Lyf Is Lyk Dat Only !!!

Well, I am back after a really long time. Life has changed a lot in all this while, for good and for bad. I am a year older now and hopefully a bit wiser. Work has been hectic along with the travel & I have sat down finally to write something yesterday. Many of you pinged me and asked me to pen something down, so here it is. Hope you guys like it.

It s been years since I first started to walk

Been years since I played paper scissors and rock

Its been a while when I first left home to study

Been really long when I returned home with clothes all muddy

Though I am not complaining to you about my long lost childhood years

But then I realize I am old when marriages and babies are the new norm amongst my peers

I stopped celebrating birthdays long ago with cakes and all that pomp and show

Maybe it was my own way of stopping time and making myself grow

Life has been a rollercoaster all these years

I have grown out of my emotions and childhood fears

But new pages of chapters unknown still await me

Lot many things I await to know and see

In these times of merry & distress

I have met many new faces and cherished the old ones

Some grew near to my heart

While some did tore it apart

While many dream became a reality for me all this while

Many more dreams are making up a pile

I have learnt a lot in these times

Letting my soul free as the ringing wind chimes

I say to people I hope that I become wiser with years to come

While I really hope that I gain some more wisdom

I wish to god that I don’t lose the child in me during my entourage

I hope that I will still remain that reckless boy I was in the years to come

To Die Rather than Give In

The child inside of me may sound immature,
Immature with dreams unrealizable in my mind
They may sound weird today to the world
But the day will come, when they will salute my find

The failures I faced may make you laugh at me
As the world typecasts something I am not yet to be
Success comes to those who don’t stop trying
And the day will come, when I will what I always wanted to be

The bravery I carry may look more of foolishness to you
I took the blows in the heat survived by few
I may sound foolish to walk down the aisle of fire
But the day will come, when I will tame this fire with my burning desires

Its these things that define and complete me
They are more than what I ever want to be
And I would rather prefer to perish
Than give in to being what the world wants me to be

The Impossible Dream

This song has been written by Joe Darion.

Since the last few days I have not been in my highest spirits. Then a friend suddenly reminded me of the song sung before us some 20 months back and so I am posting it here. This is dedicated to the first batch of IIM Shillong - The Class of 2010.

The credit for the image goes to Tripurari and Sarvesh (Creaons).

To dream the impossible dream
To fight the unbeatable foe
To bear with unbearable sorrow
To run where the brave dare not go

To right the unrightable wrong
To love pure and chaste from afar
To try when your arms are too weary
To reach the unreachable star

This is my quest
To follow that star
No matter how hopeless
No matter how far

To fight for the right
Without question or pause
To be willing to march into Hell
For a heavenly cause

And I know if I'll only be true
To this glorious quest
That my heart will lie peaceful and calm
When I'm laid to my rest

And the world will be better for this
That one man, scorned and covered with scars
Still strove with his last ounce of courage
To reach the unreachable star

Live by chance !!!

Life is such a dicey game
Like the roulette, bringing a few with money and fame
Some spend their entire life in the hunt for gold
But in the end their search is futile with no luck in their fold

I tried my luck too, took my chance on the dice
But realized it was a mad race with mazes beleaguering the mice
Does that mean that we give up and relax?
What if we don’t do anything, then what is the price?

Life is never a free lunch you can enjoy
It’s sinusoidal, full of sorrow and joy
But the joys don’t come at your ease
You need to take your chance and have people to please

You need to handle the sorrows with dignity
Not lose your calm, show some character of divinity
Life will bring its gifts to you at its pace
Learn to run with pleasure and enjoy the mad race

I am the Captain of my ship !!!

I am the captain of my ship and the master of my soul

I am the owner of my failures and the leader of my patrol

I don’t fear death and I look into its eyes

I know what is destined for me and I am aware of my goals

They may come in millions and take over my land

They may destroy me and make my country disband

I will still live in the minds of those who are fearless

In the minds of those who are not there to be suppressed

When one will fall, thousands will rise to fight

No matter whom the enemy is, no matter what is his might

Even as they fall and their heads will roll

Their voices will echo the valleys as they are the masters of their soul

For how long will the enemy hold the brave hearts

For how long will we be killed and taken apart

There will be a dawn soon; a dawn so bright

When we will ravage the enemy and end the fight

Inspired by and dedicated to those great men who have fought the war at Kargil, 1999

One Fine Day !!!

One fine day, when the clouds hid the sun away
One fine day, when there were kids away from school at play
One fine day, when I was so beleaguered by myself that I had nothing to say
One fine day, when the birds chirped in the central park by the bay

I was sitting by the bench, sipping coffee
Reading a newspaper, enjoying the breeze, being carefree
Suddenly my eyes strayed to the boy who sat polishing shoes
With his hands working like lightening bolts, he looked at me

Sir would you care for your shoes and like me to serve you today
Looking at his tender age, I did not have words to say
I had no options but to help the poor chap I thought
But what can I do for him, so that he doesn’t feel bought

I pondered over as I sipped my last sip
It was as chilling as a winter morning dip
If I give him the money, he would consider it as alms
But I never wanted him to polish my shoes with his tender young palms

Should I walk away, should I forget the boy?
Should I ask him for something to which I could buy?
I was never so puzzled in a petty situation
I never thought that I would go in such frustration
I was about to leave, when a thought struck to my mind
Why is it that some get silver spoons and some get the life-grind?
I asked the boy to change the pair of laces in my shoe
I let him take them off and get it through

I asked if he would like to study in life
He answered smiling away his terrible strife
Sir, it is our destiny to toil in the dust
I said, I understand but do give it a try unless u must

He said kind sir, thank you for your advice
I seldom meet men who are considerate and nice
I thanked him stuffing my feet into the shoe
Left him an envelope, which I hope would have helped a few

The Wind Beneath my Wings !!!

I was standing on the edge of the cliff
With my face towards the valley, but my wings were still stiff
I did not know what to do and when to dive
I wasn’t so sure if at all I will survive

My inner voices were all quite mum
I was not able to judge and my thoughts were numb
Pebbles below my feet were slipping away
It was like god has decided to send me into the fray

Just then a moment flashed beyond my eyes
I saw an eagle spreading its wings in the azure skies
His each turn had an amazing grace
Yet he was fast as if flying in a race

I do not know what happened just then to me
The wind below my wings suddenly became free
I dived into the miles below the cliff
No longer was I shackled, nor were my wings stiff

I took turns, summersaults, rolled along the depths beneath
Then my wings took control and I rose with the valleys and cliffs underneath
I did not believe that I could fly
But then I would have never had I not given it the much needed try

The Audacity of Hope !!!

dedicated to all those who have lost hope, do not worry God has not given good things in life because he has better in store for you !!!!
Title inspired by the great book by Barack Obama - Worth a read...

Hope is like a lighthouse on a stormy night
Hope is the adrenaline that prompted David to fight
It is the stone from the slingshot which made the Goliath fall
Hope is the sense of what is wrong and what is right

Hope is audacious by nature
It is not a candle that a storm can flicker
Hope is the island in the sea of no return
Hope is the star in a cloudy sky that shimmers

Hope can be dangerous, hope can be brave
Hope can make a coward gather courage to save
Hope is the essence of life that holds a soul between two worlds
Hope is the white light that takes dead out of the grave

One who loses hope, has lost half the war
His life will become and always remain under par
So gather yourself and gather your hope
Hope is the only friend whose shoulders will take you far

To live and not plan !!!

It was a usual cloudy day, with the drizzle hitting my window panes
Its been more than a year, in this place of incessant rains
I never imagined I would be learning the art of deception called MBA
I was always a better engineer or scientist, but now it was all capital gains

Life changes in moments so brief
Emotions and feelings fill it which are as tender as an ocean reef
Some moments bring new joys, some bring remorse
God takes away all your plans away like a thief

I planned for a life of adventure, full of adrenaline
I never realized what was in store for me, who in the distance was calling
Now I have stopped making plans for the days ahead
I take each day, one at a time but like rain they keep falling

People talk about tactics and strategic intent
I say keep them aside and let them ferment
Always start with a fresh approach and mind
Never imagine conquering more than you can ascend

Life has a small coefficient of chaos inside
Don’t try to ignore it or keep it aside
Try to love it and embrace with open hands
And it will take you to the summit in sight

Where is my destination ???

Where is my path, where is my destination
Where is my life taking me, is it salvation
I started off on a happy note
Will I be happy enough when I end and seek redemption?

Life is a journey to enjoy while it lasts
Life is a wet mould drying away in a cast
Life is dynamic, life is chaotic
Life is everything else but never poetic

Life has taken many alive
Life is indeed difficult for those who wish to survive
Mere survival is not the victory we choose
It’s only complete when we ditch death and loosen the noose

We meet many on this exciting journey of ours
Some experience are sweet, most of them are sour
Life is all about learning from mistakes
Its like walking on the edge with no supporting bars

I wish to say best of luck to all those who dare
Its not everyday, that we walk barefoot on flares
I do not know if we will see the light of dawn
In this big game of life we all are nothing but mere pawns

Taliban and Yours Truly !!!

In the dizzy heights of Herat

In the lonely valleys of SWAT

There lived a band of men

Who ruled like furious mountain cats

The mountain cats are no longer there

They shifted base and came here

Purdah was back, so was going by the book

Food was for the glorious, who did not know how to cook

Movement was restricted, men were to be loyal

Yet from the outside, everything inside was so dandified and seems royal

“I am a free man”, I said, a warrior by instinct

No man can dictate to me or take my soil

But the fight is still half done

They are out of ammunition and we have yet not begun

Never take an enemy in his full might, Sun Tzu said

Once he is weak, kill his ego and make him run

Behind The Iron Curtain - Long Live the Revolution

I often wondered what life was in the Iron Curtain
Today, on a cloudy gray day, I have experienced the same for certain
Men evolved from monkeys, primates and Iron-age man
They learned to hunt, make fire and do what they can

Slowly over time industrial revolution came
Along with steam engine, factories and men with fame
Men worked hard, made machines and then fought
World wars came and misery was all it brought

Communists, Capitalists, Nazis and Socialists were all there
Some were rich and selfish and they didn’t want to share
They made large walls, built empires
Men inside were uncertain about the world outside as if they didn’t care

The Iron curtain as it was called
Empires stood mighty but free men were walled
The world outside went far ahead of time
But inside there were problems so mighty which could not be solved

On a holy day two decades back
There were few men who brought hammers, chisels and sacks
The Iron Curtain fell, men rejoiced and celebrated with all
The biggest curtain fell with a single crack
Today I see a sorry state of my own biome
The place where I lived for an eon, called it home
An iron curtain exists today here too
A place which was once as mighty as the glorified Rome

“Viva La Revolución – Long live the Revolution” I cried
We need to rise up too and fight, we sighed
No Iron Curtain can stop the minds of free men
We roared as majestic lions and fought with pride.

The Struggle Never Ends !!!

Life is a never ending puzzle
To live and not fall is an impossible struggle
We fight and love and live everyday
Yet try to save ourselves from the dirty puddle

Some people live and thrive in this puddle
While others detest it and continue to struggle
Some succeed and reach unconquered heights
But there are few who give up without a good fight

To me life has always been a duel
Not between me and my coevals
But between me and the almighty god
Between me and his ever rising obstacles

Life is all about struggle
I say to myself as at night I cuddle
To rise or fall fighting fate and hardship
Is the ultimate struggle

Mein Kampf

Life is a struggle
So many balls moving around to be juggled
It was never simple for anyone at all
Most wont survive to tell stories at all

I too face my struggle, my life
I too had to learn, had to fight
I became numb once
It was when the foes gathered might

I fell like the citadel of Rome
My grave was denied a dome
While I rested in my tomb, my soul returned back
Saying I have to fight wars and have enemies to sack

Suddenly a strange power came into my mortal remains
My heart started beating, blood flew in veins
My Excalibur gained its furious sheen
I was ready, ready for Rome, ready for Aberdeen

And the struggle continued !!!!!me

Delivering Smiles Accross Lives

First Patient was the doctor who brought me alive
He smiled and said "its a boy" with a jive
Then came the lady who carried me around
she was filled with joy and swinged like a merry go round
Since that day I have been the messenger of joy
spreading the smile across all girls and boys

There came a time when my life was full of sorrow
I searched for friends but none were there to borrow
After all bliss is what everyone seeks
no matter how strong or no matter how weak
I was lost in the jungle of agony
Looked like I missed the smiles in the dark mahagony

Then when I was about to leave my life's hope
there came an angel in an pearl white robe
She asked me the cause of pain
I gave excuses which were all but lame
Furious she grew with anger
But I was unaware of the forthcoming danger

She grew calm and said to my soul
Why do you remain so sad and foul
Is it you who was blessed with eternal smile
or is it the pain in you who made it erstwhile
Then I realized what I was missing in my life
What was inside of me and piercing like a knife

I gained momentum in my walk
Joy spurred back in my talk
The faint crescent on my face
became all dominant with blissfull grace
Since then it became my duty to succeed the angel I met
Bringing smiles all over hidning clouds of sorrow and regret

The Power of One....

I always believed in the power of one
for one represents the gods might.
An elephant as mighty as can be
comes down on 'an' ants plight.

A man it took to shake the foundations of royalty
who took India of out of its eternal misery
A vision it took for the nation to rise
to take poor prunes as mighty today they reprise

An atom it took to take down a war
to take down an empire even its czar.
An idea it took to make world so bright
taking the life of all to a new dizzy height.

It took a saintly woman to rise and take care
else the entire city would have been a merciless fair.
It was just one man who dicovered america
when no one backed him up and he boarded santamaria.

It was the self respect of one general and king
who brought down the darius and his mighty kin.
It was one man who made the trojan horse
else the greeks were left with eternal remorse.

Those who underestimate the power of one
may believe that it is eqable to that of none
But O mighty men hear my humble song
the power of one is note yet gone.