there to walk with you
Nothing seems to be right
Left with a little zeal to fight
Life seems to be a bed of thorn
All your hopes ragged and torn

Don’t lose your hope
With all difficulties you can cope
Journey of life is long and tortuous
With joys and sorrows juxtaposed
Battles are won by skills and fortitude
Success lies all in attitude

Impossible is an opinion not a fact
To quail and worry is a craven act
Believe in yourself and what you do
With opportunities and skills you are among few
Let positive thoughts fill your heart
With happiness & success you will never part

Burn like a candle in a gale
Sail like a ship in a storm
Stand relentless like a hill
Nothing formidable to shake your will
You can make your life sublime
And leave your footprints on the sands of time!!!

An Ode to Smokers

2008-09-13T07:09:00.000-07:00

The Entire ruckus about Smoking is so painful
The “Statutory Warning” leaves my heart spiteful
Increasing my frequency of inhalation
Only to exhale out my indignation
It’s time for smokers to unite
To rise up and against all injustice fight
It’s we, who choke our Lungs, help others move
Tobacco cultivators, Cigarette makers, Dentists & their ilk we behoove

It’s not sheer altruism, we meet our ends too
We inhale to fight pollution and stress few
Small amounts of tar, nicotine & CO in doses small
To adapt to increasing pollution and stand tall
Non-Smokers seem to be anti-feminist patently
We appreciate our Distaff half inherently
As the two genders Smoke in all unanimity
They burn all differences & and bring equality

The definition of a Cigar be damned
A roll of tobacco with a fool at its end
“A generous Fool”—thou be more welcome
Than a wise, Self-centred chum!!!