perspective...

How does it feel,
How does it feel to be
An iceberg tall, cold and solitary
The wind felt and not seen,
The waves mighty, powerful and fleeting!

How does it feel,
How does it feel to have
Everything drift away, stand your ground;
To take around those good things;
To leave behind what you brought.

How does it feel,
How does it feel to feel
The warm sun shining, the lonely drop falling
Little children giggling, leaves of trees rustling
The vast friendly seas welcoming?

How does it feel,
How does it feel to see
A baby penguin sliding down in glee
The lovely yellow silk cloth fluttering majestically
The sand beyond all the surf there is…

In compliance..

Never known to escape a smile

sat today, the child - a black cloud hovering

evaded my eyes, that sparkle

wait no further, I approached

Sought to search the missing skip, the missing prance.

Child's heart strong, I thought

little eyes distant, truth they sought

Clap of thunder brought visible shiver

fear, floom saw I in those eyes - just not by a sliver!

Read the child's mind, had I, to see

its pure heart ruffled, I'd wonder why 

In place earlier its smile, now ignored

Who moved away, who thought none?

I see the child looks away, unable to complain!

Trees wise, to me they say

the little child will do well, will learn its way

Jump not into anything

tomorrow a new day, everything new it will bring.

Grave wrong did I do; 

while I grew?

Calm, unruffled, silent pains, 

dry tears yet enjoyed those rains

forces aplenty; ever-hiding, yet sought content

whether or not it were meant!

I look around today, what I see

hard to believe I see what I see…

Unwilling I am to cry, to complain

Reason they will just go in vain!

Saying so, walked away the little child

lump down my throat, it brought

In silent prayer, I asked of the kind wind

To blow its hair gentle, to bring back the leap;

the prance, long it has been since I have seen!

Melting into Obscurity

Standing tall, all shine and beam

one lonely iceberg, none to hear it scream

Not habitual, yet to meet

rare clan, penguins - the entire fleet.

                                                                 Forced icy, forced to be cold

                                                             draws to self - just beings, bold

                                                              discover they do, they can play

                                                              but little warmth, it melts away!

Melts away, where it goes

obscure that it was; now nobody knows

earlier too big to hide

joined the water, its Mother, with pride!

                                                                  Now wiser, retracted its view

                                                     there are few that guide you, only few

                                                       As warmer water below embraces it

                                               there's nothing to silence, nothing to split!

Over with and away!

Moment alone, a day alongwith
within sometimes, a flinch, a writhe...
Cheery bloom strained out
Lucky those, who caught the sprout.

Might grown into certitude
equalled, though fair to conclude
Minute to undertake near 
hands on the wheel, away, to steer.

Curtained there aint a thing, 
in vision's limits they cling...
a word earlier hitting a blank
today uttered upon one I bank!


P.S. ...as always, in my own weird way...

Not as much a clue!

Gaze at open space, you'll see
a myriad of colors
each defined, each distinct
Just splash their way; or something they say?
here I sit, I wonder...
Screaming colors, is that really true?

Purple haze oh so mysterious
exploring depths of the unknown;
Or just evading the glare
High n' Mighty and noble?

Swallows in, the black hole
evil in power or
sophistication at its best
it absorbs?

Not untrue,
'tis as pure as is blue
Calm water, peaceful skies
bubbling with life, else raging a depression?

Find yourself in a green maze?                                                                                    
walls around in vigor -
path ahead in envy
time to cross, p\jump back ahead!

Peppy, her hair a shade o' pink                                                                              
wind blowing, life spread
pink mist scattered
fresh, a baby new born!

Bold, bright and red,
can't scream; danger ahead
or a ruse to pull in passion?
Asides, screaming life all through!

Bunch 'em all, you get peace
Clean and pure, there's white
Shut eyes, mind in its calm
Wings fluttering, angels in flight?

P.S.: A sleep-deprived, and a rather not-so-good attempt!

a smile you showed me...

Light dimming around me
dangerous tavern it all seemed
Way to escape began to seek, I
gentle glow - an oil lamp so pleasant
A mild face, a smile you showed me.

Wander alone - so brave was I?
scorns, pats all alike I did get
Eyes set, face grit, shoulders high
yet panicky; a forest oh so thick
A guiding hand, a smile you showed me.

Sat a-sail, concluding calm seas
mighty storm I did not foresee
Waves lashing, thunder claps every minute
skies turned off everything I could see
Navigating star, a smile you showed me.

Warm, pleasant an evening; soon night
crickets in glee, they screech allright
Yet no moon, 'twas an eerie sight
alone, though never alone to flee
Company, a smile you showed me.

Wind, raindrops cleansing the Earth
soon gale, thunder all together
Furious, everywhere seen its wrath
lashing down on me, a shivering sight
Shelter, a smile you showed me.

Silly and Light?

Somber, alone, dark
sky above; below its mark
Flash bright my eye it hit
bottomless, a long winding pit!
Evasion an easy hand-out
Tough - them pangs, any doubt?
A callous wave for one,
tacit quiver there'd be none?

Every moonlight, every star
awaited early, doors ajar
Same stars, same moon
appear oh too soon!

The moon now a sign –
werewolves show up, all nine
And dark looming clouds
guise those stars in crowds!

Fear a big fear
distanced ones albeit near!
Heart stole words aplenty
were there ten, were there twenty?
Takes over refusal over nod
linger on don't they – something odd?
Acidic; they sure sting
behind those pupils they are, they cling!

P.S: If following colors were the trend, the light always top over the dark!

A prayer, a wish, a thought to acceptance

Observed, eyes shut tight

                hands together, focus deep

Oh little child,

                a smile ever so mild

Tell me this day –

                what you pray?

 

Earnest those eyes,

                pure every thought

Spake the little child,

                I wish oh I wish

Together we stay, together we pray

                Neither the sword, nor its swish.

 

Silent prayer spoken,

                silent plea made

Now with face grit,

                Tell me, tell me oh sweet child

Drowned in thoughts to the brink,

                What is it that you think?

 

So spake the child –

                Why is it out of sanctum I come

there's no silence here, no calm

                These voices in me, they disturb

In millions…those they curb

                Shut ears open, yet not gone!

 

Seated lone by the fountain

                Gaze seemingly lost far across, away

Curious, I prod on thy shoulder;

                yet again I ask

what thought steals thou mind away

                On such a pretty day?

 

An effort, yet they return –

                those eyes, toward me they turn

What's good in one is bad in another

                faces turned away; those around me – no other

Is there love we can't bear

                or is it grace we cannot share?

 

Answers, sweet child; answers you seek

                farther they seem; they seem meek

Wait with a smile and you shall see

                Never tire, donot retire

As there is place for more love, more glee

                which higher, more you will admire!

Satisfied, seem submissive

                shook hands as though in alliance

A prance once and a skip yet again

                Laughter, more join in

Soon they are all a train

                Smiling, I think, there's nothing they cant win!

P.S.: Inspired from one of those re-reads of Harry Potter, with special reference to the lines: "There's always place for more love on this planet..."

 

A Year and How!

Just a few days ago, I had this longing to write something relevant, to mark my completing one year of stay in the US of A. Somehow, words didn't flow as well, and that remained a longing. Somehow the mood was set today, with YouTube humming A R Rahman's "Yeh jo des hai tera" from the movie Swades, and a heavy Indian lunch kept reminding me of the things I miss most about my Mother Land. A list of those few things ensued, and I typed them out in here. What better timing than on our very own Independence Day! On this occasion, here's wishing all my fellow Indians a very Happy Independence Day. It is not just on this day that we must remember our motherland and offer her our salutes; this sense of belonging is to be deeply rooted in us, etched into every single vein in us!

 

1. Since my reverie began with the song, I'll go with the lines in the song.. "Mitti ki Khushboo". I miss most, the sweet smell of Mother Earth when it rains. It has the power in it, to push away any hunger, any loneliness, any anger, anything at all!
2. The fact that despite numerous languages, communicating with one other is never really a problem, in general.
3. The fact that you can lay on your mother's/grandmother's/aunt's lap and get pampered, however old you might get!
4. You can stay away in a distant village with no television or internet, etc for a month, and still wish to have stayed there for longer!
5. There are innumerable festival, and EACH festival is a celebration
6. The colors
7. Every element of nature is a celebration in its own way, be it the Sun, the Moon, the Rains, Fire.
8. You can have the lousiest of days and still come back home in anticipation of cheer always!
9. A month long visit to grandparents' place is enough a vacation
10. The roadside food stalls! These are the tastiest treats you can ever get!
11. An aspirin is not the first remedy to a headache
12. Sitting on a comfortable cane swing, munching pakodas on a rainy day and reading a book!

 

And this is where I stop, and get back to my book…not on a cane swing, but on a couch; a fair compromise, I suppose. Proud to be an Indian, a very Happy Independence day, folks!

Two and two thirds

Once fun, once frolic
no impulse nothing symbolic
a thought here - a plan there
where are those visions,
where?

Effervescence, a flower
Higher, higher in the air, by the hour
hues, they claim cheer
plucked, unseen, that tear…
Created the way -
    pick it may;
    shrivel amidst those million leaves,
    picture now, adorns those cuffs, those sleeves
    lone - yet a bunch too big
    fragrance always picked swig by swig..

Peace with it, the sky
Moonlight subtle as though shy
gentle blowing breeze
nerves at such ease
    The morning dew,
    on it seen the Sun new
    shimmerin' on gliding waters
    no pain, no charters!

A candle, a cake and its complete!

Of frolic, of fun
Of talks – this one and that 'one
Numerous cakes we ate
sat on those steps, hours straight
Reason we do, we debate
Remarkable though, how we relate!
call it can we, a gift?
Now time flies oh so swift!

As leaves of trees
    wiggle to the pleasant breeze
long walks; roads known, roads unknown
glance at hours past – you groan, I moan
Day after to confide, complain
    of legs that pain! 
Yet not a minute still,
    coherent babbles like it were a drill
Fantasies, faces smart and cute
    Even of dresses, those in suit!

Constant thought I thought
    A moment and this gift from heart – I brought
Bundled up in a wrapper arty
    Dotted, splashed; memories aplenty.
A silent party;
    wishes galore; all hearty
Girl, in my own simple way,
    here's wishing you have a Great Day!


P.S.: Day marked, Happy Birthday 'RT' :)

thus spake silence

What's virtue, what's otherwise
What's this fog, this prize...
Colors so bold so bright
Put them together and still white
see it and dark shadows fly away
where they are, they are stray!
Silence, the sound it shrieks
intense yet, it speaks.
Symphony across skies
in search wander my eyes
flag here, wave there..
what is right, what's the lair?
Each second ticks, lucid
Why calm, why raucid?
just a flap, then more fluster
now significant, earlier plain banter!

A peep-hole view; The World Outside

Wings so soft, an offspring down all the way. Eyes set nowhere, heart set at comfort, the wind providing directions. Up high and high it flew…out of sight, out of reach – floating through the dust, floating away from home; in search of a new home. Yes, it was indeed the germination season. The wind seemed to slow down drastically, and its height dropped…more and more until it landed on the soil, the vast expanse; where there was nobody's bidding to comply with, at least not yet. The seed took in breaths of the warm and humid surrounding air…deep breaths. A couple of raindrops did the necessary and soon it was where it belonged – in liaison with the mother; mother Earth! The wings, make-shift feathers; having completed their job, slowly wore away into obscurity.

 

The first leaf

A few days into the soil, with food and water, the seed bore an offshoot; eager to see the World yet again, all by itself! Once out of the soil, the offshoot could feel the World around, could even hear it; but could not see it just yet. As days passed, it could even reach out and communicate with its World, but could not see it just yet. The other young offshoots residing close-by had the same woeful tale to narrate. The wind brought with it wisdom imparted by the trees and whispered in its ears each time it blew across. The shoots, now tiny plants, never lost hope, all thanks to the dear wind, and the dear older trees. Diversions forced themselves towards regularizing at consuming food and water and supporting a rather lean and tall stem, weighed down with leaves.

 

The first thorn

Soon it began to stretch…a thorn sprouted out from its stem. The plant was tearful. It could still not see the World around, and it pained to being jeered at looking ugly. All of a sudden, there was a loud shout and it's heart nearly skipped a beat! The wind that blew past whispered in its ears of the threat that it referred to as a "goat". It did not understand what this goat was, could not see it either, but scared that it was of perishing, it prayed…it prayed to stay at least as long as it could see the World outside – a hope imparted by the wise trees that it had grown to believe in. Soon it was all quiet again…the wind informed it that the very thorn had saved it from perishing…the same that some of its earlier mockers hadn't been able to escape!

 

The first bud

Wiser with experience, it continued living its way…never letting the hope to see the World someday die. It took more effort off late, it felt weighed down on one of its arms. It asked of the wind to check if its arm was hurt. The wind seemed pleased as it mildly replied that it was closer…closer like never before. Puzzled, yet not disturbed, life took its own course…a routine now.

 

The World outside

As the days elapsed, its arm hurt more than ever. The wind brought with it, messages from the wise trees – on how often to eat, etc. Clueless, it just followed each instruction dutifully. Waking up from its slumber, it thought it felt brighter…something was different, something that seemed to strike it for the first time ever! Scared, excited, it asked the wind. The wind merely nodded and blew away. A little while later, it was sure that it felt even brighter. Was it the blue sky that it thought it was seeing? Was the big orange ball the Sun? Now, it understood! It had, as the trees had assured, blossomed! Taking a deep breath, it looked as far as it could span, the span seeming to increase with every passing moment. There it was, in a beautiful land, the Sun above, clouds gently splattered over the azure sky, brown the soil housing its roots…there it was – in The World Outside!

and the dueling continues...

While it seemed to be a standstill..

Scorching Sun
The simmering haze of the indistinct Horizon
Shining skin;
Fierce nostrils of the black Horse runnin'
Burnt silhouette of the Wild Bedouin

Free...

Calm Oasis her eyes
Luminous fragile Mirage, a hopeful emprise

O Bedouin! O Freedom!
O night smiling!

Her soft breathing by my side;
Her secret smile like a child
The soft unintended touch
Intended, yet not such
Can she hear me when I beckon
Sweet nothings, kisses, deepest feelings I reckon!
She bends and laughs
Quite as the blade of a grass
As it bends when the first morning dew drop
Touches, Kisses and embraces the leaf top

Lone Traveler, the endless river...
Flows forever and ever and ever...

Actually Galloping across

Scorching the sun;
Cold away, here it is, summer has come!
Sometimes the Sun smiles;
else his might, spans for miles...
times there are the waves rise
then falls down, seems like in guise
the black horse gallops
across streams, through forests, many loops
the far horizon nearer does it reach
while he strides swiftly across that beach!

Free he is, head held high
with the wind his mane does fly
Reaches that river
joins the sea, doesnt flow forever
the rays of the sun sparkle
now cascade, down the stone does it trickle.
The little drops of dew
on those blades of grass a few
shines away the light
holds onto the leaf tip tight..
Fear of being lost
worse than being engulfed into frost!

That blossoming bud embraces it
shadow it is; the World around so lit
a mirage of colors so bright
all together, everything just white!

...and that's how the dueling began!

Presenting for a few posts from now, what I’d like to call a “poetry duel”, a sequel of what might seem to be pro-and-con poetry. It follows from the previous post, titled “Of seemingly long lanes”
All credits can be assumed to whomsoever concerned :)


In retort…

It's not fair
The way you make your words flare
Sharp sweet serene notes prolific
Bring back memories, few known faces, dreams, hopes, audacity specific

Jupiter, Sun, Sky, Distant Star
Flowing water, Sunflower petals, Bee, The Lonely Traveller
All born from the same explosion, from the same matter
Yet, stand they all alone
Separate ways, separate thoughts, separate tears, separate moan

However, Jupiter needs its moon, no other
Sun needs Earth, Eyes, the Sunflower
And,
The Traveler seeks love.

Love to pain
Pain to tears
Tears to freedom
Freedom to Laughter
Laughter to Friendship
Friendship to Love
Continuity. Immortal.

Weary Eyes of the Traveler shut
The black and blue silhouette in front
Stands amidst the yellow lights
Friend? Love? Insanity? Impulse?
Jupiter, Sun, Sky, Distant Star
Darkness all around, Lonely Hearts.

…Journeying the lone traveler

Words my power
more they come by the hour
Comfort they are,
seem near yet so far
memories in and out
lone yet not once in doubt!
stand alone he may
yet hand in hand walk they...
the jupiter, its moon
the cloud and the monsoon
the being, its silhouette
apart and nowhere they get!

The heart yearns, the eyes shut
broken though the shell and its nut
where's darkness you see
when yellow lights dance around in glee
The blinking lights though distant
reckon it does, its persistent
seems it has a word to say
ask of the wind that crossed its way.
Gentle it blows, it blows hard
spot it but see the sky starred
The stars they call
notice they do, stand up tall!
Gentle luminance they throw
the moon joins company in the glow

Darkness not once they leave
lone traveler not once grieve!

Of seemingly long lanes…

Lone traveler thou not alone
leaves of trees and gusts of winds blown
Stars lead the way;
look the sailors follow them to the bay
Rains to wash away the tears
long before forgotten are his fears!
The Sun, his strength, his rays
Come the clouds, hidden deep are his ways!
The sunflower, the daffodil, they ask
hide not behind the cloud, behind the mask...

Through the valley scattered are those stepping stones
built they are, those memories, those laughs, those moans.
the valleys echo; never forget that sill
no hope lost, no lost will.
The wind blows the dust
In the rain the trust, now thats a must!
That distant blinking light
glide through it; the luminous might
The lone traveler sees all's still,
the sound of silence oh so shrill
Listen to the bird,
chirps never better heard
Talk to the bird
fill thy heart with joy unheard!

P.S.: surprisingly inspired, surprisingly composed..thanks to the lone traveler!

A walk down that dusty road

Those dusty roads I did tread
there numerous words I'd said
The gate our merry-go-round
we so didn't know what stops we'd found
as vroom went our bus, stop to stop
laughter aplenty at spinning the top!

that old leather couch in the library was bliss
while I think of something here amiss.
Winding and winding were the paths we took
footsteps so quiet that not a leaf shook
On the cycle, the wind blew my hair;
late though we were, it just wasn't fair!

Dodged the ball we did, threw a slab of tile
Some ran, some others arranged the pile
Hoots there were, there were hi-five's
we were the bees, we made the hives!
Into the sand pit and through the tunnel
showed off with pride, our muddy flannel
A graze on the knee never so easily gotten
Even before happening was it forgotten!

Streets in darkness at eight each night,
only to be lit again by kids so bright
There were no hideouts anymore;
yet peek-a-boo almost a chore.
And when it did pour
boats everywhere, from paper we tore
the sweet smell of Earth, left behind was our lunch
sit by the window and special treats did we munch.

Those dusty roads I did tread
there numerous words I'd said
Oh sweet childhood I see you
Wonder I do why I grew!

First International Recognition...

"Crossing Borders"

A larva out of its cocoon is scared at first, and when it emerges into a colorful beautiful butterfly, it is out there – spreading joy and cheer as it flutters by flowers, savoring on the sweet nectar. Michael Jackson, in one of his popular song sings; “Heal the World, Make it a better place – for you and for me and the entire Human Race…” The question is how can we make this World a better place? That should not be very difficult, given that we possess the qualities of love, trust, faith and hope embodied within us. The need of the day is to break the chains that are so heavily bound around us. We need to break those chains and begin to consider that after all, this World is one single huge place, and borders are mere lines that distinguish areas on a map! What is more important is that there can be no such border that separates the hearts of people.

Hailing from a land of rich culture and growing up to immense value to goodness, taking off from that soil sure rendered a tear in my eye, forlorn in my mind, and apprehension in my heart. A long and tired journey ensued, following which there was a craving for some sign of comfort. With a preconceived wrong notion that anything beyond home is just not the same; a hard exterior was the immediate reconciliation, blame it on weariness from the journey or any other reason. However, a warm smile from a janitor at the airport melted that hard exterior and filled my heart with warm embrace. Lo and behold! There lay shattered all those wrong notions; and realization dawned bright - the World is our home, the World is one; and ready as I was, to take the right step ahead, to extend a friendly handshake and begin everything afresh with a smile.

It follows from knowing that every individual has something that he wants to keep for himself. When it comes to individuals, openness up to a certain extent is acceptable; until we begin to fight for our individuality - and under such circumstances, to draw a boundary around him may be the basic instinct which prevails in almost all living beings. In the name of preserving heritage and so many other things we may be forcing our uninhibited thoughts to draw up these and many more boundaries down in the future also. This can be considered to be today’s unquestioned 'truth', and such truths are in fact the pillars upon which this vast, ever-changing World stands.

So, how has this experience of crossing borders affected my perception of things? Crossing borders has taught me valuable lessons, lessons that will last; like the importance of sharing, the importance of interacting with people and the very fact that despite such physical distances, we as human beings have a lot of things in common, which no border can extinguish. To be humane is what the World is. Humans are all the same across the globe. More often we differ because of the “wealth” in all senses that is attached to the land of ours, be it in culture, language, daily practices, prayer, scriptures, education, simplicity and so on and so forth. Among these what strikes us most is the environment and the surroundings we are in, beyond which everything else can safely be ruled away as imagination, thinking, desire, possession, etc.

Goodness is goodness everywhere. It never changes; it is always as sweet as nectar is to a butterfly; it is always welcome with open arms by every living being on this planet. Human kind has stood and survived the test of time, and goodness has stayed and prevailed all through the tests. But why is it that beyond times of distress, we choose to ignore the feeling of oneness? Why is it that we give in so easily to external pressures and grow hostilities? Many occasions in the past - be it something as progressive as launching satellites to understand what lies beyond; or something beneficial to humankind such as medical discoveries and innovations; or something as forced upon as calamities - have seen humans break all sorts of barriers and extend an unmitigated hand. With times flying beyond such needs, however, come certain elements of non cooperation, which are completely uncalled for. To imbibe this truth in everyone is the challenge that man has been facing since time immemorial. A cheerful and smiley good morning wish from one of our campus rush drivers was successful in adding that bounce in my step, and the thought of the how it erased my boredom is deeply etched in my memory.

In many areas of science and technological development, including in the present World economy, we have seen no barriers. The World is indeed one. Humans as individuals should see and be inspired by such aspects and care enough to expand the same in new spheres, therefore make this World more hospitable than it is at the present juncture. The first step is always the hardest, and being in the position that I am in, I am glad I have taken the step and erased the wrong notions I had built around myself. I am glad I have been, through this experience, able to contribute, even if by a small bit, to make this World a better and unified place. It is about time we flew past those borders and embraced the World the way it is, one single entity!

P.S. "Honorably mentioned" in the International Education Awards 2009 at UNC Charlotte (15th April, 2009)

One Eighty

Sunshine, laze and whiling
caught those fish, they were fishing
The trees had caught the wind
Little do I wonder, did they hint
Out there it was,
Where there's no laws
here the water just flows
the wind cares not once to bellow
deep hidden though it is;
search and you'll find 'tis
Here the heart dwells
Why any music and then bells?
when the water oh so often laps up
'tis a water horse, no stirrup.

The Earth settles down
the embrace of dusk still fresh and brown
Pixies play their tunes
as magical as oasis amidst dunes!
Soon I see each two add
thirty stars in clouds not clad
Some coaxing and suspense later
Sixty there were, sure greater...
Clouds were my blanket and pillow
a walk among them never more mellow!

A few folk and a lot to joke
Out of nowhere came the choke
A lump it was down the throat
hazy became the dream sail and its boat
Tears froze to be brave
When came the wave
all was shun and a new one had begun
When away was the Sun
and every star had to say
here we are; why you pray...

I see, I see they follow
and now there's no hollow
Does it sound weighty
when I claim they are one eighty
All shower blessings galore
Its something you just can't ignore
Need I say more
we just higher and higher soar!

No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted

It is not always welcome when the dark clouds cover the bright shining sun. The streak of sunlight after a downpour brings back the cheer; brings back the smile. But then, there’s no escaping either the clouds or the rain or the streak of light that shines later on…

A certain day in the not-so-behind past had gloom lurking over me; and work kept my mind out of it to a fair extent. However, work cannot continue forever…and when it was wrapped up for the day, the mind chose to take advantage of the situation and wandered into otherwise forbidden territories. The eyes chose to look continually at the lone lamp post that lit the silent night; the ears painstakingly trying to hear the sound of silence that loomed over the beloved talk. It is rightly claimed that the best way to relieve a tired mind is to drift into the warmth of sleep; and so was it.

The gentle morning rays of the Sun and the sweet sound that the ears always yearn to hear had me waking up on a better note. All that I could recall was looking endlessly at the stars strewn above; staring endlessly as they seemed to smile down upon me. A weekday brings with it the rush, the hurry, the self inflicted race and takes away from us certain small, yet non-trivial things. The weather too seemed to have mellowed down on its wrath and was issuing forth a pleasant and warm embrace; the kinds that’s perfect for a stroll…pity it was a weekday, when strolls are a comfort for a fortunate few. At that moment, there were other tasks that topped the priority list – a class that had begun three minutes ago, and to which I’d be fifteen minutes late if not for…oh wait! There was that music that filled hope – that familiar purr of the engine, which was turning around the corner that I had just left behind me. Refusing to get into the despair territory yet again, the decision to sprint for the almost impossible was taken in a matter of a split second. Halfway through the sprint there was a pause – had I stopped? No, it was the purr of the engine that had paused and I had a Jolly Good Man motioning me to get on the “Campus Rush”. Taken aback though I was, it was a warm feeling – being greeted by a cheery voice wishing me the best of the mornings. An almost breathless bout of Thank you’s followed.

What happened thereafter is quite predictable. It was just a matter of two minutes that I was in the class, a feel-good factor at its brim within me. A big Thank you to the Jolly Good Man; I shall never forget either his cheerful voice that greeted me or his broad warm smile that made so much sense of a proverb taught years ago – Every Cloud Has a Silver Lining. He was that angel that was sent to bring back the goodness, to help me find the path that led to the streak of optimism I had missed by chance!

It is indeed a matter of opinion!

How often does it happen that you strike a conversation and it so speedily steers towards something of the likes of “Oh, I feel…” or “I think it was so…” and so on and so forth? Wait a minute now… this sounds fairly, closely similar… infact, it IS an opinion!

A tiny scratch/graze on the knee had invited forth a lot of questions. Just questions? Well, questions, opinions, and you know; the works. Oh, you had a fall? Was it a hot car you were ogling at? No wait, it must’ve been a hot guy in a hot car! And the answer you muster – with half the mind scheming at shooing away the opined – is nothing but a sheepish grin!

It is acceptable, completely acceptable. Monotony can cause boredom; eventually leading to joblessness and cooking up an opinion is a fairly good exercise for the mind at that point of time. What kind of monotony; you ask? Well, let’s see… say you hate the job you do (or are supposed to be doing); or say you are idling away for nobody’s benefit; or let’s say you are simply bored! Monotony requires constant de-stressing and what better than exercising one’s opinions? The long existing joblessness makes it all fun and voila! there’s sunshine again! Else imagine being lost…lost in a dark and winding tavern for ever! Not a very pretty picture, huh?

At this moment I remember something a friend had once told me… Just because I like rock music, I groove to the beats of head-banging tunes doesn’t mean people have to rule out that my life partner will have a guitar on a tattooed arm; sporting a pony; and a couple of rings that is so famously known as piercings!

Beyond doubt, everything above is my opinion, and I admit it. My freedom of expression allows it to be up here; and what your opinion is… is indeed a matter of opinion!