My dear Ma'

My dear Ma'

When I reflect on my past as a difficult child, a troublesome teenager, and an ambitious young adult, you are the one person who has consistently endured my antics.

It is because of you that I have become who I am today.

The tough love you gave me, which I didn't understand then, shaped me into a better person. It made me more determined than ever. Your strict discipline often made me wish to run away, but today I appreciate the value of that strictness and the lessons of honor, dignity, and self-respect it instilled in me.

I have learned from your mistakes and I strive to be more understanding, patient, and forgiving towards others.

Your fiery nature and determination have driven and inspired all of us to achieve what we have. You fought and sacrificed to give us the best education, and without your efforts, we would be nowhere.

Most of your life was dedicated to securing our future. You took care of not only me and my siblings but also supported your own family in every possible way. Every neighbor, from the numerous places we lived, remembers you fondly for your help and kindness.

You taught me to share, ensuring every meal was divided among us all. You created delicious dishes from the meager ingredients available at home. Though times were tough, our home was always filled with laughter and singing. The only fairy tales I remember are the ones you told us. The designer clothes you painstakingly hand-stitched for every birthday and Christmas were outstanding, though I never appreciated them then.

Today, if I am a jack of all trades—a decent cook, seamstress, and homemaker—it is because of you. Whenever anyone praises me for being a wonderful hostess, especially when my mother-in-law compliments me, my pride knows no bounds because I know it was your upbringing that earned me her appreciation.

You never received gifts or went to movies or parties, but you always kept our family together, no matter how tough the situation. You were so selfless, always putting us before yourself.

I am grateful to you, Ma. I can never thank you enough.

Reason to love life

To find some reason to love life

In spite of

Being part of a mundane routine

As duty and responsibility call

Each day slips away,

A life unlived.

Living in the moment,

A lesson yet to grasped

 

Small joys come and go,
Unnoticed,

Lost in the busyness

Of other tasks.

 

Joy, love, responsibility, life...

What are these

But threads of living

Cling to one, overlook another.

 

Choosing to embrace one,

Making do,

How much can you live

To find true satisfaction?

 

It’s a choice you make,

At some point or another:

Live like there's no future,

What do you miss in this endeavor?

 

Before you realize,

A good part is gone.

So pause,

Take a deep breath.

 

Feel the freshness seep in,

Come alive once again.

You have but one life,

Your choices shape it.

 

Will you remain knocked out,

Or spring up and flip over?

 

It’s a regular morning

The smell of freshly brewing coffee,

Tea boiling somewhere,

Crispy dosa’s roasting on a pan.

The neighbor’s dog barks,

A TV rumbling with regional news.

Out of this loud silence,

A baby screams.

A grouchy maid grumbles downstairs,

Dishes clank,

A plane flies overhead—

The sound is deafening,

Then another, overpowering,

And another.

The air-strip is around the corner.

It’s past 9 AM,

breakfasts are done,

The apartment block roars with life.

A car below refuses to start,

A bike suddenly zooms to life.

Oh…
It’s a just a regular morning.

My apartment block springs to life.

Each moment is comforting

In this silence of noise.

My cell phone rings.

It’s mother calling.

I have to answer.

The day moves on!

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Yet one lives!

Hurting every moment,

Blindly believing

Pretending to be well

The pretense is hurting,

When will this go?

Trusting and not finding

Uncertainty hurts,

Until clarity comes by

How long to hold?

Look around, the world is infidel

But fidelity is my forte

Two hands does it take for a clap

How the other one goes

One can never tell

How truthful is truth

Was it true at all?

Was it meant to be told?

Or be left alone

Each day is a struggle

Pain sorrow or woe

Nobody’s there to listen

Where does one go

Stress they say is a disease

Manifest in varied ways

For each one it’s different

For some

It eats within

Cope one must

There’s no other way

Reasons manifold

Life, in a palace or street

No escape to this

Faces with expressions

Blank, happy or sad

There is no difference

Yet one lives