Dancing on the Rope

Life is a tightrope, and to live is to move. Every step is a moment of balance, a silent game played breath by breath. Yet balance isn’t found in a single step—it’s woven through time. You may wobble, falter, even lean toward the edge—but keep moving.

Step by step, forward is enough. There will be many milestones - each with its unique sense of completion. You keep moving forward yet it feels like you are moving in circles. Keep moving ahead over the knots that lie in front and you will see the circles will get bigger and bigger. As you move, your feet learn the rhythm. Once heavy with doubt, they grow light with grace. And one day, you’ll find yourself not just walking, but dancing—steady and free—on this tightrope of life. 

Oh Baby My!

When life gives you a choice,
Betwixt licking your wounds 
& Prepping for the fight,
Oh baby my! Give the healing to time,
To the next adventure you dance along!

When life gives you a choice,
Betwixt hating the fools,
& Letting the garbage go by,
Oh baby my! Bid the hate good bye,
To the next adventure you dance along!

When life gives you a choice,
Betwixt a thick dark frown
& A big fat smile,
Oh baby my! Don't think before you laugh,
To the next adventure you dance along!

When you feel that only one way lies,
That life wants you to feel low & dry,
Oh baby my! Trust these words of mine,
A choice hides close by, 

To dance as life's adventure carries on!

PS- A random scribble at the airport as I return to Raipur after seeing Niyati and our week-old Zen.

Let's Cut to the Chase

Let's cut to the chase dear. What do you really want? Beyond your exalted miseries, your celebrated evasions, what is it that you really want?   

Now, please don’t pretend that you are not in control of your shit, of your destiny or of your mind-made misery. Please don’t. As I said, let us really cut to the chase.

What do you want? Do you want to sleep some more? Pretend that it’s not really your responsibility? Pretend that you can’t handle the pain?

Or do you, for some more time, just want to carry on like this? Pretending that you are insufficient, incomplete and incapable?

If you do – then by all means, please continue. But do give me a deadline ‘coz I am getting bored of it. I am bored of accepting the commonplace excuses of finite thought. I have seen magic. I know it’s there within me. Waiting to be unlocked. I know you have answers to everything. I know that you know. You have the damn keys to the doors you love banging against. You only pretend to look for a Master Oogway while you stuff momos down your Panda throat. You know there is no one else coming. It’s just you and me. I am the only Master you have got. I am the only Master you need. You know that. Or do you not?

 
मौके पे चौका नहीं, हम छक्का मारते हैं,
चाहे अन्दर हो या बाहर,
बाधाओं को पकड़, हवा में फेकते हैं ...
शरीर और मन पर, रख कर संयम,
खुद को पुचकारते, मुस्कुराते हरदम,
ले के हवा का कश गहरा, बड़ी सी छलांग मारते हैं ...

मौके पे चौका नहीं, हम छक्का मारते हैं.
 

All I am asking of you, my friend, is to take your fighter jet for a spin. Not on the runway ‘coz that’s where the cool crowd hangs; but in the sky – where it really belongs.

नए पंख

 1.

माँ, ये क्या मुझे है हो रहा?

चलते हुए खो गया मैं रस्ता यहाँ - 

अब न राह दिखती, न है कोई सहारा, 

दिमागी बोझ से है कंधा झुक सा गया ...

2.

बेटा, ये क्या है तू कह रहा? 

गौर से तो देख तू जरा - 

डरावना भले, पर सुन्दर है तेरा जीवन सजा,

जमीन तो क्या, अब पूरा आसमान है तेरा ...

नया जरूर तू इन हवाओं में अभी,

सीखेगा इन्हें, भले नए हों नियम सभी,

तो खोज मत तू चलने का कोई नया सहारा,

उठा पंख, बोझ ये तेरे नए पंखो का ...

जब मिल सकता है तू रोज़ मुझसे बादलों के बीच,

उंचाई से डर के अपनी आँख न भींच,

चलने या दौड़ने का नहीं, समय है ये उड़ने का,

बहुत किया संघर्ष अब मस्त हो के पंख फैला ...  

 

तू देखता जा!

मेरी हार को मेरी पहचान मत बना - 

मैं जीतूँगा, बस तू देखता जा !

जंग जब खुद की खुद से हो,

थोडा वक़्त जरूर लगेगा,

अच्छे से समझने को - 

क्यूंकि है जंग नहीं पर प्रेम मिलाप ये,

जिसमें जीवन की संभावनाएं खुद के अतीत से मिलें,

मिलन ये ऐसा की इसी में कई कहानियां गढ़ें-

है नायक या खलनायक, इसकी मत कर तू चिंता,

क्यूंकि क्या हार है क्या जीत, ये तो समय ही बताएगा,

अभी इन कहानियों का अंत न हुआ - 

इसीलिए, मेरी हार को मेरी पहचान मत बना,

मैं जीतूँगा, 

बस, तू देखता जा -

She Says ...

She says I am angry at myself,
I am judging myself too hard –
That, she judges from my poem …
 
Maybe she’s right,
Cause I like to hold my mirror tight,
It’s not without giving in a lot of thought,
Can I sleep at night …
 
I am angry,
@ not being able to cry and breakdown,
@ not wishing 20 more years for my mom,
@ rubbishing my hope as a fool’s pomp,
@ accepting the boundaries of this world’s swamp …
 
@ being the centre of attraction,
@ not feeling like a complaining victim,
@ my inability to feel lost and broken …
 
But, why be angry, especially –
When my perception transcends the urges to judge,
When classification as good or ugly, isn’t necessary,
When both sides of the coin, I clearly see …  
 
Then, why be angry, especially when –
Lost is the compulsion to be perfect,
Lost is the necessity of hypocrisy,
Lost is the need to be reactionary,
Lost myself and found what’s needed to be free …
 
A mid-term death, another life afresh,
Accepting the dualities,
Bearing the weight of conscious conduct …
 
When the wheels are taken away,
Like a plane taking off a runway,
Shoulders do hurt as the wings sway,
Wings of responsible living take me far away …
 
Time for crawling and running is over,
It’s time for old patterns to die,
True, there are rules to be followed,
Even as I fly and puff,
But I’ll fly cause nothing else is enough …

मकड़ी जाल

 

काला अंधेरा साया,

जानलेवा जाल ये किसने बिछाया?

उलझ सी गई,

मैं कब कहाँ कैसे?

अच्छी तो थी जिंदगी,

अब क्यूँ मुझे फाँसे?

 

ये घिनहोनी मकड़ियों का अंबार,

छल और कपटी बदबू भरमार,

अब बक्ष भी दे मुझे इन विचारों के फैलाव से,

छोड़ मुझे और जीने दे खुलके।

अपेक्षाएं - खुद की, खुद से

 

I

क्या कहूँ मैं खुद से,

क्यूँ खफा हूँ मैं खुद में?

क्यूँ ढकेलूँ अपनी सीमाओं को,

इन जालिम अपेक्षाओं से?

क्यूँ जीने को लागे, इन अपेक्षाओं का सहारा,

क्यूँ बिन इस ढोंग के जीना है गवारा?  

II

है जालिम जरूर, पर है ये जरूरी,

इन अपेक्षाओं से है जुड़ी, आस जीने की।

तो जी ले तू ऐसे,

कि है कोई कल नहीं।

जो लेना है जीने का मज़ा पूरा,

तो सब कुछ तू कर अभी।