Second Life

When you left I felt a cut, a cut so deep

that took away the strongest part of me.

I breathed, breathed, and breathed

until the sharp pain became a part of me.

After ages of sleepless searches

and a lifetime of restless lurches,

I found that I still bleed you. 

So, I learnt to live a second life,

a life so incomplete and yet so full of you.

The priceless choice

When our world seemed hushed

we heard some beautiful noise

with sounds of animals and cars

and hums of childlike joys

When our lives turned silent  

we found a gentle voice

the voice had shapes and letters

and the language of toys

When our days were gray

we learned to make a choice

to add hues of songs and stories

and games of colorful rejoice

Thank you for helping us

discover the beauty in noise,

listen to the precious voice

and make this priceless choice

Didi Chaalisa (Hindi)

अरे कोई यहां के जाले  हटाओ
और तस्वीर ज़रा सीधी लगाओ
इस कैलेंडर पे आज की तारीख दिखाओ
कम  से कम चादर तो ठीक से बिछाओ

पापा आपके मोज़े बिलकुल मैचिंग नहीं
और पैंट पे इस्तरी  तक नहीं
मम्मी चलो यह पुराना कुर्ता सुधरवा दूँ
अरे ऋतु यह क्या पहन के आ गयी तू

वो भी क्या सुहाने दिन थे
जब यूँ चलती थी घर की सरकार
छोटी छोटी बांतो में डाँटो में
छुपी थी एक बड़ी बेटी बड़ी वास्तुकार

रेत से ईँट के घर तक का
यह सफर कहाँ था आसान
इस भेदभाव भरी दुनिया में
बनानी थी अपनी अलग पहचान

कितना बचपन खोया था
दूर शहर पढ़ने जाने में
कितनी रातें जगी थी
कागज़ के मकान बनाने  में

अब सधते हैं कंप्यूटर पे नक़्शे
शहर भर प्रदेश भर
कभी सजते हैं महलो से घर
कभी खड़े होते न्यायालय  कभी दफ्तर

इन बुलंद इमारतों के नीचे
कोई खंडहर है यह न समझना
बोई है इनमे एक बड़ी सोच
और पिरोया है एक बड़ा सपना

सपनो सी सुन्दर मोरनी बनके
आयी थी इस घर आँगन
दीदी से शुरू और दीदी पे ख़तम
एक शब्द में सिमटा था मेरा बचपन

साइकल ताश सितौलिया
चित्रकारी नाच रंगोली
गणित विज्ञान लेखन कला
चाल चलन और मीठी बोली

इन सीखों की गिनती करते
सौ पीढ़िया बदल जाएंगी
इस माँ सी दीदी पे लिखते लिखते
चालीस क्या चार सौ लाइन कम पड़  जाएंगी

Mother's Day 2016

When that cord gets cut only to get stronger

When that gentle touch of nurturing is forever 

When there is always a graceful light within

to keep us grounded as we search and build

Even when talking to those tireless ears feels like meditation

We do not pause to reflect upon that beautiful connection

Not until we prepare to create a new umbilical string  

We learn those invisible dots have such divine meaning

Thanks for being that mother

and thanks for giving us each other

Words Can Heal Pledge

I pledge to think more about the words I use.
I will try to see how gossip hurts people, including myself, and work to eliminate it from my life.
I will try to replace words that hurt with words that encourage, engage and enrich.
I will not become discouraged when I am unable to choose words perfectly, because making the world a better place is hard work.
And I am pledging to do that, one word at a time.

Take this pledge

Minimalism is Confronting

I claim this because ever since I started consciously de-cluttering, there is a sense of discomfort. As a result of freedom from stuff and time wasters, I am left alone with nothing but me and my glaring thoughts. De-cluttering has in a way become a journey toward self-discovery; after each session I see my soul much clearer than before. To feed my INFJ soul, I identified two missions secretly occupying my thoughts for the last few years of practicing minimalism. 

Poverty Alleviation (Materialistic Mission)

Service is extremely important to me. The cause I care about the most is poverty alleviation (even more than fighting violence against women). I was shocked to read the statistics on poverty e.g. half of the world lives on less than $2.5 a day, this is the amount I would probably offer as a tip to a cab driver for a short distance drive. The income differentials are very concerning. I often think whether poverty can be alleviated or significantly controlled through minimalism. Unfortunately, so far I have taken no specific action or effort toward this mission. 

Life of No Comparison and No Judgment (Spiritual Mission) 

We all have come across the Bible quote “Comparison is the thief of joy.” No matter how clichéd it sounds, I find it more relevant each day. I subconsciously compare myself with everyone including my neighbor, my best friend, my mentor, my employer, and probably even you (my reader!). The human mind is so creative that the comparison is performed at several levels (in fact I am embarrassed to elaborate on the levels). Comparison is definitely the fastest way to corrupt one’s soul. This article has inspired me to live a life of no comparison. Another related aspect is judging others. Being judgmental means assigning negative labels on others based on a number of factors, e.g. eating habits, profession, qualification, hobbies and interests, race, relationships, hometowns, (lack of) knowledge and skills, physical features, lifestyle, income, possessions, generosity, etc. Judging others fuels gossip, negativity, hatred, and even enmity. So, I am all in for living a no comparison/no judgment life. 

A Subtle Article on Personal Productivity

The article begins with the author’s current status: “There I sat with my thirteen-year-old daughter on a dirt floor eating rice and beans with some of the poorest people on the planet.” It then takes us several years back describing how much the author wanted his kids to develop sensitivity toward others by travelling and seeing the rest of the world. Back then, he realized he could only materialize his dream by sticking to two habits: weekly introspection and proactive scheduling. I found this article interesting because, unlike conventional productivity articles, it gently conveys the significance of discovering the inner motivation before resolving to develop new habits.