They fall
In unintelligible gibberish
At a poor pace
Not caring
About the sky
that they were born to claim
Too helpless
To help
the one that they fall on and crush
under their weight..
Poor souls.. these little ones
If only they knew..
Their own little power... if only.. they had
floated lightly,
into the air
like dreams are meant to..
instead they took
reality on their shoulders
and that is a heavy burden.
No wonder they fell
not into the open sky
but on the earth
crushing the one who stood under
with open, wide arms
hoping to reap
a harvest of beautiful dreams
and instead
crushed under
the weight of these pointless words.
I am not sure who the murdered was...
Saturday, March 25, 2006
And then
Just like that
I found it
She just said,
Learn to be your dreams
And they will be your reality too.
Such a simple thing, this, and I
Forgot to believe in dreams
Or their power.
Dumb.
And then just like that
I knew
That it was back
- The Incorrigible Dreamer
The one who will
never, ever, be.
And cannot
Not Be.
Just like that
I found it
She just said,
Learn to be your dreams
And they will be your reality too.
Such a simple thing, this, and I
Forgot to believe in dreams
Or their power.
Dumb.
And then just like that
I knew
That it was back
- The Incorrigible Dreamer
The one who will
never, ever, be.
And cannot
Not Be.
Tuesday, March 07, 2006
Aaye hain Samjhaane Log
Aaye haiin samjhaane log,
hain kitne deewaane log!!
- From a Chitra Singh Ghazal
hain kitne deewaane log!!
- From a Chitra Singh Ghazal
Monday, March 06, 2006
The story so far..
I had to stop my theblogs.net blog after my password change without my intervention, and was unrecovered.. that was sad... and before this blog starts... the story so far.. more for me than for anyone else..
Omar Khayyam.. on Life and Death..
If my coming were up to me, I’d never be born And if my going were on my accord, I’d go with scorn Isn’t it better that in this world, so old and worn Never to be born, neither stay, nor be away torn? [ 15:59 ] [ Feb. 17, 2006 ]
Jo nahi hain
Unhe dekh paana
Kitna aasaan hai is se
ki hum unhe dekhein
gaur se,
jo hain....aur
jinki ore
hum kabhi dekhte nahi..
ye zaroori nahi ki
pyaar nahi hai un se
jo hain aur phir bhi nahi hain
hamari drishti mein
aksar
itna pyaar hota hai ki hum
dekhte nahi unki ore
jaise
kisi parijan ka chitra baithak mein pada pada
ankhon mein utar jaata hai
aur use
dekhne ki zaroorat nahi rehti..
mushkil hai unhein dekhna
roz nayi aankhon se
aur yaad rakna
ki chitra aur parijan mein
fark hota hai
Parijan ke chechre par
padti hain jhhurriyaan bhi
[ 01:04 ] [ Feb. 7, 2006 ]
Omar Khayyam.. on Life and Death..
If my coming were up to me, I’d never be born And if my going were on my accord, I’d go with scorn Isn’t it better that in this world, so old and worn Never to be born, neither stay, nor be away torn? [ 15:59 ] [ Feb. 17, 2006 ]
Jo nahi hain
Unhe dekh paana
Kitna aasaan hai is se
ki hum unhe dekhein
gaur se,
jo hain....aur
jinki ore
hum kabhi dekhte nahi..
ye zaroori nahi ki
pyaar nahi hai un se
jo hain aur phir bhi nahi hain
hamari drishti mein
aksar
itna pyaar hota hai ki hum
dekhte nahi unki ore
jaise
kisi parijan ka chitra baithak mein pada pada
ankhon mein utar jaata hai
aur use
dekhne ki zaroorat nahi rehti..
mushkil hai unhein dekhna
roz nayi aankhon se
aur yaad rakna
ki chitra aur parijan mein
fark hota hai
Parijan ke chechre par
padti hain jhhurriyaan bhi
[ 01:04 ] [ Feb. 7, 2006 ]
The Story so far(5)
And it Starts..
It all started with a small get together at a friend's place. I met a lovely young girl who was on her way to being a journalist with a leading paper in India. That was thrilling and I said, "Well, journalism is one of my alter egos. There is so much to talk about, that people don't want to read and no one wants to waste column inches on.. but they are important issues, and I wish some journalist in India would start talking about them as sensationally as the P3 parties..At that point, something in my head went, "So, you do it!" That was how this blog started.. so now, you know the general direction..But of course, if I want someone to read it, I'll have to try and make it interesting..a little like adding salt to food.. and dessert to boiled vegetables..
Nice Quote
Saw this nice quote today and could not help posting it on the blog..
What is it in you that brings you to a spiritual teacher in the first place? It's not the spirit in you, since that is already enlightened, and has no need to seek. No, it is the ego in you that brings you to a teacher. - Ken Wilber
My Take: What is it in you that makes you a spiritual teacher? perhaps, it is the ego again.
And if the ego of the learner seeks the ego of the teacher, where is the spirit in that?
********************
The Sky is the Limit
They always told us, "The Sky is the Limit."
And one day we found out: There is no sky. There never was.[ 13:30 ] [ Sep. 15, 2005 ]
************************
Lao Tzu Quote
Always we hope someone else has the answer.Some other place will be better,some other time it will all turn out.This is it.No one else has the answer.No other place will be better,and it has already turned out. --Lao Tzu[ 12:26 ] [ Sep. 19, 2005 ]
*********************
To add for its own sake
To say something for the sake of saying something, is to invite being ignored when you do have something to say.. have been thinking of this for some time now.. any thoughts?
[ 02:35 ] [ Oct. 11, 2005 ]
**************************
The Pagal Khana..
We have an annual decoration contest in office on Diwali.. this year, my department chose the theme of pagalkhane mein Diwali(Diwali in a mental asylum).. they were trying to be innovative. In the process,they thought up things like people doing weird things, each in his/her own world.. and thereby adding to our entertainment value..
Someone once said, "At the end of our lives, we are more likely to regret the things we didn't do rather than the things that we did do."
I regret not standing up for issues I believe in.. this was not going to be one of those times.
Pagal khanas are not full of people holding up lanterns, or shouting "Aaj holi hai!" on diwali, or pretending to be poojaris.. or so on.. they are full of people who spend their whole lives in 6*8 cells, that are not cleaned. Ever. Unless a sane inmate takes pity and cleans the cell.
Sane people who are fed into a pagal khana bcs their families do not want them.
People who got away from criminal proceedings by pretending to be insane and are lodged here instead of the jail.
Women who are sexually abused without even being aware of what is happening to them.
And people who are actually insane enough to act weird. Really weird. But mostly, people who will be found brooding, muttering to themselvss, and usually, not the kind of entertainment that my colleagues expect to find.
That is the picture of the pagal khana. Which is different from the picture of the average person who needs a mental health professional. The 2 are intersecting circles, but they are not the same.
Today, a lot more people need mental health help, because we have gone the famous nuclear family and "I live for myself" route. But no one acknowledges the need and what we are left with is a BIG set of people who just need someone to talk to, but are too brave to get help,bcs of the social stigma attached to seeking help.
And great shows like this, "Pagal Khane mein Diwali", will convince someone in the audience, who might be listening to some of us trying to tell people that its better to get help than to suffer in silence, that counseling is ALWAYS confidential, that not even the family needs to know, someone who might be thinking of it as being less of a stigma, will come to this show, and go back into his/her shell again..
CAN I PROMOTE A STEREOTYPE THAT I'VE BEEN TRYING TO DEMOLISH?
NO!
Hence, the decision to not participate in the show. [ 12:32 ] [ Oct. 27, 2005 ]
****************************
The Zahir
I don't know who it was who got here and advised me to read "The Zahir". Thank You! I did.
If the book has lessons, they are only for those who choose to take them. Centuries after the Bible, the Geeta and the Quran were written, telling us to do simple things like being honest, being good etc., we still read the Deepak Chopras.. why? Because it is so much easier to read, to talk and to think, than it is to DO!
Such a simple thing.. do not lie..even simpler.. do your duty. And what do we do? Write 300 page commentaries on what do means, what not means, and what lie means... do not lie.. do we really need a 300 page commentary on the Geeta?
Do not lie.. try doing this. Not lying. Its easier than you think.
or, try doing something simpler.. do what you are supposed to do, do not worry about tomorrow.. or, simpler still, try writing a 300 page commentary on what "supposed" does and does not mean...
[ 18:45 ] [ Nov. 6, 2005 ]
*******************************************
It all started with a small get together at a friend's place. I met a lovely young girl who was on her way to being a journalist with a leading paper in India. That was thrilling and I said, "Well, journalism is one of my alter egos. There is so much to talk about, that people don't want to read and no one wants to waste column inches on.. but they are important issues, and I wish some journalist in India would start talking about them as sensationally as the P3 parties..At that point, something in my head went, "So, you do it!" That was how this blog started.. so now, you know the general direction..But of course, if I want someone to read it, I'll have to try and make it interesting..a little like adding salt to food.. and dessert to boiled vegetables..
Nice Quote
Saw this nice quote today and could not help posting it on the blog..
What is it in you that brings you to a spiritual teacher in the first place? It's not the spirit in you, since that is already enlightened, and has no need to seek. No, it is the ego in you that brings you to a teacher. - Ken Wilber
My Take: What is it in you that makes you a spiritual teacher? perhaps, it is the ego again.
And if the ego of the learner seeks the ego of the teacher, where is the spirit in that?
********************
The Sky is the Limit
They always told us, "The Sky is the Limit."
And one day we found out: There is no sky. There never was.[ 13:30 ] [ Sep. 15, 2005 ]
************************
Lao Tzu Quote
Always we hope someone else has the answer.Some other place will be better,some other time it will all turn out.This is it.No one else has the answer.No other place will be better,and it has already turned out. --Lao Tzu[ 12:26 ] [ Sep. 19, 2005 ]
*********************
To add for its own sake
To say something for the sake of saying something, is to invite being ignored when you do have something to say.. have been thinking of this for some time now.. any thoughts?
[ 02:35 ] [ Oct. 11, 2005 ]
**************************
The Pagal Khana..
We have an annual decoration contest in office on Diwali.. this year, my department chose the theme of pagalkhane mein Diwali(Diwali in a mental asylum).. they were trying to be innovative. In the process,they thought up things like people doing weird things, each in his/her own world.. and thereby adding to our entertainment value..
Someone once said, "At the end of our lives, we are more likely to regret the things we didn't do rather than the things that we did do."
I regret not standing up for issues I believe in.. this was not going to be one of those times.
Pagal khanas are not full of people holding up lanterns, or shouting "Aaj holi hai!" on diwali, or pretending to be poojaris.. or so on.. they are full of people who spend their whole lives in 6*8 cells, that are not cleaned. Ever. Unless a sane inmate takes pity and cleans the cell.
Sane people who are fed into a pagal khana bcs their families do not want them.
People who got away from criminal proceedings by pretending to be insane and are lodged here instead of the jail.
Women who are sexually abused without even being aware of what is happening to them.
And people who are actually insane enough to act weird. Really weird. But mostly, people who will be found brooding, muttering to themselvss, and usually, not the kind of entertainment that my colleagues expect to find.
That is the picture of the pagal khana. Which is different from the picture of the average person who needs a mental health professional. The 2 are intersecting circles, but they are not the same.
Today, a lot more people need mental health help, because we have gone the famous nuclear family and "I live for myself" route. But no one acknowledges the need and what we are left with is a BIG set of people who just need someone to talk to, but are too brave to get help,bcs of the social stigma attached to seeking help.
And great shows like this, "Pagal Khane mein Diwali", will convince someone in the audience, who might be listening to some of us trying to tell people that its better to get help than to suffer in silence, that counseling is ALWAYS confidential, that not even the family needs to know, someone who might be thinking of it as being less of a stigma, will come to this show, and go back into his/her shell again..
CAN I PROMOTE A STEREOTYPE THAT I'VE BEEN TRYING TO DEMOLISH?
NO!
Hence, the decision to not participate in the show. [ 12:32 ] [ Oct. 27, 2005 ]
****************************
The Zahir
I don't know who it was who got here and advised me to read "The Zahir". Thank You! I did.
If the book has lessons, they are only for those who choose to take them. Centuries after the Bible, the Geeta and the Quran were written, telling us to do simple things like being honest, being good etc., we still read the Deepak Chopras.. why? Because it is so much easier to read, to talk and to think, than it is to DO!
Such a simple thing.. do not lie..even simpler.. do your duty. And what do we do? Write 300 page commentaries on what do means, what not means, and what lie means... do not lie.. do we really need a 300 page commentary on the Geeta?
Do not lie.. try doing this. Not lying. Its easier than you think.
or, try doing something simpler.. do what you are supposed to do, do not worry about tomorrow.. or, simpler still, try writing a 300 page commentary on what "supposed" does and does not mean...
[ 18:45 ] [ Nov. 6, 2005 ]
*******************************************
The Story so far(4)
Hi!
One morning, I was just.. around, trying to help my brother and opened Google(Obviously!) . This is what the Google site looked like.
Incidentally, it was the 4th of January, that's Louise Braille's Birthday, and this is Google in Braille.. WAY TO GO!! [ 01:21 ] [ Jan. 8, 2006 ]
Braille in Primary School
This is the best piece of news that I've heard in a loooong time.. the Delhi Sarkar has decided that it will introduce Braille and sign language in primary school to make schools more disabled friendly.
We dont know when, if ever, the proposal will ring true. When it does, am certain it will have 99% of all parents complaining about the extra work load on a child.
I agree.
So, what will it mean? This extra work load on the child? It will mean that he knows, at the age of 5, that there are some people in the world who cannot see a sunrise.
He will know that his eyes are too precious to be wasted on TV games and TV soaps.
It will also mean that he knows that there are children who cannot see films, even though they are sighted, because they cannot hear a thing. That these are children who could die in a fire because they will just not hear the fire alarm! Or, like in the film Koshish or Khamoshi, people who could lose a loved one becuase they don't hear the screams asking for help!!! It will teach them to value their bodies. And to value the people who were not born with bodies as perfect.
Perhaps that knowledge is too much weight to carry around. Perhaps it is depressing to teach a child about disability that early in life. But if I was a parent, I would ask the school to give my child that extra workload today. They could, if they like, cut his counting. It doesn't matter if he counts a year later. But he should know, when he learns to count, that it is a privilege to be able to say "One, Two, Three..." and a pivilige to see the Apple, Boy, Cat in the picture book.
[ 16:33 ] [ Dec. 16, 2005 ]
Why that blog about the home loan?
Guess I owe an answer there.. it was also to warn other people about these entities. That is my only excuse.. :)
In the interim, the WTO talks have been held hostage by India and then the G 20s and G30s. Am proud of my country for finally standing up for a cause. Its own perhaps, but I don't remember the last time our legislators agreed on anything other than increasing the salaries of MPs.
Another significant thing. When the defence service senior officials were shown taking a bribe by Tehelka, Tehelka was finished systematically. When the MPs were shown doing the same thing.. surprise! Surprise! All the political parties went red faced and guess what? the MPs were in trouble! Seriously! And then, Natwar Singh was asked to leave, his seniority notwithstanding, bcs of the Iraq deal. Am not sure what that means... but this I do know, if politicians have started to get red faced about bribes, and if the days of "saajish hai ye" are over... these are good days for my country.. just perhaps..
Maybe it is too soon to believe that a change is coming, but hey, no one said its too soon to hope... Am hoping...
[ 16:14 ] [ Dec. 16, 2005 ]
One morning, I was just.. around, trying to help my brother and opened Google(Obviously!) . This is what the Google site looked like.
Incidentally, it was the 4th of January, that's Louise Braille's Birthday, and this is Google in Braille.. WAY TO GO!! [ 01:21 ] [ Jan. 8, 2006 ]
Braille in Primary School
This is the best piece of news that I've heard in a loooong time.. the Delhi Sarkar has decided that it will introduce Braille and sign language in primary school to make schools more disabled friendly.
We dont know when, if ever, the proposal will ring true. When it does, am certain it will have 99% of all parents complaining about the extra work load on a child.
I agree.
So, what will it mean? This extra work load on the child? It will mean that he knows, at the age of 5, that there are some people in the world who cannot see a sunrise.
He will know that his eyes are too precious to be wasted on TV games and TV soaps.
It will also mean that he knows that there are children who cannot see films, even though they are sighted, because they cannot hear a thing. That these are children who could die in a fire because they will just not hear the fire alarm! Or, like in the film Koshish or Khamoshi, people who could lose a loved one becuase they don't hear the screams asking for help!!! It will teach them to value their bodies. And to value the people who were not born with bodies as perfect.
Perhaps that knowledge is too much weight to carry around. Perhaps it is depressing to teach a child about disability that early in life. But if I was a parent, I would ask the school to give my child that extra workload today. They could, if they like, cut his counting. It doesn't matter if he counts a year later. But he should know, when he learns to count, that it is a privilege to be able to say "One, Two, Three..." and a pivilige to see the Apple, Boy, Cat in the picture book.
[ 16:33 ] [ Dec. 16, 2005 ]
Why that blog about the home loan?
Guess I owe an answer there.. it was also to warn other people about these entities. That is my only excuse.. :)
In the interim, the WTO talks have been held hostage by India and then the G 20s and G30s. Am proud of my country for finally standing up for a cause. Its own perhaps, but I don't remember the last time our legislators agreed on anything other than increasing the salaries of MPs.
Another significant thing. When the defence service senior officials were shown taking a bribe by Tehelka, Tehelka was finished systematically. When the MPs were shown doing the same thing.. surprise! Surprise! All the political parties went red faced and guess what? the MPs were in trouble! Seriously! And then, Natwar Singh was asked to leave, his seniority notwithstanding, bcs of the Iraq deal. Am not sure what that means... but this I do know, if politicians have started to get red faced about bribes, and if the days of "saajish hai ye" are over... these are good days for my country.. just perhaps..
Maybe it is too soon to believe that a change is coming, but hey, no one said its too soon to hope... Am hoping...
[ 16:14 ] [ Dec. 16, 2005 ]
The Story so far... (3)
Poetry
The beauty of this thing is.. it ways a lot in a few words.. if you have the time, you hear, otherwise, you understand..
This was the title song of a serial on TV. Sung by Jagjeet Singh there.
Zindagi noor hai,
Magar is mein jalne ka dastoor hai..
Ravayat hai ke, zindagi gehna hai,
ye heera hai aur chhat-te rehna hai..
Ke lamhon mein marne ka dastoor hai...
The verse is in Hindi and my apologies to people who dont know the language.. i am a poor translator..
[ 01:37 ] [ Jan. 8, 2006 ]
On getting wodden furniture made
How many trees were killed,
For this almirah?
How many trees butchered
for this nice wall piece?
That is a wonderful kitchen!
How many corpses does it rest on?
Oh! What a wonderful decoration piece... pure wood! How nice!
Who did the killing? [ 01:33 ] [ Jan. 8, 2006 ]
On Reading the Kite Runner...
It was handed down to me by someone who runs a bookstore bcs he loves books. He told me he always keeps a copy.
I took it, just like that. The title and the cover picture were not very exciting, and the last thing one wanted was another half cooked attempt at metaphors of life and story telling with very little to say.
Started reading it at a time when one could obviously do little else.
You know, some books are like haunted houses.. once you've been inside them, they can send a chill down your spine no matter how much time has passed... The Kite Runner is not a haunted house. Its the Ghost that haunts all your life. And you also realise that the things people point out to you as being the most important.. are perhaps the only things not of value.
That one day, you will be called to shed all your facades and do what you should do, and you will, on that day, have to shed the lies you've fed yourself for years and own up to being who you really are... a coward, and an ill prepared traveller.
Don't read the book. [ 01:24 ] [ Jan. 8, 2006 ]
The beauty of this thing is.. it ways a lot in a few words.. if you have the time, you hear, otherwise, you understand..
This was the title song of a serial on TV. Sung by Jagjeet Singh there.
Zindagi noor hai,
Magar is mein jalne ka dastoor hai..
Ravayat hai ke, zindagi gehna hai,
ye heera hai aur chhat-te rehna hai..
Ke lamhon mein marne ka dastoor hai...
The verse is in Hindi and my apologies to people who dont know the language.. i am a poor translator..
[ 01:37 ] [ Jan. 8, 2006 ]
On getting wodden furniture made
How many trees were killed,
For this almirah?
How many trees butchered
for this nice wall piece?
That is a wonderful kitchen!
How many corpses does it rest on?
Oh! What a wonderful decoration piece... pure wood! How nice!
Who did the killing? [ 01:33 ] [ Jan. 8, 2006 ]
On Reading the Kite Runner...
It was handed down to me by someone who runs a bookstore bcs he loves books. He told me he always keeps a copy.
I took it, just like that. The title and the cover picture were not very exciting, and the last thing one wanted was another half cooked attempt at metaphors of life and story telling with very little to say.
Started reading it at a time when one could obviously do little else.
You know, some books are like haunted houses.. once you've been inside them, they can send a chill down your spine no matter how much time has passed... The Kite Runner is not a haunted house. Its the Ghost that haunts all your life. And you also realise that the things people point out to you as being the most important.. are perhaps the only things not of value.
That one day, you will be called to shed all your facades and do what you should do, and you will, on that day, have to shed the lies you've fed yourself for years and own up to being who you really are... a coward, and an ill prepared traveller.
Don't read the book. [ 01:24 ] [ Jan. 8, 2006 ]
The Story so Far (Contd.)
Shers
Koi haath bhi na milayega, jo gale miloge tapaak se
Ye naye mijaaz ka shehar hai,
Zaraa faaslon se mila karo...
One day, I sent a sher to my friends.. and true to form, they responded with more shers..none of us is a poet. Usually we don't even know who the poet is. We just love the work and share that.
Palkon mein band kuchh sapne hain,
Kuchh begaane kuchh apne hain,
Na jaane kya kashish hai aapki dosti mein,
aap door ho kar bhi kitne apne hain...
***********************
Aap se mile zamaana hua magar,
Yun laga koi hum se mil kar gaya abhi abhi..
*************************
Nanhe se dil mein, armaan koi rakhna
Duniya ki bhid mein pehchaan koi rakhna
Achchhe nahi lagte jab rehte ho udaas,
In pyaare se honthon pe muskaan koi rakhna..
******************
[ 10:28 ] [ Feb. 2, 2006 ]
Coffee Musings
There is something romantic about the word coffee and its association....it's non alcoholic and equally wonderful as a drink... and if u try it without milk and sugar and with some bitter cocoa thrown in, it can be quite potent. Add to that Agatha Christie, or your favorite murder mysteries, and you have the recipe for a perfect day!
Went to this Punjabi Mushayara which is an annual event, but this was my first time..
Here are the 2 I remembered:
Tere naa te rakhi sadak te hain raunaqaan badiyaan,
Teri dikhayi raah te veerangi kinni!
And this one:
Tussi mere pankh katde ho par main
Pher vi udd javaangi
Mera Mazhab hai aakaash!
There was one more.. on reservations... by a new Punjabi poet... i dont remember the name of the poet or the poem itself... but it was bful!
[ 17:35 ] [ Jan. 27, 2006 ]
Koi haath bhi na milayega, jo gale miloge tapaak se
Ye naye mijaaz ka shehar hai,
Zaraa faaslon se mila karo...
One day, I sent a sher to my friends.. and true to form, they responded with more shers..none of us is a poet. Usually we don't even know who the poet is. We just love the work and share that.
Palkon mein band kuchh sapne hain,
Kuchh begaane kuchh apne hain,
Na jaane kya kashish hai aapki dosti mein,
aap door ho kar bhi kitne apne hain...
***********************
Aap se mile zamaana hua magar,
Yun laga koi hum se mil kar gaya abhi abhi..
*************************
Nanhe se dil mein, armaan koi rakhna
Duniya ki bhid mein pehchaan koi rakhna
Achchhe nahi lagte jab rehte ho udaas,
In pyaare se honthon pe muskaan koi rakhna..
******************
[ 10:28 ] [ Feb. 2, 2006 ]
Coffee Musings
There is something romantic about the word coffee and its association....it's non alcoholic and equally wonderful as a drink... and if u try it without milk and sugar and with some bitter cocoa thrown in, it can be quite potent. Add to that Agatha Christie, or your favorite murder mysteries, and you have the recipe for a perfect day!
Went to this Punjabi Mushayara which is an annual event, but this was my first time..
Here are the 2 I remembered:
Tere naa te rakhi sadak te hain raunaqaan badiyaan,
Teri dikhayi raah te veerangi kinni!
And this one:
Tussi mere pankh katde ho par main
Pher vi udd javaangi
Mera Mazhab hai aakaash!
There was one more.. on reservations... by a new Punjabi poet... i dont remember the name of the poet or the poem itself... but it was bful!
[ 17:35 ] [ Jan. 27, 2006 ]
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