Present Perfect

 When the world around you is going mad

And you just have to hold on to your inner peace

Retreat into the recesses of your universe

And mull on how everything could be

It's not a quest for perfection

That's a lofty pursuit which leaves you wanting

But in those tiny little ways, those baby steps you can do everyday

To become better than who you were yesterday

And to start with, start with the heart

Being more kinder to yourself first

It's okay if you've made mistakes

And enjoy making them time and again

Nobody is perfect anyway

And perfection is an elusive dream

That slips away when you open your eyes

And you see the flaws that no one else seem to see

Wake up to a tomorrow

Where you are a little better than who you were today

Step by step, day after day

A little better, a little kinder

Retreat a bit into your inner universe

Delve deeper within

And from there you will find all the answers

You were always seeking outside

Soulitude

 It hurts when the people you trust and respect don't really understand

But in fact, it's a blessing, a relief, you're free 

It hurts when your friends can't figure out what you're doing or even thinking

It's again a blessing, when you can stun them and surprise

It hurts when your best intentions are misunderstood, questioned and ridiculed in the here and now

It's quite a blessing, because tomorrow never dies

It's a blessing when you face problems, and those don't matter to you at all

Since you're working on ways to solve them all

Maybe it's overwhelming.

Perhaps it's way too shallow

And in all probability, you're just not even bothered

But sone day, you'll realise, those tiny little thoughts, those unselfish actions, the kindness and empathy sowed, will matter.

To someone.

Somewhere.

And till then,

Keep at it.

And even otherwise too

Blank

The page beckons

This blank space

To fill up

Don't know with what

But, it beckons

Can't see it blank

It should be funny

And leave a smile on your face

The blank shouldn't  exist

Need to fill it up with stuff, even weird

A splash of paint

Or the weariness of pain

Whatever, just fill it up

With whatever you have

Without a care about how it looks

Or sounds or feels

Blank it was

And blank it'll be 

But now, right now, 

It isn't a blank 

A topsy turvy world

 Where children learn to wash their hands even before they learn to say 'A'

And parents worry about death while they wonder how to make a living

With shattered dreams of travelling the world and meeting people from different cultures 

We wait with anxious hearts and pray for a vaccine

The Gods up there may be asleep

Or perhaps they're laughing till their bellies ache

Looking down at us, at our greed and frenetic pace

Would we be in such a great hurry 

If we were told we can meet them today

The high priests of the corporate world

And their minions holding offices great

Thumbing their noses at simple fools

Who struggle to make ends meet while they make hay

All I want as I wake up today is to say

And hope and pray that tomorrow will be a better day

Trapped within

Trapped within customs, not knowing what they truly mean
Trapped within tradition, without understanding
Trapped within the norms of society.
That hasn't got a clue where it's going

Trapped within the rat race
Trying to get the best out of life
Trapped within the traffic
Crawling to get to work and then back home

Trapped within the deadline
Work that has to be done
Trapped within expectations
You've got to be your best

Trapped within a system
That expects you to deliver
Trapped within the rules
That you cannot deny

Trapped within the wiles of the wily politicians
Who want to suck the life out of you
While pretending to be your best friend
Trapped within a rage, about the injustice of it all
Trapped within
A heart, a soul, a mind
Yearning for freedom