Courage

There comes a time in everyone's life when you feel totally down and out. You feel miserable to the extent of contemplating suicide. I've had such times too...When you have lost everything but the courage that you can face whatever is thrown at you. This courage can come from amazing sources. One of it is the reluctance to cause sorrow to your loved ones through your lack of courage. But you will see that this courage will carry you through the worst of the times. Ok..enough of intro. Now to my latest poem and surprise......It is titled Courage.

A lonely boat in a stormy sea
Facing the forces of nature
Lightning of Bad luck, Thunder of Confusion
Waves of Misery and Winds of Damnation
The boat had in it riders four
First one was man without whom this story is no more
Second rider had faith as his name
Faith, that the path he had taken was one without blame.
Third rider, Hope was a shining maiden
She said, “All these troubles will soon be at an end"
One named Courage was last one on board
He vowed that whatever comes, he'd stand his ground
Now you know the passengers four
Let’s see how the story unfolds
The storm was raging on all sides
Not a ray of sunlight anywhere in sight
It seemed that the world was at its end
The amassed fury seemed too much to defend
Faith was the first one to burn,
Hit by a lightning, he said," Maybe somewhere I took a wrong turn"
Saying thus he breathed his last
The journey ahead was worsening quite fast
Hope was the next one to die
"I don't think this will ever end" was her last cry
Even when left alone, Courage refused to give up
Through the devilish storm, he managed to keep his chin up
It took what might have been a lifetime
For the storm to vent its fury and start dying down
The winds began to slow, thunder and lightning ceased
The waves started losing their malice and the sea was coming to peace
Then courage did a wonderful wonderful thing
With a kiss, he breathed life into his kith and kin.
Faith and Hope got up with sleepy eyes
"Well what do you know" said faith, "Maybe my path after all was right"
Hope looked about taking in the scene around
"Forward my friends" she said "There is a shore to be found"
And a shore indeed did they find
A shore with peace and tranquility of mind
Once at shore, Man turned to courage, with tears in his eyes he said
"Thank you my friend! Without you I'd sure be dead"
Courage smiled and said to man “Never bother my friend"
"Stay with me and I'll take you to any journey's end"
"Never think that I don't feel fear in each breath I take"
"But what keeps me strong, what drives me on is that there's no choice to make"
"I know fear but I also know that something else is there"
"Something that is more important than all the fear everywhere"
"This something that keeps me driven until the road's end"
"Is the knowledge that I can bring you happiness my friend"

Guess Not!

Let the self denial begin.....

Will a Billion Prayers be enough?

March 23rd 2007. Friday. This is the most important day of the year till now for all the Indian cricket fans. India faces Sri Lanka in Queens Park Oval, Trinidad for a berth in the Super 8 of the 2007 ICC World Cup. A loss here would mean that India would be out of the world cup, barring a miracle of Bermuda beating Bangladesh. A loss here would mean that normal life will resume starting on Saturday. But no fan of Indian Cricket would want normal life to resume so soon. It has taken us 4 years to forget the thrashing in the 2003 World Cup finals. It has taken us 4 years to hope again for the pinnacle, to hope again for a 1983. We just cannot let all these hopes die in just 2 weeks. Being an ardent cricket fan myself, I know that it is not possible to passionately support any other team than India. It is not possible to forget the world cup and start following EPL from tomorrow. In the football world cup when Argentina fell early, we coloured ourselved Canary Yellow for Brazil. But here our souls are coloured Blue, the blue of Team India. Try as we might this colour will not come off. So if India falls at this step, then it is a weekend of self denial ahead of me. To tell myself that this does not matter and there are better things to be done rather than losing my sleep watching world cup. As difficult it might be, It will have to be done. That is why right now all I can do is pray. It is said that One day Cricket is a game of glorious uncertainities. If a prayer can tip those uncertainities slightly in India's favour, then why not? But here lies the bigger question. With the sort of form the team is in right now, Will a billion prayers be enough?

Full Moon rising.....

Full moon rising, be with me forever stay with me tonight

Full moon rising, take the stars from the sky and put them in my eyes

Dark Side of the Moon

And if the cloud bursts, thunder in your ear,

You shout and no one seems to hear.

And if the band you're in starts playing different tunes

I'll see you on the dark side of the moon.

A dash of colour in my otherwise grey life...that's what you are to me.....