One Life To Live

Monday, April 7, 2025

A Cup of...

The ever blissful bright mornings

Come often to sprinkle the fairy dust,
Laced with essences of arete and hope.
There are mornings too,
When the sheen's subtle and
The glistening glimmer got not a clue.

On beginnings like these,
Where wishes sparkle,
But moxie's on a reel...
You come to me
Like a fragrant cup of Lavender Love
The folds of your eyelids,
As you glance with a lazy warmth,
Are the tranquil waters on the edge of Dawn
That gives me poise and makes me go on.

There too are balmy evenings,
That welcome the ivory night,
But sometimes seem to carry,
The day's worth of plight.
On moments like these,
You come to me
Like a cup of Ginger Goodness.
The serene smile,
As you speak of mundane things,
Is the potent elixir that the twilight brings.
It eases my strain off, even if the day was tough.

Then there are the velvety nights
Where the stars twinkle,
And enigmatic tales
The mysteries of the mind sprinkle.
But when the moon takes a rain check,
From the dance of dreams,
Eclipses unfold with dour themes.
During spells like these,
You come to me
Like a cup of Chamomile Charm.
The aurora in your voice,
As you beam with your starry-eyed adore,
Is the Forever that destinies desire

And wishes wish for.
It soothes my soul and heals my heart to the core.

You are the Dream of dreams,
The Love of Wishes,
A promise of eternity
Until (and beyond) the Sun gleams.

Sunday, April 6, 2025

हैं खानाबदोश वो

टिमटिमाती तारों की
उन रोशनी की हर रेशे से पुछो,

या लहराती हुई हवा की
खुसबू में छिपे हर नज़्म से पुछो,

हैं किस्से कई जगहों के
हर मोड में शामिल मगर,

हैं खानाबदोश वो, उन किस्सों की
मंजिल का पता ना उनसे पुछो ।

कहीं सपनें नींदों में छुपती हैं,
पर बादल अपने सपने
अपनी आवाज में लिये चलते हैं,

कहीं आशाएँ मंजिलों में तय रह जाती हैं,
पर लहरें अपनी आशाएँ
अपनी रूह में बसाये चलती हैं,

हैं रास्तें कई, दिशायें कई,
बिन ठीकानों के मंजर कई मगर,

हैं खानाबदोश वो, वह अपना घर
अपने दिल में लिये चलते हैं ।

उनकी ज़िक्र में थोड़ी आशाएँ
हमने भी रूह में बसा ली,

उनकी निगाहों के उजालों में थोड़े सपने
हमने भी गीतों में बुन ली,

उनकी खुशबू की लहरों में
एक-आध पंक्तियां हमने भी चुन ली,

उन मुस्काती नज़ाकत में थोड़ी रोशनी
हमने भी रेशों में पिरो ली।

हैं खानाबदोश वो, कुछ बात तो है उन राहों में,
हमने भी खानाबदोशी से दोस्ती कर ली ।

Saturday, April 5, 2025

ଅଭିଯାନ

ଚିରଦିନୁ ଆଶ୍ରିତା ସେ ମହା ଦ୍ରୁମ ଛାୟାରେ,

ନିରାପଦେ ବଢିଛି ସେ ସୁରକ୍ଷିତ କାୟାରେ ।

ଦୁନିଆର ରୀତି ନୀତି କି ଅବା ସେ ଜାଣିଛି,

ଆଲୋକର ମିଠା ମଧୁ କେବେ ବା ସେ ଚାଖିଛି !

ନିତି ଦେଖେ ଗୁଣ୍ଡୁଚିଙ୍କ କୌତୁହଳ, ପିମ୍ପୁଡ଼ିଙ୍କ ମେଲଣ,

ନିତି ଶୁଣେ କିଚିମିଚି ପକ୍ଷୀ ଗୀତ, ସାଧୁଙ୍କର ଜଣାଣ ।

କିନ୍ତୁ ଦେଖିନି ସେ ନୀଳବର୍ଣ୍ଣ ଆକାଶରେ ମେଘମାଳା ଶ୍ବେତ,

ଶୁଣିନି ସେ ଚପଳାର ମୃଦୁ ଧ୍ବନି ଅବା ସକାଳର ସ୍ବର୍ଣ୍ଣ ଗୀତ ।

ଭାବେ ବସି ବିଦେଶିନୀ ପବନର ସ୍ରୋତ କଥା,

କାହା ଗାଥା ଗାଏ ସେ ଯେ ଲାଗେ କିଛି ଅଧା ଅଧା?

ମହକେ ସେ ଅଜଣା ଏକ ପୁଲକିତ ବାସ୍ନାରେ,

ଅଛି କି ଏକ ଦୁନିଆ ତା' ଦୁନିଆ ବାହାରେ !?

ଦେଖେ ସିଏ ନିତି ଏବେ, ଏକ ଅଭାବନୀୟ ସପନ,

ଭାବେ ବସି ଅକଳ୍ପନୀୟ ଗାଥାରେ ଲୁଚିଥିବା ଗହନ ।

'ଅଭିଯାନ ଯେ ଅପରିହାର୍ଯ୍ୟ', ଶୁଣିଛି ସେ ଜୀବନେ,

ଅଜଣା ଅନ୍ଧକାରେ ସେ ଯିବ ଏବେ - ଆଲୋକର ସନ୍ଧାନେ ।

Wednesday, April 2, 2025

ଐକାନ୍ତିକ

ଅସରନ୍ତି କୁହେଳିକା ସେ ଚକ୍ଷୁ ଯହିଁ ଚାହେଁ

ଚାହୁଁ ଚାହୁଁ ଗୋଲାପ ସ୍ବର୍ଣ୍ଣ ତହିଁ ବିଦ୍ୟମାନ ହୁଏ

ହେବ ହେବ ବୋଲି ଦ୍ବିଜ-ସ୍ବର ପୁଣି ଶୁଭେ

ଶୁଭ ଶୁଭ୍ର ଉର୍ମି ବକ୍ଷେ ଆଭା ମୋକ୍ଷ ଲଭେ

ଏଭଳି ଦୃଶ୍ୟର ଦୃଷ୍ଟାନ୍ତ ବା କାହିଁ

ସବୁଠି ଥାଏ କିନ୍ତୁ ଦୃଶ୍ୟ ହୁଏ ନାହିଁ

ଜୀବନ ଭଳି ମନେହୁଏ ଅବା ତାହା ହିଁ ଜୀବନ

ମନ ମଧ୍ୟେ ପ୍ରଶ୍ନ ଅସୁମାରି ହୁଏ ଉଦ୍ଭାବନ

ଅନନ୍ତ ଶିଖା ଭଳି ଜଳେ ପ୍ରଶ୍ନ ଏଠି

କେଉଁ ରାଜ୍ୟେ ଖୋଜିବୁଲେ, ଉତ୍ତର ଅଛି ଅବା ସେଠି?

ଆଖି ଦେଖେ ଯାହା ଏଠି, ଭ୍ରମ ତହିଁ ବିଦ୍ୟମାନ

ସ୍ବପ୍ନେ ସତ୍ଯ ଉଭା ହୁଏ, କେବେ କରେ କି ସନ୍ଧାନ ?

ମରୁ ମଧ୍ୟେ ଉଦଧି ଥିଲା, ବୋଧ ହୁଏ କେବେ

ରତ୍ନ ତହିଁ ସାଉଁଟିଲେ, ମିଳିବ କି ଏବେ?

କିମ୍ବଦନ୍ତୀ କୋଳେ, ଅସ୍ପଷ୍ଟ ସେ ତାରାଦୀପ୍ତି ମେଳେ,

ପ୍ରହେଳିକା ଅନେକ ।

ମନ କିନ୍ତୁ ପ୍ରଭାମୟୀ, ଚିତ୍ତ ଦ୍ଯୁତିମୟୀ

ସମାଧାନ ତହିଁ ଐକାନ୍ତିକ ।

Tuesday, April 1, 2025

Dancing Star

"Man muss noch Chaos in sich haben, um einen tanzenden Stern gebären zu können."
(You must have chaos within you to give birth to a dancing star.)

Friedrich Nietzsche, Thus Spoke Zarathustra

*********************************************

Calmness of the breeze whispered to the waves wild,
Could you stay still, perhaps for a little while?
'cause I have miles to go and lives to change,
Charm a smitten heart with tales from lands strange.

Crisp cosmic voice of the waves spoke,
Candor in her stance a muted innocence did invoke.

Could you move, as you stay where you are?
Could you live, when the zeal is further from far?
Could Big Bang be birthed from a state of calm?
Could a poet compose without a few qualms in her palm?

Curiousness in her eyes, the breeze listened with a fervor keen,
Calmness too needs chaos, she knew now as the waves set the scene.

Entropy is the provenance, of the cosmos and all at par,
For you need chaos within, to give birth to a dancing star.

====================================
A Little Something:

Inspired by the quote from one of my favourite books by Friedrich Nietzsche (Thus Spoke Zarathustra), and a response to the poetry prompt "Chaos", this piece is a part/snippet of one of the write-ups that belong to the lengthier side of my writings.

Though it has multiple patterns and few poetic devices, the one I would like to highlight here is the first letter of the first 12 lines (the lines that make up the conversation) in this 14-line piece. It is in line with the beginning letter of the prompt: "Chaos".

====================================

Friday, March 14, 2025

Probably Inexpressible

Call me weird, or "different", if you are in the polite spectrum, or may be nothing at all (it's nothing new, anyway); but I will always continue to be enamored by the magic of numbers and patterns.

It is not like I always want to (or maybe I do, I am possibly not that self-aware), but somehow the patterns and the numbers find me. It has puzzled me, believe you me. Just like they found me this year, on this very day too.

Anybody who remotely knows me, knows my affinity towards pi. I have been vocal about it, very vocal. However, this year I made up my mind to keep my distance, intentionally, just to try something new. I tried to even forget the date, if I could.

However, if you try hard to forget something, you will most probably remember it better than before. So, naturally I was very aware about today's date. I even went out abruptly, like most of my outings, with my father to visit a temple... just to take my mind off of it. It didn't help; the thought was constantly there.

I didn't check the time on my phone too, but but but... accidentally (or was it?) my phone lit up and I happened to notice the time (and the temperature). I stared at it for a few seconds, figuring out what to make of the situation. And I took a screenshot, I still don't know why. What are the odds (easily calculable, but let's not bother) that it would be 3.14 PM and the temperature too would read 36 degrees celcius?! Is it magic or destiny? (That was a rhetorical question.)

So, since it is what it is, and it has been what it has been, I think I should now let the news be known. It is not a news per se but just something I want to share only because I have to give credit to a few people. And what better day to do it?

It happened almost 3 years back, though I got to know about it a little later. In the world ranking of pi-masters, my name too is listed for remembering and reciting 306 digits of it. I chose that number of digits intentionally (now today's temperature too must make some sense). Last time I checked, it was 1200 digits that I remembered of it.

To the people who helped me in making to that list... I will forever have gratitude in my heart for you. Roshan sir, Chetana ma'am, and S. Prabhu sir, thank you so much.

Despite being so busy, you agreed to be there so promptly. You showed me immense support. How would I ever be able to convey what that meant for me! You three were the only people who I had informed of this; and I had always intended it to be that way. But your contribution must also be known and hence this, in this small possible way, I express my gratitude. Eternal gratitude.

Tuesday, March 11, 2025

What were his thoughts?

I began listing out things that I could do just to get a glance of her, once more. I realized I could do anything, everything. The very next moment told me that I could do absolutely nothing, nothing at all.

I kept on dwindling between these two states, every other second. And that dwindling was not sinusoidal in nature. It had extreme peaks, spikes of an infinite positive and negative in a vast time axis with minuscule divisions.

Time was a blip, sometimes... and an eternal lonesome love song awaiting the end of forever, the next second.

I could have given up everything just to see her one more time. But if I give up everything, will I be that "I" that has always loved her? Will there ever be remains of the "me" that she has loved?

Would I be making a selfish decision to give up myself? For it was not just me in that "myself"... it has moments of everything and everyone that made me "me". It has her, it has my creators too, and every emotion that I had felt and some... that had been left unfelt.

I could do everything and nothing for that glance. And once this feeling made itself felt, every ounce of my existence felt unsettling, almost warning me of its fragility, of its volatility. I did not matter anymore.

Friday, February 14, 2025

Forever

Dear Forever,

Thursday, February 13, 2025

tomorroW

Dear tomorroW,

Hope tells me I will find you there,

Where wishes fly and dreams dance,

Where the soft hues of sunrays prance, and

Where chirping birds put melodies

To vibe in a dreamy trance.

So, I await to witness the vow of words

I await here, where the moonbeams kiss the sea

I await here to meet You there

Where the Dawn kisses the air with glee

Love,

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