Freedom of choice!
A sham that modern society seems to practice
Under the guise of culture and traditions, kills it with ease.
Choice is maybe to choose a man who then ticks the boxes for her;
Decisions of propriety and decency taken with or without demur.
An embellished term in our Constitution, good term for discussion,
In reality, opinions killed and only suppression!
Education convenient only till you marry,
Knowledge gained systematically oppressed to please the family.
Freedom that comes with terms and conditions,
Choices that are curated and earmarked with permissions,
Even when the clothes you wear, is decided by men’s roving eye,
Isn’t freedom of choice a beautifully tailored lie?
Yet the term widely propagated is just like a fashion statement,
To appease the masses and not a commandment!
Category: Uncategorized
Hope
Hope
A word filled with promises
Full of optimism and opportunities
A gift which keeps us alive
Makes us strong enough to survive!
Hope
A never say die human trait
That keeps us moving ahead however dire be the state
The spirit of celebrating life forever inspite of deaths to be mourned
A celebration in anticipation of good things yearned.
Hope
A treasure cherished
A candle that never is extinguished
Makes life beautiful and worthwhile
Even making death a peaceful sojourn awhile!
(Im)patience
Patience, a commodity, rare in the bazaar of virtues
Priceless! For it is indeed seen lesser in man, isn’t that true?
Impetuous and rash comments, without a thought, impatience abound, only time to rue!
A trait whose abundance leads to chaos everywhere,
Peace of mind shattered, false sense of urgency beware!
Excellence thrown out of window, half baked cake presented unaware.
Irritation and angry words fill the atmosphere,
Loss of confidence amongst people far and near,
Stress and nervousness cling like vine, adding to the despair!
Calmness the only medicine, contemplation the only answer proclaimed
To reign the stubborn habit like a wild horse tamed!
Patience truly a gem, to be preserved like a diamond that’s famed!
Spectator
Sometimes I feel I am a mere spectator and life is passing by,
Tears are the only thing I seem to control, rest is awry,
Witnessing the events of my life, in third person is like a film projected by!
Do we really control our destiny or the strings are pulled by?
The reel keeps moving, giving a false sense of normalcy;
In the canvas of life, are we puppets— whose movements reined by?
Seems happy and sad events peppered to make life – a colourful collage;
But at times it feels like I am just moving towards a mirage.
Pandemic has indeed intensified this emotional barrage!
A Thankless Job!
It’s a thankless job!
Returns are variable and never the same,
Satisfaction & happiness one side of the coin,
The other side grievances and misery conjoined!
Never do you get credit for teaching the right,
But blamed for every wrong that child might,
Values and virtues inculcated painstakingly despite!
It’s a thankless job! That’s right!
All consuming mornings and the sleepless nights,
Disregarded by people, an implicit duty they argue, not so polite!
Everyone does it for their child! What’s so different and bright?
It’s a thankless job! That’s right!
But it’s alright! Thankless it may be!
Love and affection, my dear child, counters all the pains,
Fills me with pride that cannot be compared to any other gains!
The Rat Race!
The child is born; and the rat race begins;
Milestones to be accomplished, even the grins
Compared with every infant nearby to see who wins!
Unknowingly the mothers compete with each other,
Enrolling the child in a race which it is unaware and doesn’t bother,
Stealing the joy of carefree childhood, societal pressure be it son or daughter!
Bragging about the child’s abilities is the favourite pass time,
Imposing our ambitions on them is the very first crime;
Adding to the long list, is comparison with every single child that’s in line!
Kindergarten grades treated akin to the Nobel prize;
Future Einsteins—with the marks to epitomize,
Lost in this race is the passion to learn, expected to be like robots- mechanised!
सफर
आज अचानक मैने अपने आप को अकेला पाया
ज़िंदगी के मोड़ पर एक दूसरा रास्ता नजर आया
मन की बात कही तो गुमराह कर दिया
बगावत की तो जमाने ने सुली पे चढ़ा दिया।
ज़िंदगी के रास्ते कभी अकेले भी तय करने होंगे
ये जब पता चला तो उजाला भी रोंगटे दे गया
सफर की मुश्किलों का अंदाज़ आज लग गया
हमसफ़र का साथ कयामत तक नहीं ये पता चल गया।
दिल को कोई शीकवा नहीं, कोई गिला नहीं
सफ़र में साथी नहीं इसका कोई ग़म नहीं
नई मंज़िल की तलाश कोई नई बात नहीं
पहूंचेंगे किसी मकाम पर, इसमे कोई शक नहीं।
I don’t want to be a Goddess!
I don’t want to be a Goddess playing marquee;
For a few days people will queue and worship me,
Rest of the year, ready to abuse, rape and bully!
I don’t want to be praised for my ability to juggle million tasks and my skills;
Expected to work 24×7, the unending drill;
Yet taken for granted by everyone at will!
I don’t want to be empowered by the worldly men;
To then be called names for my assertion by them;
My assertiveness then treated as aggression by the so called gentlemen!
I don’t want to be treated equally with the other gender;
For the sake of fulfilling my duties no matter
Yet beg for my rights, at the mercy of patriarchal society no wonder!
I don’t want to be applauded as a homemaker;
Nor as the career oriented woman who is glass ceiling-breaker;
In either secnario I am asked to prove my mettle, hundreds of obstacles by troublemakers!
I don’t want to be revered as Goddess!
Only wish is to be respected not treated like serf.
Freedom to live life without the curse!
Genocide
World war ll added a new word to the dictionary,
Genocide came into existence, an abhorrent truth which was scary,
Jews and Romas persecuted in millions, earth drenched in their blood, land not enough to bury!
Hiroshima & Nagasaki considered war crime;
Wasn’t it as horrendous as the genocide at that time?
History records victor’s atrocities as war crime;
That’s the hypocrisy of human nature—dirty & grime.
Civilisations tell us about our barbaric past,
Killing and conquering once considered ambitious, nailed openly to mast,
But why in today’s civilised society should it last?
It continues though, terrorists today slaughter by the hordes,
Nadia Murad witnessed the massacre and implored
The world to come together and deplore!
Death
Death changes perception, it changes everything around us;
Floods us with memorable, happy and sad remembrances,
Causing a barrage of emotions to erupt thus!
We remember thoughts, told, untold and those unsaid,
We wish, if only, I had said, I love you, instead
Of fighting over petty things that seem trivial to tread.
Many ‘if onlys’ trouble our mind, leaving us uneasy and restless,
Quirks about the person now seem endearing and harmless,
Bitter sweet memories paint a collage that’s boundless.
Guilt of not saying things at the right moment,
Regret for words said in anger and arguments,
Alas! Only time will bring peace and can heal the pain of bereavement!
(Dedicated to my grandmother who gave me the most important lesson of life.
May her soul rest in peace!)
My Creative Side 