I am sorry that the world is such a cruel place;
I am sorry this world does not see beauty
In the little things that matter!
I am sorry that the children witness
Things that take away their childhood!
I am sorry people quarrel over the smallest of things;
I am sorry the world is complete of hatred, racism, and
Everything bitter for the tongue and the soul!

I am sorry the world no longer produces
Souls that deeply desire
Calmness, love, affection and compassion!
I am sorry the grass is greener on the other side;
I am sorry it is always gray on this side!
I am sorry the world is colourm blind;
I am sorry that people don’t seem to understand –
That letting go and letting be is as important
As breathing, eating, and simply living!

I am sorry that you had to go through
All that trauma and fear;
I am sorry this place is scary,
I am sorry this rid you of your peace!
I am sorry for being sorry for so many things
That makes this world a not-so-great place to be in!
But, at the same time,
I am not sorry, for I know I can change something!

Change something, perhaps within a single soul
And make a difference to many!
I know I can BE the change that can help people see
Colours and the importance of being alive – the right way!
I am no longer sorry for the things that can be altered:
Like childhood of kids and keeping their innocence alive!
I am not sorry for being who I am;
And writing what I do:
For people ought to realize
That is easier said than done!

So let me not just speak:
Let me build a club;
To show the world that we contribute to the more incredible picture!
To show the world we care:
To display the globe, we are right here –
To understand and realize the bigger picture:
To help others know that
Things can change one day, someday;
And the world will be a better place to live in, after all.

 
Trust me, I fell in love as a little girl
With the music of nature, the sound of the world…
With the wind blowing my hair and the sky painted blue.
As a little girl, it was easy to fall in love!
Trust me, I fell out of love… At once
With the insane chattering of humans
Trying to bother the tranquility within me;
Ripping me off the innocence I once carried.

When life gave me a chance as an adult, I realized and
I welcomed it with my hands wide open.
I breathed in the air of freedom,
And let myself travel with time
To find out that life is so much more than
The constant hustle I let myself dwell in.
Life is in the fresh air I forget to breathe most often,
It is in the busy traffic every morning;
Life is in the coffee I sip so busily
While creating memos at work!

Life is in the TV commercials I skip
Only to find myself watching something random!
Life is in that random child who smiled at me
While I waited impatiently in the queue for my turn.
Life is in the arms of my little boy
Who outstretched his little toy car to me
And I restlessly brushed off trying to book us a cab
for we had somewhere to be!
Life is in the little things that I simply
Ignored, thinking they are merely little.

They aren’t is what I understood when I fell out of love
Of the constant bickering of my brain to my heart
To hear me out for once! No contentment in anything I do!
This realization let me understand the importance of staying still,
Holding on, taking it slow, and keeping it light…
Life is more meaningful when I meditate on the essence of who I am;
Away from the jarring sounds of the world that’s just racing
Each morning in the traffic, each evening in the same traffic!
When I realized that the hustle is real, and so is life;
I decided to sit back and do my best to
Relish that coffee break, stretch my back a little,
Honour my work, play with my child, and build myself up!
For I am living a life only I know about
Wearing a shoe that fit just my feet!

And I know I deserve to fall back in love
With the green of nature and the scent of the ocean;
With the smile of my son and the feeling of contentment.
Because life without contentment is life not lived
And I decided to live…to live well…
Trust me, I fell in love with myself this time!
And this time I shan’t fall out of love because
This time I know what I want from life!
------

I am drawn to the light,
When I am awake at night.
The shadows outweigh the dark souls
Lost in the humidity of the air,
During the day, when the sun shines bright.
The speech is poor,
The streets lure,
With rodents trying to catch a breath.

Actions are vibrant,
Footsteps roar as the race has just begun!
Colours outcast, and noises loud;
Is this hell I am in?
Or is it the doors of heaven I misread?
Is it the gate to the life I have dreamed of?
What is it that is flawed?
Dreams? Desire? Wish? The drive, perhaps?
Is it the love or the hate that is missing?
Is it the feeling of mishap that I read in books?

Is it the ambitious men trying
To oust the cursed swine into the forest,
Away from the village full of people?
Is it the untouchability of the souls,
The hunger of many minds, the big potbellies to fill?
Is it the caressing on the strands of my hair
By my grandmother who once lived?
Is it the untold stories of a million hearts
Or the mystery behind the many mysteries in the world?

I am drawn towards the sun and the moon alike
Like there is no difference in the day and night
I am drawn towards the good and the bad alike
Like there is no difference in the way the world hustles.
I am drawn towards something unnatural, something
Supernatural, something beyond the apprehension of nature.

Something man has made normal…
Mother, hear me cry, for my voice is shaken;
I am drawn towards the mirror that shows me the
Me in my grey life where I paint pink.
Pink as life is a hustle, and I am a flamingo
Trying to jostle in this world that draws me
Into its darkness of continuous hustle!

I been objectified before -
For ages, in fact;
Objectified in the name of love,
Dragged to the thorns that prick
Deep into wounds that never heal…
Objectified for mere lust;
Enslaved in the clutches of a man’s hold
Never given an opportunity to express
What I perhaps like and what I don’t!
I have been objectified, yes,
Even for household chores and
To run random errands:
Like cooking, cleaning, and birthing children…
I have been, for ages,
Objectified for gender roles,
In the office, at home, in my church…
Objectified for marital duties,
In the bed and outside of it as well…
I have been objectified for
Societal and peer pressures:
Good girls don’t stand a chance
And bad girls punished –
Not by God, by the way!
Objectified for several things
Including professional, traditional,
And cultural gains of men:
Ironically chained to the prison of being a “woman.”
In a society that victimises her, drags her naked
On the streets where men and women watch
But see nothing, speak nothing, hear nothing!

I been objectified by men.
Who knows nothing about self-control,
Consent, social responsibility,
Let alone mere humanity!
I been harshly objectified before
Even before I started my monthly cycle:
Eyes gazed at and raped me before they even touched me
I have been objectified at 5,
Objectified at 15, later by 20…
I still am in my 30s… 
Am sure I will be when I turn 60…
I am objectified for
Sexual violence and impunities,
For physical gain and emotional damage.
I have been objectified for wars at the borders
Of territories globally!
I have been objectified as a weapon:
Men represent their defeats and victories
Through how I been objectified…
I am ripped off, not just my clothes,
The dignity of my birth,
The sanctity of my body,
Through the chastity of my soul…
Who gave men the right to objectify me,
May I dare to ask…?
Who gave men the right to objectify and glorify,
Their victories and wars waged upon others through me?
Who gave them the upper-hand
To objectify and disparage my existence?
Did I?
Did you?
Who then?

Talk to me
Even when I say nothing:

Talk to me
Even when I speak a lot!

Talk to me
For I may deeply want it -

Talk to me
For I may not really show it.

Talk to me
It may make a difference:

Talk to me
Even if it doesn’t!

Talk to me
I may have a lot going on;

Talk to me
Hopefully the pain will go away…

Talk to me
It might help me figure out:

Talk to me
I need to sort things out…

Talk to me
Even on days I laugh and smile:

Talk to me
Even on days that don’t look so gloomy!

Talk to me
I need that hug and care:

Talk to me
I crave affection and love…

Talk to me
I may be difficult to love:

Talk to me
Trust me, love is all I truly need…

Talk to me
I need to hear your voice:

Talk to me
Even when I say I’ve heard enough…

Talk to me
I need that reassurance a little more:

Talk to me
Depression sure is not just crying and whining!

Talk to me
It’s also in showing up, smiling and looking bright!

Talk to me
I have anxiety – legit anxiety:

Talk to me
I’ll tell you why it’s not funny…

Talk to me
Show me some sympathy:

Talk to me
I don’t need your pity…

Talk to me
And you’ll know what I hold within:

Talk to me
You might not know it all the time: and it’s alright…

Talk to me
And you’ll know how each struggle is truly personal:

Talk to me
You’ll know nothing is only personal – it affects!

Talk to me
You’ll know about all uncertainties:

Talk to me
Maybe not all uncertainties are worth knowing…

Talk to me
Mental health is important – equally if not more:

Talk to me
You and I are not crazy: that’s for sure…

Talk to me
I will show you how wrong people are about people…

Talk to me
For I might not stay to say goodbye

Talk to me…
Maybe that’s all I really want.
For someone to just talk to me…

——

It is  pitch dark
The sea is roaring and screeching
The waves break in the rocks and rift
The sky bears no luminaries
The Moon hides in the dark cloud
A thunderstorm accompanied by lightning
Flashes revealed the agony of losses. 

       After every death, there arises litigation
       An arraign of greed, to grab the material 
       Someone held by sweat and blood
       What an irony, can't relate to a sensible mind.

When we bid goodbye
We are helpless to take anything 
But still, we are battling
To our near and dear.

     Someone placed in a better position 
    Someone blessed with good metier
    The envious mind wishes to inflict misfortune 
    Derives pain from what others have
     Became a victim of bad luck.

The little star in the  clouds
Seeks a promise 
      Get rid of the habit of comparison
      Get rid of the malice that bars pleasure
      Envy and hatred are sicknesses 
     Strike it from the heart.

When truckloads of jealousy visits
Shut down the doors of the soul
Never be rebellious and jeopardy
Enjoy the nectar of sweet relations
The gift of loving humans
Correct the thought pattern
And count the blessings, 
Find the mesmerizing vistas
The hidden gems of Happiness 
     The starlit sky is colorful and vast
      The sea is wailing and booming
       Up above, the umbrella protects and consoles.

Whenever the futile try ensued
Mother punished the little bird 
And encourage it to master foraging food
The little wings were exhausted, disproportional    
The tiny tot was worn out with hunger.

While watching the little ones' hardship
The mother bird was asked why?
She started narrating a story. 
 "There once lived a mother and child
Their bonds were such that,
The baby was her whole world.

Whenever he was scolded by someone
She fought with them,
For her, he was the epitome of perfection.
On the way to school
She protects him by holding him, 
Not being hurt by stones or thorns.

Unlike others, she took his school bags
Up to the classroom
She didn't sleep until he finished his studies.
She gave him pocket money even without asking
She wanted him always be delighted
The smiles on his face were her sunshine.

She prepared sumptuous meals to relish him
He was her life and happiness.
As his wings got resilience,
He flew away far away
Her calls were left unanswered 
Her searches went in vain
The chill of loneliness hurts her spirit
She waited and waited.

At last, a call arrived.
She was on cloud nine to receive it
She went to see her bundle of joy,
The sight was dreadful,
A heart full of grief, she called him,
The voice didn't come out
The boy in the chain wanted to hug her
She approached him in a semi-conscious state
He hugged her, called' Amma,'
Within no time, he bites her ear,
Spits out the bloody words
"if you punish me for my wrong deeds,
Direct me to the right path
I wouldn't land in this world of offences."
The mother bird, with tears in her eyes,
Stopped for a while,
The little one started up,
With beaming joy and love.

—–

Place your hand in mine;
Let me look a little deeper,
Let me caress your worries away,
Let me kindle your heart with joy,
Let me soothe your pain and
Wipe your tears away…
For I have been watching over you.

All the years you have been swaying away;
In the storm and in the rain,
In the light and in the darkness;
In times of grief and happiness:
In times of hope and despair;
Trust me, for I am willing
To grant you the bliss of being you:
Wholly, completely, explicitly;
Exactly how you have been destined to be…

So hold my hand and come close,
Hold on to the strong rope of faith and
Hang in there and never lose hope, for
You are destined to be who you are -
Today, tomorrow and forever as time shall see
Your beauty on the land and your essence in the air:
For I am who is willing to grant you
An eternity of selfless YOU!

Now you can decide who I am –
Yourself, God or simply faith…
For such faith in yourself, God and the world
Will take you places, where the grass is green all over!
It will land you on the surface of the moon
And let you experience the heat of the sun
In the calm and peace of your home!

You will finally be able to breathe in the fresh air
And pack all that you inhale in your lungs,
Longing to go back to the wilderness that
Once took you away from the Me who is talking to you…
Well, hold on strong, tight and just right
And I shall do the rest…
For I let you decide who I am -
A talking parrot, alien or perhaps a religious book:
Acknowledging the deeper depths of who you are
And who you are born to be…

Don’t be fooled by Godmen pretending to know me;
Don’t be marred by the ego of selfish humans;
Don’t be carried away in the hurricane of busy workers:
Just know that divinity and serenity go hand in hand –
Often misplaced by one another:
Finding each other at the end of the cliff,
As you allow yourself to succumb to
The height you fear so much!

Well, I am nothing but the spirit within you,
Whispering the truth that man does not want
To hear or see but cannot escape from…
So, my lad, smile and make merry for I am her
Talking to you – you just got to listen!

Under the moon and starry nights,
Over the hills and valley depths,
Above the mountain top and tides,
I will be waiting for your footsteps’ cheer!

Crawling your way into my heart,
Milestones we have crossed;
As precious you have been, I am here.
Waiting for another heartbeat!

You have made me a mom and friend,
A loving soul more than just meat;
You have given me reasons to fight.
This whole world for your little eyes!

You are now so big already,
You don’t fall as often, see;
Walking straight with shoes and pants on,
Further away from me, but never from my heart!

You are the most precious gem,
More than the million things I want,
You are the desire, the love,
The trust and hope I adore!

You are my son
You’ve come with a purpose;
Blessed I am to be here,
Under the starry sky, over the mountainside!

Mom and son on their own
Reading books and roasting marshmallows;
Singing songs and cheering
As we love and cherish the little things!

My first son, 
My last love.
Thank you for being YOU.
Thank you for making me ME!

Let’s fix this, fix this,
Before this eats us;
Our long-lasted love,
Our space and our hearts!

Let’s fix this, fix this,
Before it spoils our faith;
In our souls, from our paths,
Turn us into stones,
Let’s Stay!

Let’s fix this, fix this,
Before it drains our muscles;
Of strength to ever find love again!

Let’s fix this, fix this,
Before it falls off the sky,
Off the limits of the human eye;
Let’s fix this – for you and me…

Let’s start over, over all these stormy nights;
Let’s hold on until dawn, together
Under the starry night…

Let’s fix this for life;
For God’s plans, for our understanding,
Let’s fix this because fixing is complicated;
Holding on is tough,
Staying strong takes courage
Let’s fix this because we deserve another chance!

Let’s fix this, fix this,
For you and I…
Let’s fix this until dawn after each night!